If you want to travel without breaking the bank, it can sometimes feel a little impossible. Things like airfares, train tickets, hotels and transfers seem to be more expensive than ever these days, meaning even the most budget holidays can soon turn pricey without you even noticing it.
One of the most expensive parts of a holiday is always the accommodation, especially if you don’t want to settle for something really basic or lacklustre. And who does?
So that’s why we’ve put together some tips for saving money when booking a hotel room, so you’ll have more cash to spend sightseeing and at the bar without the compromise!
Book out of season
A good tip that always works is to book your trip outside your new destination’s peak season. It’s worth noting that this will, of course, vary depending on where you’re going, and certain different factors will be at play. For example, in exotic, warm countries, the hottest times of year will be their peak. However, major cities where the weather is a bit more consistent, like London and New York, have peaks at their colder times of the year too, such as Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Book your stay early at the Grand Park Hotel Hounslow to take advantage of top seasonal offers.
It’s also recommended to look at things like local Bank Holidays, and the school holiday dates for your new location. These can be extra expensive times to travel, and if you don’t need to travel at these times, it’s best not to.
Another key point is that If you’re seeing very high prices, think about whether demand is very high due to an event happening in the city or the local area. If so, you might want to consider staying a bit further away from the centre.
Book via the hotel’s own website
Another tip that often gets forgotten about these days as there are so many different price comparison websites out there now, but never underestimate the power of booking your hotel directly, via their website or via phone. This can save you a surprising amount of cash, and can even leave you in the running for things like upgrades.
Take advantage of loyalty and points schemes
Speaking of upgrades, a great way to save money and enjoy lots of hotel benefits is to join popular loyalty schemes with the top chain or group hotels. A lot of the time, these sorts of rewards systems are free to join – they usually just require a quick sign up at the front desk or online.
Those who are part of a loyalty scheme can enjoy big benefits such as upgrades, late check-out times and late breakfast slots, to name a few. Check out what offers your hotel has to give before signing up.
Stay near the airport
Although it can seem obvious and pretty alluring to stay as central as possible, near the biggest attractions you want to see, these are of course the priciest areas for hotels. Teamed with expensive hotel transfers or taxis to get there from the airport, this will soon all add up.
One good tried and tested trick best-loved by frequent travellers is to skip the transfer and stay near your airport. As well as saving valuable cash getting to the hotel, you’ll also benefit from much cheaper room rates. Especially near the world’s top airports, you can take advantage of great offers, including our own Heathrow hotel deals.
As the competition will be fierce near the best airports, you’ll have the opportunity to shop around before finding the best budget hotel near Heathrow airport for you.
Park Grand Heathrow is incredibly well-connected to central London when it comes to exploring during your trip. And, for those landing in London and going straight out to sightsee, the airport is even connected via the London Underground and is served by the Piccadilly Line.
Look into car parking fees at your hotel
If you’re embarking on a road trip during your holiday, you’ve no doubt started to think about whether you’ll be taking your own car, or renting one when you get there. Although it can seem really tempting to take your own car, and it can seem super annoying to have to pay to rent one if you have one, it’s worth taking into account all of the other fees that will come into play.
The main one that sets travellers back is the car parking fees at the hotel. This is how a lot of the budget hotels make their money, with some parking spaces costing almost as much as the room each night. Before you agree to anything, check the costs and see if you can get a better deal elsewhere, or by renting a car instead.
Track the price of your hotel
If you have some time to spare before you travel (perhaps you’re planning far in advance, which is a great way to save funds) it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the cost of the hotel room of your choice to see if it fluctuates at all.
If you’re travelling last minute, keep in mind that the price of rooms can spike just before check-in dates. That means waiting to book because of ‘last-minute deals’ isn’t always a good idea.
Book multiple nights’ stay
Hotels like Park Grand Heathrow love welcoming guests for more than one night. That’s why we often offer package deals or slightly discounted rates for multiple nights’ stay. This, of course, works in your favour too, as more time in the city gives you more time to see and do everything on your bucket list!
