How to Find Cheap Hotels for Last-Minute Holiday Travel
The holidays are a crazy time of year. You have to fit in shopping for presents, attending parties, and spending time with your friends and family. If you plan on traveling for the holidays, you also have to make time to book your hotel room. But, this doesn’t have to be a super long, drawn-out process. Here are some tips for finding cheap hotel rooms at the last minute!
Do your research.
If you don’t have a ton of time, this step can feel like a burden. However, it’s truly necessary if you want to get a great price on your hotel! First, figure out how the ideal location of your hotel. If you need to be close to family, search Hotels.com for the nearest hotels. If you’re heading to a specific destination, decide if you can branch out a little (like drive 10-15 minutes). Locations a little off the beaten path or away from tourist locations will most likely offer some cheaper options.
If you don’t need to be anywhere specific for the holidays and just want to jet off, try cities that regularly host conventions if you’re looking for cheap hotels. Places like Orlando or Vegas have large hotels, but there aren’t usually any conventions going on around the holidays. That means they’re looking to fill empty rooms and are way more likely to offer low prices! Considering going overseas? Most places abroad consider the holidays to be off-season, so hotel rooms are much cheaper than during the rest of the year.
Compare options.
You should definitely take the time to compare hotels. Narrow down your choices by including your must-haves (a continental breakfast, gym on-site, etc.). Most travel sites let you compare different hotels to see which one best fits your preferences and budget. Make sure you’re realistic about how much you’re willing to spend - you don’t want to be searching for 5-star hotels if you can really only afford 3-star accommodations!
Check last-minute deals.
Before you book, check out the last-minute deals on Hotels.com. You can save anywhere from 10% to 50% off select locations simply by searching the site’s options. All you have to do is type in your destination, the dates of your trip, and the number of people in your party, and see what deals pop up.
Use coupon codes at checkout.
Your best bet for finding the cheapest hotel is to use a discount code at checkout. You could get even more serious savings (like $20 off a 3-night stay) on top of the last minute deals you snagged by going to a discounted hotel.
So, don’t give up hope that you have to shell out a ton of cash on a hotel during the holidays! Follow these tips, and you’ll be all set!