One of the most expensive parts of travelling is the accommodation. This one grinds my gears in a lot of ways. As an adult travelling, I don’t care what the hotel has amenity wise, its primary purpose when I travel is to have a bed.
But as a parent, I need to make sure it has a bunch of other things, or at the very least a pool.
The problem with hotels is that they are all usually pretty costly. Here are some sites you can save on lodging when you are travelling away from home.
Airbnb
Airbnb will let you rent out someone’s shared room, room, or house spending on your needs. They are an interesting rental alternative. You rent directly from the owner and you can get some pretty cool places to stay (including castles!).
Best of all these types of accommodations are great for staying somewhere and getting a lower cost.
Homeaway
Much like Airbnb, HomeAway (part of the VRBO group ) is a listing of private homes for rent. We have used them and it’s a different experience than a hotel. I recommend renting a larger place if you are staying somewhere for an extended period of time.
The extra space is great, and depending on your criteria, you can find exactly what you are looking for.
Hotwire
If you are looking to save money on hotels. But you aren’t all that into staying in another persons house, then there is another option.
Hotwire is my ultimate choice when we want a hotel at a better rate. But I’ll be the first to admit it’s not for everyone.
There are two sections to Hotwire, one is the regular booking site, the other is the hidden listing site.
The way Hotwire works is that you find out most details on the hotel (location area, amenities and star rating) then you decide if you want to book it.
The catch is that they don’t give you the name until you book.
We first used Hotwire to book our honeymoon hotel over 10 years ago and it worked out amazing.
We had heard of Hotwire and checked it out there was a 3.5 star hotel downtown for $100 a night. Since everything else was double that price. It sounded perfect. We booked it and got the Sheraton Downtown!
When we got to the hotel the normal rate would have been 3 times that much. Not every time we have booked with Hotwire has been as great of savings but it’s always been a positive experience.
Headed out on a trip? Make sure to use our Ultimate Travel Packing List
Some Quick Ways to Save Money on Hotels
Call and ask for a discount
It never hurts to see what kind of a discount you can get by talking to a real person. Booking online is quick and easy, but it’s talking to people that can get you some pretty good discounts.
Book last minute
Most hotels need to have 100% occupancy to turn a decent profit. If you are willing to put up with some uncertainty travelling at the last minute can save you some good money at times.
Travel during the low season
If you can find a way to travel during the low traffic season, then this is a great place for you to save extra money.
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