How To Find Cheap Hotels

Be Flexible About Location

This may seem a bit obvious, but the precise location of the hotels that you're looking at plays a huge part in how much they are going to cost. If your hotel is right downtown and only steps away from major tourist attractions, you're naturally going to pay a pretty penny for your stay. By being flexible and willing to find your way around from more out-of-the-way spots, you can save a bundle on your hotel - airport hotels are often good places to look.

Visit During Off-Peak Season

For some places, season matters a great deal when it comes to booking a trip. It makes no sense to visit an area renowned for its splendid beaches during freezing cold weather, for example. However, other places' so-called "off seasons" aren't that much different than their peak tourist seasons; it doesn't really matter if you visit those places during the summer or the winter. By visiting during off-peak season, you not only avoid the crowds, but you can get phenomenal rates for cheap hotels, too. If it's reasonable to do so, try to plan your vacations for the off season to save a lot of cash.

Do You Really Need That?

On paper - or on the computer screen - many hotel amenities seem attractive. Things like exercise rooms, turn down service, complimentary full breakfasts and having the local newspaper delivered to your room every morning may sound nice, but will you actually use or need them? If you can do without some of the more extensive amenities, you can easily slash the price of the hotel you end up booking. Make a list of all of the things that you absolutely can't live without - but be reasonable about them. You'll be surprised at how much extra money you can end up paying for things that you don't even need.

Ask The Front Desk Staff

If you've narrowed down your search to just one or two reasonable hotels, you could always pick up the phone and give the front desk staff a call. Ask them candidly what the best way to go about getting a phenomenal rate at their hotel is. You'd be surprised at how forthcoming many front desk personnel can be about helping you secure amazingly cheap hotel rooms. Either way, it's certainly worth a shot - the worst thing they can say is "no," after all, or that they have no ideas for you. In the best case scenario, they'll be a wealth of information and can help you get a great rate.

Sign Up For Special Alerts

The Internet is, of course, a treasure trove of valuable information as far as finding cheap hotels goes - the trouble lies in knowing where to look. If there's a particular chain of hotels that you prefer, most of the major ones offer alerts that you can sign up for to keep up on any specials they may be offering. Usually, these alerts are sent to your email address; if you're flexible enough, this may be a really good option and you can easily save some good money.

Compare And Contrast On Travel Websites

Planning ahead is a great way to save money on hotels. By booking your trip early enough, you can go online and use an online service to quickly compare and contrast the various prices, amenities, locations and ratings of a ton of different hotels. It's the fastest way to get a real feel for what the going rate for hotels in any given area is. With the information you learned through these websites, you will be better able to recognize a good deal when you see one - and you can be a savvier shopper, too.