Four hotel money saving tips
July 30, 2009 by Jennifer Chait
Filed under Thrifty Travel
If you’re still planning on a vacation during the last month of summer then try to save extra money with the following ideas.
Get a hotel with a fridge and microwave – this is a big money saver and it’s even better if you get a hotel room with a whole darn kitchen. These rooms cost more but since you can cook for the family vs. eat out at expensive restaurants all the time, it works out in your favor. One tip to go along with this is you should Mapquest a close grocery store to your hotel so that once you arrive you can easily pick up groceries.
Use those AAA or related discounts. AAA has saved me so much on hotels that it’s overly paid for the cost of membership throughout the years. I recently bought a new car which came with it’s own little membership savings package. It’s not AAA but much the same. Sometimes your car insurance provider will even give discounts on rooms. In AAA’s case you can even get discounts on restaurants.
Consider a hostel. Hostels are not just for college kids and hippies. Hostels today offer awesome discounts, fun friends to meet, and many even now offer family rooms vs. just bunks for individuals. Like hotels each hostel is different though, so check them out online before hand. Visit Hostels.com or get my fave book on hostels – Hostels U.S.A., 5th: The Only Comprehensive, Unofficial, Opinionated Guide (Hostels Series) – this is an older hostel book, but has really great reviews and only prices are outdated.
And the biggest tip – know the cancellation policy.So many people book rooms without reading the fine print. Make sure you know how far ahead of time you need to cancel to get your money back. Some hotels offer same day, some offer 24 hours, some make you cancel even more time ahead, so it’s smart to be sure in case something comes up and you do need to cancel.
[image via stock.xchng]
