Staying at a hotel on your next vacation? Here are tips on how to get the best hotel deals and the best hotel booking site for hassle-free transactions.
When traveling, it’s important to get the best deal out of anything. Like knowing the best time to book flights, being able to score great hotel deals can save you hundreds of dollars. The thing is, there are plenty of sites where you can book hotel deals, including the official hotel website. One can easily get overwhelmed because there are many sites, all with the same purpose: to be the best hotel booking site.
You can book hotel stays through three different types of websites: the hotel’s official website, metasearch engines that redirect you to the hotel website, and OTAs (online travel agencies). Prices vary depending on the website’s offer and what filters you use when searching.
Regardless, getting a good deal from the best hotel booking site requires effort and careful planning.
How Do I Get the Best Hotel Deals
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Book your hotel and airline tickets as a bundle - In some cases, you might get a cheaper deal for both rather than booking the two separately. Websites like Travelocity, Expedia, and Lastminute.com offer vacation packages for hotel and airline tickets.
Sign up for hotel loyalty programs - Like airline loyalty programs, hotel loyalty programs offer free upgrades and discounts. Marriott Hotel’s loyalty program grants free WiFi access and a best-rate guarantee. Other perks include free nights or additional benefits when booking.
Compare - Before booking at a certain website, make sure to double-check competitor sites to see which has the better offer. Use the same filters and book with a website that offers cheaper rates. The same concept also applies when looking for the best airline tickets.
Check for hidden fees - Most of the time, hotel prices are more expensive because additional charges are included, like extra fees for towels and WiFi. To avoid these hidden charges, make sure that the basic necessities are already added in your hotel rate.
Sign up for membership discounts - There are several non-hotel booking websites that offer great discounts on both hostels and hotels. All you need to do is to type in the discount code when booking in order to get your discounted hotel stay. The American Automobile Association (AAA) and the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) offer discounts for international hotel stays and car rentals.
Booking.com is a strong all-around option with broad inventory and frequent discounts.
When to Book a Hotel
Last-minute deals can sometimes be less expensive than those made in advance. In some cases, booking on the same day can get you a lower rate than booking on the day before. However, booking at the last-minute is a risk in itself and you might end up not getting a room the longer you wait. Last-minute bookings are also not recommended if you want to stay at a specific hotel or if you are traveling in a large group.
For domestic hotel stays of 1 day to 2 weeks, booking a few days in advance may yield savings. You may save money per night if you book within this window. For hotel stays of more than 2 weeks, booking up to 6 days in advance may offer some savings.
For international hotel stays of 1 to 3 days, booking up to 6 days in advance may offer some savings. If you are staying for one week to 2 weeks, booking 2 weeks in advance may offer savings per night. For hotel stays of more than 2 weeks, booking up to 4 weeks ahead may offer savings per night.
Best Hotel Booking Site
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1. Booking.com
Booking.com is a strong all-around option with broad inventory and frequent discounts. The website boasts over 29 million listings worldwide and is a favorite among travelers. When searching, Booking.com also displays hostels, vacation homes, and B&Bs aside from hotels. If you are strictly searching for hotels, just use the Property Type filter and resume searching. Reviews displayed are from confirmed guests, so the reviews are authentic. What makes Booking.com a standout from other sites is that the rates displayed include tax to avoid hidden charges in the final price.
Pros: No hidden costs in rates displayed
Cons: You have to filter manually if you are specifically looking for a hotel
2. Expedia
Expedia is often useful for trip planning, from airline tickets and hotel stays to tours. You are guaranteed to find the perfect hotel for you thanks to its additional search categories. These categories include price range, distance from the airport, and other filters based on your chosen city. Expedia is also one of the hotel booking sites where you can book your car rental, sightseeing tours, and even cruise tickets. Earn rewards through its free-to-join loyalty program and get exclusive travel offers and earn points whenever you book with them.
Pros: Also offers flight packages, car rentals, and tours
Cons: Most bookings are non-refundable
3. TripAdvisor
Aside from being a review site, TripAdvisor is also known for being a hotel booking site. This is perfect for travelers who want to read hotel reviews before booking to guarantee its service. TripAdvisor also allows for more in-depth searching through its different filters and reviews. If you’re looking for a hotel that is wheelchair-accessible or has a great spa, you can easily find one using the filters and reviews. It also displays the three lowest rates from different booking sites so you can easily narrow down your choices. Although it has fewer listings compared to its competitors, it displays the lowest prices.
Pros: Filter by amenities are available
Cons: Fewer listings as compared to other websites
4. Momondo
Momondo is a metasearch engine for flights, car rentals, and hotel stays. It has a straightforward interface that displays deals from other websites. When entering dates, the calendar days are also color-coded so you know which dates have cheaper and more expensive dates. Since Momondo is a metasearch engine, you are redirected to the booking website (hotel’s official website or a third-party website) to complete your transaction.
Pros: User-friendly interface
Cons: Lack of a loyalty program
5. Trivago
Trivago is a comparison site that pulls rates from many booking platforms, including Booking.com, Orbitz, Agoda, and hundreds of others. Narrow down your search criteria and use the filters if you are looking for a hotel that has non-smoking rooms or one that offers activities like biking, boat rental, and more. On the results page, Trivago also displays recommended hotel deals, which usually include free cancellation or free breakfast. While it’s easy to use, it doesn’t always find the absolute lowest rates since no single site is consistently cheapest for every hotel or destination.
Pros: Easy to use
Cons: Doesn’t always find the lowest rates
6. Hotels.com
Hotels.com offers a thorough search function that allows you to add categories and even select if you are looking for a boutique hotel or a motel. Once you’ve found the perfect hotel, you are given all information you need including an overview of the hotel and its reviews. Hotels.com also has an enticing loyalty program where you are rewarded 1 free night for every 10 nights booked through their platform.
Pros: Features offers from major and independent hotels
Cons: Cheaper deals can be found elsewhere
7. Skyscanner Hotels
Like its flight counterpart, Skyscanner Hotels is one of the most reliable hotel booking sites around. As a metasearch engine, Skyscanner Hotels only displays the best rates from different OTAs, with the cheapest rates being highlighted. Take note however that the rates displayed don’t include tax and certain fees. When searching, you can easily select to view the rates on a per night basis or if you want to view the total stay. Easily narrow down your choices with helpful filters such as meal, location, and cancellation options to find the perfect hotel for you.
Pros: Specific filters
Cons: Prices displayed don’t include tax
8. Hotwire
Hotwire is a commonly used site for last-minute opaque hotel deals, where travelers can save by booking hotels and flights together as vacation packages. Enter your departure and arrival airport, and dates of travel, and Hotwire displays its hotel, room, and flight options. They also offer Hot Rate Hotels wherein you get cheaper rates, but you can only see the hotel name after the booking is complete. If this isn’t your cup of tea, simply check the hotels listed under Standard Rate Hotels and choose the hotel suited for you.
Pros: Save more when you book hotel stays and flights as a package
Cons: Hotel names in the Hot Rate Hotels can only be viewed once the booking is done
9. HostelWorld
For travelers on a budget, HostelWord is a top pick. It offers a wide range of listings across many countries, giving you plenty of choices. The site features numerous reviews, so you have ample information before booking. Results display traveler ratings, distance from the city center, and notable amenities for easier comparison. Additional filters—such as property types, facilities, and prices—help narrow options.
Pros: Great for budget travelers
Cons: Only allows pre-payments
10. Mr & Mrs. Smith
Mr & Mrs. Smith is the best hotel booking site if you want to stay in boutique hotels and other luxury accommodations. Their list of more than 1,600 lodgings is the result of a meticulous screening process where hotels are anonymously reviewed by their in-house specialists. Because of this, you are guaranteed that the listings included in their website only provide the finest of services. Find different spa hotels in Indonesia, pet-friendly lodgings, and even ski hotels in Iceland for that perfect winter getaway. Sign up as a member at Mr & Mrs. Smith and receive year-round offers and extras like a bottle of champagne or a cooking class upon arrival.
Pros: Perfect for travelers looking for boutique hotels
Cons: Few listings available
11. Priceline
Like Hotwire, Priceline offers discounted hotel stays through its Express Deals, perfect for travelers who don’t mind staying at different hotels. The hotel name is also kept a secret until the booking is done, and are non-refundable and non-transferable. Priceline also has a best-price guarantee where you will receive 100% of the price difference once you find a better deal within 24 hours of booking. For Express Deals, get up to a whopping 200% refund of the price difference. The results page also displays the average retail price for the dates chosen, making it easier to gauge your budget per night.
Pros: Best price guarantee refunds you up to 200% of the price difference
Cons: Average filters
12. Kayak
Kayak is a popular metasearch tool for finding discount hotel rates quickly, with a straightforward and simple interface. Its unique map feature offers more details about your chosen city, including popular dining spots, must-visit landmarks, and shopping centers. Use the “nearby” filter to stay close to a specific landmark or address. Although it doesn’t always show the cheapest rates, Kayak lets you easily compare hotels and amenities in one place.
Pros: Easy to use interface on both desktop and app
Cons: Doesn’t display rates from the official hotel website
13. Google Hotel Finder
Google Hotels is an efficient site to look for hotel deals. Simply search “hotels in” and enter the destination you want, or just proceed to the Google Hotels main page. Hotels are marked by prices on the map, unlike other websites where they are marked by dots or location pins. Click on any of the listed hotels to see more details and when you’ve found a suitable deal, click it and you will be redirected to complete the booking. The satellite and street view from Google Maps makes it easy to find the specific location of the hotel and hopefully narrow down your choices. Although it lacks filtering options, it is a convenient way to see the market and a good place to start comparing hotel prices.
Pros: Easily accessible, detailed location available via Satellite view
Cons: Lack of filtering options
14. HotelsCombined
HotelsCombined is an aggregator that searches through different OTAs and booking engines, including the official hotel website. It’s a good place to start comparing hotel deals because of the number of results it shows. HotelsCombined also allows you to view different room options from the same provider for easier comparison. Because it is only an aggregator, you’ll be redirected to the third-party site to complete your booking. There are chances where the final price will be higher than the one displayed on the search results, but the difference is usually just a few dollars. If you’re looking for a hotel booking site that displays a multitude of results, HotelsCombined is a solid pick.
Pros: Search results show deals from more than 30 OTAs
Cons: Inconsistent pricing
15. Agoda
Agoda is often strongest for Asian destinations. Although flights, airport transfers, and car rentals are available, Agoda specializes in accommodations, including hostels and private houses. Use additional filters such as guest ratings, property amenities, and payment options to narrow down your search results. What’s nice about Agoda is that most rooms have flexible payment terms (pay now or later) with free cancellation. Sign up for Agoda’s Insider Deals and get up to 30% savings on your hotel booking.
Pros: Often strongest for Asian destinations
Cons: Only allows searching by city, not by region
16. HotelTonight
If you are looking for last-minute hotel deals, HotelTonight is the best hotel booking site. HotelTonight uses an algorithm that selects the best hotel deals available on that day, then sorts them according to the hotel type and location. Take note that the rates listed in the app don’t include additional charges such as tax and certain fees. HotelTonight also has a loyalty program, HT Perks, that offers discounted rates, exclusive deals, and VIP customer support.
Pros: Perfect for last-minute deals
Cons: Search results limited
17. Orbitz
Orbitz is an OTA under Expedia, Inc, making it sister companies with Expedia and Travelocity. The three websites also have a similar design, although the prices displayed on the search results vary. What makes Orbitz a strong hotel booking site is its tempting loyalty program. With every booking, you earn an Orbuck which is worth 1 USD. Hotel stays booked via a desktop earn you 3% Orbucks and bookings made via the app earns you 5%. Earn more when you book a hotel and flight together. Lower prices for hotel stays are also available for members and you can redeem your points at hotels worldwide. Rewards include free breakfast or WiFi.
Pros: Loyalty program points can be redeemed at 300,000 hotels worldwide
Cons: Live chat feature is difficult to find
18. Travelocity
Travelocity is another site that offers flight tickets, hotels, car rentals, and travel packages. Its results page shows all of the important details and hotel reviews from TripAdvisor. Save more money when booking a flight and hotel package rather than booking separately. If you are booking a travel package deal, Travelocity guides you in each reservation process so you don’t have to book individually. Sign up for a Travelocity account and get access to member-only rates which save up to 10%. However, the discounts are only available for select hotels.
Pros: Can add flight and car rental options when searching
Cons: Member discounts available at certain hotels
19. LastMinute.com
Another hotel booking site for last-minute travelers, LastMinute.com is an OTA founded in 1998 that caters mostly to European destinations. LastMinute.com also includes different types of accommodation such as guesthouses, apartments, and other luxury accommodations aside from hotels. Save up to 40% through its Top Secret Hotels, a feature similar to Priceline’s Express Deals and Hotwire’s Hot Rate Hotels. LastMinute.com offers convenient hotel and flight packages via Flash Sales.
Pros: Good for destinations in Europe and in the UK
Cons: Fewer hotels listed as compared to competitors
20. OneTravel Hotels
OneTravel offers hotel bookings, flights, car rentals, and cruises. They also offer a unique “Travel by Theme” feature for students, senior citizens, and travelers who want a quick weekend getaway. For travelers looking for a room at the last minute, OneTravel also offers affordable last-minute hotel deals. Although the search results only show the name of the hotel, price, check-in, and check-out, easily select the page for the additional details and options available. Unlike other hotel booking websites, however, OneTravel requires the full payment
Related travel guides: How To Cancel A Hotwire Reservation.
