Accommodation will likely always be the most expensive part of taking a trip, but that still doesn’t mean it has to drain anyone’s bank account. Staying at a nice hotel shouldn’t equate to overpaying for a hotel room. At least, that is for those who know how to “game the system” and get the most out of their booking.
Those expert travelers’ hacks and secret tricks are not so secret anymore, though. They’ve shared plenty of good advice over the years, and this article compiles those tips into one easy to read guide. So check out these 6 quick tricks to getting better deals at luxury hotels across Europe.
1. Sign Up For Hotel Newsletters
A lot of hotels, resorts, and other travel destinations send out regular newsletters. Usually, these just contain updates about the hotel and maybe links to current discounts that can be found on their website. However, they sometimes send out special offers to their newsletter subscribers that outsiders aren’t privy to.
While this isn’t a quick solution to finding a good deal for an upcoming holiday, it is a great way to get extra discounts on beloved destinations. People can sign up for their favorite hotel’s newsletter in anticipation of a future stay. Alternatively, if someone knows they’re going to a certain destination, they can sign up for multiple newsletters from hotels in the area.
2. Look For Hotels Outside Major Tourist Hubs
Big tourist cities like Paris and Rome draw a lot of traffic so hotels can afford to increase their prices accordingly. They aren’t the only great options, though, as many an experienced traveler will attest to.
Almost every big city and tourist destination have plenty of fantastic hotels outside the areas that travelers mainly frequent. The bonus is that they cost considerably less than their city-center counterparts but still offer the same quality level. The only tricky part is the extra transport costs, but with the money saved on accommodation, that shouldn’t be too big of a problem.
3. Try Business Hotels in the Financial Districts
Business hotels tend to be very expensive during midweek, but since most business people don’t travel as much over weekends, they’re usually cheaper. On top of that, these hotels are situated farther from the tourist traps, which lowers room prices. The hotels in financial districts tend not to have as spectacular views either (at least according to tourist definitions) which brings down the price.
Staying just a little bit off the beaten path can make a huge difference in hotel room prices. Plus, some would say a scene of skyscrapers makes for just as spectacular a view as an ocean-facing room.
4. Use a VPN Making the Booking
One little trick that experienced travelers love to hoard for themselves is using virtual private networks (VPNs) to find cheaper bookings. Traditionally, booking a vacation was a simple affair of calling the hotel or sending an email.
Now, booking a hotel may be as easy as clicking a button, but everything behind the scenes is much more complicated. Both hotels and airlines use deep data learning to get to know their (potential) customers. Through cookies, trackers, and digital profiling – all of which are attached to a person’s IP address – they’re able to glean a lot of information about someone.
VPNs solve this problem because they let people hide their IP addresses and replace them with a generic one in a country of their choosing. When someone connects to a VPN before searching for accommodation, the hotel can’t use their search history or any other information for hiking up the price. Check out reviews of popular services like NordVPN to find one that hits the right spot between convenience and budget.
5. Get in Contact With Travel Agents
Even though it’s pretty easy to book a stay at almost any destination these days thanks to online travel websites, agents can still be useful. They often enter into special deals with major hotel chains and resorts, allowing them to offer their customers additional discounts.
The bonus perk is that it costs nothing just to contact a few travel agencies and get some quotes. It’s a great way to consult all possible avenues in the quest to find the best deal.
6. Sign Up For Loyalty Programs
There are many hotels as well as quite a few travel websites that offer their customers loyalty programs. According to many travel experts, it’s one of the best ways to get some additional upgrades and exclusive rates. Many loyalty programs also regularly offer free perks.
Conclusion
Don’t make the rookie mistake of booking an overpriced hotel stay in Europe when there are so many affordable workarounds. These 6 tips and tricks only skim the surface of things travelers can do to lower their travel costs and get discounts on their stay. Make sure to do some proper research and shop around instead of settling for the first good option.
