The vast majority of Americans travelling to Europe prefer spending their nights in a moderately priced hotel room. As such, the majority of the accommodations in my recommended list fall under that price category. Here are some crucial tips to keep in mind to plan out a budget trip and save some extra cash while booking hotels.
1. Ask for discounts
The most obvious and a rather simple solution would be to ask for discounts, especially if you are planning to stay for more than 3 nights. The same applies in a situation where you make payments in cash rather than credit card transaction since you are saving them the credit card's fee in return.
2. Off-season Bargain
Depending on which place you're in, you can identify their off-season. Prices usually hike up around the festive season (July and August). However, in other months, you can easily bargain for a cheaper rate.
You could also tell them your pocket limit if the place is too pricy, they may help you with some cheaper arrangements. Or you could also wait and drop in at the minute without reservations to try and score a last-minute cheap deal.
3. Small is Good
No pun intended. When it comes to booking a hotel, small hotels often give you a better and cheaper deal. This is primarily because larger hotels often have to pay higher taxes, which ultimately affects their room pricing. In Britain, for example, large hotels have to pay an additional 20% tax if they exceed a certain revenue limit.
4. Know the Exceptions
Of course, asking for discounts and making some reasonable bargains are all good. However, it is more important to understand when and where you can score a good deal. For instance, the hotels in Northern Europe are more expensive as compared to the ones in the South. However, there are some exceptions through which you can book at a lower price.
Business Hotels in Berlin, Scandinavia, and Brussels are mostly short of customers during the Summer and year-round weekends as well. Hotels often offer amazing deals during such dry business span. This is probably the ideal time to book your cheap hotels. The later you arrive, the better the chances of scoring a reasonable deal.
5. Know your spending limits
Do you really need to spend your nights in a five-star hotel room? If you do, you’re probably just paying extra $50-$60 for services you don’t even require. Basic amenities such as air-conditioning, private showers, elevators, a 24-hour reception desk, room service, etc. contribute their fair share in inflating the room rate. Unless you find all those features necessary, you are just simply wasting away a good deal of money. In fact, you may end up paying twice the amount of your already surplus room price.
It is also important to note that many mid-priced hotels often provide free Wi-Fi. Whereas, the expensive ones may charge you an additional fee for the same privilege which is really absurd.
6. Compare the hotels and their pricing prior to booking
This is probably the most crucial step involved in making sure you get your ideal room at a reasonable price. Most Hotels have their dedicated website where they provide detailed information regarding their policies and also the essential room specification list. Check their pricing policies such as additional person charges, extra bed charges, double-bed and twins, etc. It is also possible that you may end up paying extra for basic amenities such as a bath-tub instead of a shower.
Taking all these basic features in mind while researching and scrolling through different hotel websites can help you avoid any type of unnecessary inconvenience in the last hour.
