How to get cheap hotel deals

Please note that as the information regarding COVID-19 and travel restrictions change daily, the information in this guide may be out of date. You must check the Government website for up-to-date advice (link below). Whilst we try our best to ensure everything is accurate, you must consult professional advice before taking any action. The following article is for information only.

3 Must-Knows BEFORE You Book a Hotel

Before travelling, it's essential to access the Government official website to check its latest advice on travelling, as this is updated regularly. You must also follow a step-by-step checklist before travelling. You can check this here.

1. Get a hotel deal with free cancellation and a full refund. 

One of the most important things to do before getting a cheap hotel deal is to get a deal with free cancellation and a full refund if anything happens and you aren't able to travel. The rules for travelling in the UK are always changing so it's better to be prepared for any changes that may interfere with your trip. 

2. Get travel insurance 

Another thing to do is to get travel insurance. Make sure your insurance covers any cancellations due to coronavirus. To learn more about how to get the best travel insurance for you, read our full guide about it. 

3. Read the reviews of your hotel

It doesn't matter how much your budget is; it's important to always read the reviews before paying and booking your hotel. There are many websites available to check the reviews. The biggest one is TripAdvisor. 

7 Tips For Cheap Hotel Deals

1. Using Hotel Comparison Sites 

The best way to get the cheapest hotel deal is by using comparison sites. We have created a table with the best comparison sites you can use: 

Hotel Comparison Site	About
TripAdvisor	The top hotel comparison site, TripAdvisor, can offer you more than the best deals. There you can also find hotel reviews to make the best choice. You can find the best holiday rentals available as well.
Trivago	This is an exclusive website to find hotel deals, and you can also find deals available at Booking.com and Expedia there, which can make your search easier.
Hotels.com	This is one of the best websites to find hotel deals, you will get free cancellation with most hotel deals, and you can also get one reward night if you stay ten nights, depending on the hotel.
Booking.com	Another very popular website where you can search for more than hotel deals and find apartments, villas, cabins, cottages, houses, and hostels.
Expedia	Another very popular website where you can get advantageous cancellation and refund policies.
HotelsCombined	This website promises to find you the best hotel deal available and has more than 5,000,000 hotels available.
Ebookers	This website is not well-known but offers some advantages such as flexible booking options, earning bonuses and rewards, and getting exclusive mobile deals.
TravelSupermarket	This website is great for finding holiday package deals; you can search for hotels and flights simultaneously and get a better deal. Also, it can be more advantageous getting them together, as they came with better cancellation and refund policies. Learn more about this in our guide about how to get a travel refund if your trip gets cancelled.
Last Minute	Another great website to find the best holiday package deals. On this website, you can search what is available during the dates you can travel to find the cheapest destination.
Loveholidays	One more option to find the best holiday package deals. This website is famous for its summer holidays, with all-inclusive resorts worldwide. You can also pay for your holiday monthly.

You have many ways to use these websites. One of them is, if you know where you want to go and more or less when you want to travel, you can start by adding this information. Then, these websites will show you a list of hotels available, which you can filter according to your preferences to find the best hotel for you. 

Another way to use these websites is by seeing what deals are available. Usually, they have a list of the best deals available at the moment. This is useful if you want to travel but don't have precisely a destination or a date in mind. 

They are very similar, and you can use all of them to find the cheapest hotel deal available. It's essential to keep in mind the travelling rules in place in the UK at the moment. Also, you might need to get tested before and after you travel. We have a guide about PCR tests for travel. 

2. Check if the price includes breakfast (and if it's worth it) 

Sometimes it's worth getting breakfast included; other times, it isn't. It all depends on the quality of the breakfast offered, the price and what you can get elsewhere. Do the research and make sure you are making the most of your money. 

3. Check if booking directly via hotel is cheaper 

In some cases, going directly to the hotel website can be cheaper than using a comparison site. It's important to use comparison sites to find the best deals but always check before the official hotel website to see if you can get a better deal. 

4. Is there a free-to-join loyalty program?

Some of the biggest hotel chains have free-to-join loyalty programs, which can help you to save money if you travel a lot. They usually provide special offers to their members, and there are some other perks. To find more about this, check some of the biggest hotel chains' official websites. Some of them are Travelodge and Premier Inn. 

5. Look for New Hotels 

New hotels usually offer special opening rates, which can be at least 50% cheaper than the normal rate. To find about new hotel openings, you can check sites like Hotel News Resource and Hotel Designs. 

6. Use member-only sale sites 

If you want to get exclusive offers that are usually better than the ones on comparison sites, you can use a member-only sale site. There are many available, and the most popular one is Secret Escapes. 

7. If you are travelling with a group getting an Airbnb can be cheaper than staying in a hotel

The bigger the group, the more you are likely to save by getting an Airbnb instead of staying in a hotel. Also, staying in Airbnb can provide a more friendly experience, as everyone can get together in the communal areas and even cook meals together, for example. 

BONUS: If you really want to save money, consider staying in a hostel. 

Hostels are much cheaper than hotels, but in most cases, you won't have the same comfort. Check websites like Hostelbookers.com and Hostelworld to find what is available to you. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are looking for cheap flight deals, check our full guide about it. 

Even if you find a cheap hotel deal, keep in mind that you might need to spend extra money to be able to travel. It's essential to include in your budget expenses with PCR tests, for example. At the moment, there are many cheap deals, but with the travel restrictions in place, they could cost you more than you think. 

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