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Book on a Sunday
And on the seventh day, God created low hotel booking rates. According to data collected by an online hotel booking website, Sunday is both the cheapest day to book and a key day to include in your stay. Why?
As far as booking goes, one theory is that Sunday is a day when people are least likely to be on the computer planning out travel. You’re more likely to find trip-planners relaxing or running around with the family. Sunday is a slow day in the world of retail in general, so take advantage and check your favorite hotel search site on Sundays. Your odds of finding a deal will spike. This is also true for flight websites.
Sunday Stays
The data also strongly suggest that you include Sunday night in your stay. Many travelers leave their hotels on Sunday to return to work or they book a room until Sunday simply because they’re thinking within the parameters of the conventional week regardless of their work schedule. As the hotel clears out during the day on Sunday, hotels drop prices in order to fill vacant rooms. If you have a special hotel in mind but can’t afford the usual full price, consider a Sunday night stay.
The booking fundamentals also apply of course. Rates will spike for holidays, while the immediate before and after periods will likely be significantly lower. Pay attention to local events as well. For example, Vegas hotel rates will spike around the largest conventions. So save your party trip for the following weekend.
Aside from the fundamentals, remember that Sunday is your critical day. It’s all about booking when others aren’t.
Off-Peak Booking
Do your research before you book to see which dates are off-peak. If there’s some sort of holiday happening in the country you’re traveling to over the dates that you’ll be there, prices will definitely be higher. Shoulder season is a good time for hotel deals. If you know that rainy season is approaching, it’s also worth considering travel and hoping that you don’t get caught in early rain. You can often find some great bargains just before the rainy season — bring an umbrella and hope for the best!
Last Minute Booking
If you don’t mind leaving things to last minute, you can often find some great deals from 24 hours to 48 hours before your trip. Hotels offer knock-down rates the day before if they are looking to fill rooms. Sometimes, you can find up to 70% discount if you’re lucky! This is obviously a risky strategy however, as you don’t want to find yourself in a situation where there are no suitable rooms available as you’ve left it too last minute.
You can sign up for alerts through some booking websites, and you’ll receive emails when hotel prices drop.
Competition
If a few new hotels have opened recently in a similar area, existing hotels might lower their prices to meet new competition. Equally, you might find lower prices at a recently opened hotel, as once a new hotel opens, they will be looking to increase business.
Renovation
You can also often find discounted rates at hotels that are going through or have recently gone through, a period of renovation.
Bad News
If a destination has been mentioned in the news for tragic reasons, or there’s been bad news connected with a destination, some hotels lower their prices as a way of trying to lure customers amidst the news.
Location
Sometimes, hotels in business districts offer lower prices over the weekends as business districts are usually empty on Saturday and Sunday.
Check out these great cheap travel destinations if you want some ideas for how to travel on a budget!