Saving Money on Hotels
May 18, 2008 by Deborah Ng
Filed under Thrifty Travel
I’m looking into hotels for when I attend a conference in Las Vegas in a few months. Last year I chose an inexpensive casino and regretted it. The room was disgusting, I had to pay for cabs or the monorail at least twice a day, and there was no in room coffee or continental breakfast or any kind of perks. Plus, being a few miles from my hotel made it difficult to go back to my room and work or rest during two hour lunch breaks.
In doing my research I realized even though many of the casinos offer cheaper rooms, if I choose a hotel near the convention center I’ll be saving money in the long run. I’ll save at least $20 to $30 per day on cabs or monorail, plus many of them offer in room coffee and a free continental breakfast which will also save money.
Last year I really didn’t do much partying or gambling. I did have dinner with some friends but kept the entertainment budget to a minimum. With that in mind, I think it’s best to stay off the strip. Moreover, a couple of the hotels offer suites with small kitchens. If I make a bunch of my own meals, I’ll save quite a bit on restaurants.
Do you have any tips for saving money at hotels – without having to stay at a low priced dive?
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A few years ago, when we went out west, we needed to stay in hotels on our way. While we were camping in Wyoming, we didn’t want to pack and unpack everyday. So we would find hotels. They had to have a couple of things, one was breakfast. We didn’t want to have to find a place to eat. Once we got in the car we were driving and we didn’t stop to buy food. The other was a pool. Since we were cooped up in a car all day (driving from Ohio), we wanted to be able to expend some of the kids energy. I had a AAA book that I picked up that listed hotels at exits and what the hotels had. That helps a lot.
One of the hotels near the convention center offers free wireless internet access ( a major plus) plus free hot breakfast and dinner buffets. Also, because it’s a suite I can buy my own food and drinks for lunches and come back to my room and eat and work. I think I’ll book early so I don’t miss out.
Hey Deborah,
If we plan to stay in a hotel for any length of time, we usually purchase an “Entertainment” coupon book for the area in which we’ll be staying.
There are usually a number of 50% off coupons for hotels as well as free or 2 for one coupons for many restaurants, fast food places and area attractions.
I know you can purchase the books online, it may be something you’d like to check into.
Let me just tell you – I NEVER pay full rpcie for a hote!! And I only stay in 3-4 star places. Here’s the deal: You go to Priceline.com and Name Your Own Price. I have done this for years, and have never had a problem with a reservation. It only works in larger cities where there are enough hotels to choose from/enough competition. No, you don’t get to choose the hotel, but the way I have always looked at it is- if it’s a 4 star hotel, it won’t be in a cruddy part of town! Be prepared – they do charge your card once the price you give is accepted, but you can purchase trip insurance if you want to have the option to cancel. The website says you can save “up to 50%” – but I have saved much more than that. I’ve stayed at The Grand Hyatt in downtown San Fran- Union Square for $60, and The Hilton in Silicon Valley for $50. It can be done! I LOVE this – as I have saved so much money. I always call the hotel after I make the reservation to ask for a non-smoking room and how many beds I prefer, to make sure there isn’t a problem when we arrive. Try it!