Sponsored Content: Written & Brought to you by- Josh Elledge Chief Executive “Angel” of SavingsAngel.com
Planning your family vacation this summer? You may be making reservations for accommodations. Before you dial the hotel’s 1-800 phone number, let me share some tips for getting an incredible deal on hotel stays.
I’ve had the opportunity to book some summer hotel stays along with some hotel stays for business and I continue to marvel at the deals I’ve been able to get. Recently, as a special surprise for the family, we booked one night at a local resort hotel. I was able to get a $300 room for $68 (plus taxes and fees).
You’ve probably seen the commercials for Hotwire and Priceline. Both promise huge bargains for airfare, hotel stays, car rental, and vacation packages. Over the years, I’ve become a believer.
How they work: Both websites allow you to get a great deal on a hotel stay – but you will not know the name of the hotel until after you agree to purchase it. Sounds scary, right? Once you’ve purchased through these sites a couple times, you’ll likely always include them in your travel search – and if nothing else, try your luck at a couple “low-ball” bids. If you need specific accommodations due to travelling with a large group or with pets, these likely won’t be a good option for you.
Priceline allows you to choose the area you’d like the hotel to be in, your travel dates, the star level (quality) of the hotel, and the price you are willing to pay. You pace your bid, and if they hotel is willing to sell their inventory at that price, you’ll get the deal – and you find out where you’re staying.
Hotwire tells you the prices up front (while still keeping the hotel’s identity a secret). They will also give you the star rating, amenities available, and general location. If you like what you see, make your purchase, and the location will be revealed to you.
With a bit of effort and knowledge, here’s what I recommend doing to get a great deal:
1. Start by browsing any popular travel website to get an idea for the going price for your dates, class of hotel, and location. Keep in mind that nearly every website uses their own criteria to rate hotels. A 3-star hotel on Priceline may not be rated 3 stars on Hotwire, Expedia, Hotels.com or anywhere else. Generally, however, I find that they are usually within a half star of each other.
Browsing a calendar of rates on the regular travel sites, you can find some big variations day to day at hotels. If your schedule is flexible, often you can find better rates on the weekend than weekdays. Big events in a city can cause hotel rates to skyrocket – so considering other nearby towns might be an option to get a better price as well.
2. Once you’ve gotten an idea for the best time and location to travel according to published rates, I recommend browsing Priceline’s list of winning bids (on their site) and do a search for your destination on BetterBidding.com. You’ll find the purchase price and the hotel’s identity for both Priceline and Hotwire. Make sure you read hotel reviews on TripAdvisor.com to know if there are any hotels you need to work to avoid.
3. Bid! If it seems that people are getting deals lower than what you are currently finding on Hotwire, start at Priceline and place a bid. You’ll get a feel for what to bid based on what people are winning and the current advertised rates. If you’ve given yourself enough time, you won’t have to worry about not having your bid accepted. You can either wait 24 hours to bid again, or change your criteria and bid again immediately. As you rebid, if the price starts to creep up beyond what is listed at Hotwire, make your purchase there. While I almost always start at Priceline, I’m about 50-50 with where I finally make my purchase at the two. Only occasionally do neither work and I end up booking directly. Sometimes it’s worth the extra expense to know exactly where my family and I will be – although (so far) I’ve never been disappointed with my purchase.
4. Get the upgrade! Once you get your bid, make sure you are part of that hotel’s loyalty program. Call the hotel directly (not through their national toll-free number) and ensure your loyalty number is attached. Often, their loyalty program will get you perks like a free newspaper, express check in, or discounts on paid amenities. My main reason is that I’ve found it gets me better service. It may also give you some additional leverage when you ask if there are any available upgrades or any other offers you can take advantage of. Usually this is not when they are given – but I ask anyway.
5. When checking in, don’t be shy about asking for “any available upgrades.” If you have a reason to ask for the upgrade, feel free to mention that. When my wife and I checked in with my kids at the local resort hotel, I shared with the front desk how excited my kids were to be staying there and that we were celebrating their birthdays this month. If there is a reason to mention something that wasn’t quite right on a previous stay, feel free to mention that as well. As a result of just sharing our reason for our stay, my $68 winning bid for a $200 room turned into a $300 suite!
I love getting great deals on travel almost as much as getting great deals at the grocery store. I’d love to hear your ideas on getting great deals and upgrades at hotels – and if you’ve had success employing these ideas. Please share your best tips below.
The easiest way to cut your grocery bill in half is through using manufacturers coupons combined with the best sales at local stores. Normally, this takes a lot of work to create a winning shopping list for your family. Each week, SavingsAngel.com combines over 2,000 products on sale at local grocery and drug stores with their enormous database of manufacturer coupons – which are found in Sunday’s newspaper and throughout the Internet. This combination results in access to over 300 products each week for 50% off or better. Please look for Monday’s column each week for tips on how you can easily start cutting your grocery bill!
Josh Elledge is the Chief Executive “Angel” of SavingsAngel.com – launched from his home in January 2007. A husband and father of three, he now appears each week on television, in newspapers, and a number of radio stations across the country teaching families how to cut their grocery bill in half using the Internet. Elledge created the technology found on SavingsAngel.com through the need to save his own family’s money. Successfully able to cut his own grocery bill from $600 a month to less than $300 a month, his message has reached hundreds of thousands of families. SavingsAngel.com is now growing rapidly throughout the country. You can watch a short video at SavingsAngel.com that will explain more information about how to cut your own grocery bill in half with the help of SavingsAngel.com.
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