Getting a discounted rate for a hotels is actually more common than you think. However, most people don’t attempt to check if they can score a deal and decide to book the advertised rate. Depending on the hotel brand, season you are traveling, and location, a nightly rate can vary widely.
Timing is everything for a hotel booking. You need to understand where you are traveling, when, and do your research to find the best deal.
While there won’t always be a way to score a cheaper room we’ll tell you how we typically navigate booking a hotel for the best rate.
Why Discounts Are Offered
It’s not hard to figure out why a hotel may offer you a discount. These can often be to encourage travelers while there is low demand or the hotel is eager to show off a new offering.
Hotels don’t only make money on room rates but also while guests are on the property. This is why they are often eager to entice people in with special rates knowing they will benefit in other ways too.
When you are searching for a discount don’t overlook other perks outside of the nightly rate. It’s not uncommon to score free breakfast, room upgrade, spa access, or evening credits while you are staying. Hotels tend to value things higher that will also encourage you to up charge while onsite, such as $100 spa credit that will convince you to spend more than you usually would. However, in the end you are still getting a deal and if you book correctly can maximize your perks.
How To Get A Discount
The main question we all want to know is how do we actually get a discount. As we mentioned can be in the form of a reduced rate or added perks included in your stay.
In our experience there are a few ways to score a deal when you travel.
Check Hotel Special Offers
Most hotels will have a section of their website called “Special Offers” that advertise their current promotions. In our experience this is by far the easiest way to get perks from a hotel that most people often overlook checking.
The type of benefits we usually see are receive a free night after you stay a certain number of days, a special meal credit, a tour offering, or even a spa package.
These offers tend to change frequently but given it’s being advertised by a hotel directly they are usually the best way to get added benefits out of your stay.
Use A Hotel Promotional Code
If you are lucky to find an eligible one there are hotel promotional codes offering temporary deals hotels make available for a certain period of time. In our experience these don’t always work but are worth a shot if you can find one that does.
Note: Promo codes vary in eligibility and expire after a certain period of time. The codes in the table below have been verified at time of posting. Please reach out if you notice an expired code.
Use A Hotel Corporate Code
If you work for a major organization it’s possible they have a corporate discount at hotel groups.Corporate rates tend to be available with the large hotel groups such as Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Choice, and Best Western. If you have a valid ID that can prove you are eligible for a rate you can score a big discount by using a hotel corporate code.
See our full list of hotel corporate codes here.
In our experience the discounts tend to be around 30% off but vary from hotel to hotel. If you are eligible make sure you include your corporate code next time you search.
Use A Hotel Friends and Family Program
This may be obvious but if you have a friend or family member that works at a major hotel group they get the most exclusive discounts to give out. These programs are very popular due to the extreme discounts of up to 60% you can find especially at luxury brand hotels.
If you want to know exactly what to ask your friend you can find a guide to Marriott Explore, Hilton Go, and IHG Merlin that will walk you through it.
Summary & Take Aways
There is nothing like the feeling of scoring a great deal, getting a room upgrade, or getting additional benefits when staying in a hotel. After all you want your experience away from home to be as comfortable as possible.
Utilizing the above tactics are the best way to get the most out of your stay. If you have any other tips and tricks we should know about let us know in the comments.