How to Select the Best Budget Hotel for Your Needs

Previously we posted on ways to save money on hotels. This article from Penny is in line to that one with putting more emphasis on tricks to choose cheapest yet better budget hotel in your destination. Hope you’ll enjoy the post! Are you planning a trip, but are you worried about the cost? One of the best ways for you to stretch those vacation dollars out is to be smart about your sleeping options. If you research a little before you book, getting budget accommodation is easy. Read on for ideas on how to find a low-cost hotel room that suits your travelling style.

Research the Area

Before going on your vacation, research the average price of hotels in the area you’ll be travelling to. Once you know the average, decide how much you can afford to pay. However, just because a hotel meets your price range doesn’t mean you should book it immediately.

Because cheaper hotels are often farther from a city’s main sites, look at the transportation options that you’ll have in the area. Factor in the cost of getting to and from your hotel. For example, if you search for hotels near New York City, you may find some lower-priced options in New Jersey or areas other than Manhattan that will help you keep costs down while still being close enough to public transportation.

(Related – Getting ready financially for vacation travel)

Can You Self-Cater?

Our biggest expenses when travelling are usually transport, accommodation and food. If your budget hotel has a kitchenette in the room, a shared kitchen on one floor or even just an electric kettle or a microwave, you’ll save some money on breakfasts or light meals.

Even if one of your main goals while travelling is to try local food, if you can save money on one or two meals a day, then you’ll have more money to spend on the third meal. Another thing to check is if breakfast is included in your room’s price.

Does It Have a Curfew?

Very low-priced budget hotels, in some parts of the world, may have curfews. If you’re not usually a night owl, this may not bother you. But, for some travelers, having to be home by a certain time sounds more like high school than a holiday.

Read the fine print on the booking website and in reviews by other travelers to see if the hotel you’re thinking of staying at will allow you to come and go as you please.

(Related – Best travel advice I ever received, Walk)

Consider Customer Reviews

As mentioned, reading customer reviews is a great way to get a feel for whether it’s “your” kind of place or not. What aspects of the hotel are most important to you? If you don’t care about the view in your room because you plan to stay out all day sightseeing, then “bad” reviews that complain about this can be disregarded.

On the other hand, if you’re hoping for convenient access to a bus or subway line and the “good” reviews mention it’s a 20-minute walk from the hotel and that taxis are scarce, you’ll know it may not be best for you.

Select Your Season

Some times of the year, you can stay in upper-tier hotels for budget prices. Many locations around the world have high and low seasons. If you choose to visit in the low season, you may be happy to find rooms are on offer at hefty discounts. The time on either side of a high season is called “shoulder season,” and prices may be better then as well.

(Related – How to save money on airline ticket)

Book in Advance

Hotel managers like to know their establishments will be full enough to cover their overheads, so they want to attract customers who book early. They may do this through discounted room rates, if you book several months in advance.

This works best in locations that have busy high seasons — these places often have more rooms than tourists the rest of the year and so they make their rates competitive. Not all travel arrangements can be booked early, but if you can do so, it may save you more than a few dollars a night.

About the Author: Penny Martin is a software designer by day — and a travel-booking guru by night.

SB’s thoughts: While these are all awesome advice. My technique is to bid for hotels through Priceline.com. I select an area which is slightly on the outer side of the main city area. But, before I bid for a room, I do check the current prevailing rates though other sites. I generally saved 30 – 40% through bidding.

My friends argue with me saying we do not control the hotel we will be booked through bidding. ure, that’s one of the disadvantages. But, if you put a minimum star category, you’ll surely get one of the better hotels.

In our experience of using bid to buy hotel room of 7 years, we rarely got a room we didn’t like.

Readers, what do you think the best way to save money on hotel cost? Do share your opinions and thoughts.