Tips for Saving Money on Hotels / Cruises

Associatedchriscav @ hackyourtrip.com.au on 02/10/2024 - 13:04
Last edited 24/12/2024 - 14:09 by 2 other users

Hi OzBargainers!

Long-time user here. I hope this is allowed.

Hotels

I've just started a new travel website/blog, which I plan to significantly expand over coming months. It's about all things saving money on trips - all in one place. It's not about individual, one-off deals like OzBargain, but more about general savings strategies.
This is one of the first guides I've published, which I thought some of you may find helpful:

Cheap Hotels: 11 Top Tips to save on your next stay:

Some of these tips will be familiar to dedicated OzBargainers, but you might find something there that you didn't know!

If you've got any other good tips that I could add to the list, please share them below!

Cruises

Yes, I know not everyone on OzBargain is a fan of cruises. But I love them and I have been on many across multiple cruise lines.
I put together this little guide if anyone is interested (and is looking at booking a cruise in the near future):

Set Sail: 11 Top Tips to find cheap cruise deals
https://www.hackyourtrip.com.au/news/find-cheap-cruises-from…

If you have any other good tips for saving on cruise bookings, let me know below. I might add them or use them for my next cruise!

A lot of ships are back in Australian waters for the warmer months now and I've seen some very good last-minute deals around for the next couple of months!

Check out all the latest Hotels Coupons & Deals
Travel Accommodation Hotel

Related Stores

hackyourtrip.com.au
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Comments

  • sumyungguy on 02/10/2024 - 13:14

    Sub-heading editing error: Use a hotel compassion website

    • Associatedchriscav @ hackyourtrip.com.au on 02/10/2024 - 13:17

      Whoops, fixed. Thanks!

      • sumyungguy on 02/10/2024 - 13:17
        +4

        I was hoping that was something new I just didn't know about yet…

        • sam-1966 on 04/10/2024 - 16:37

          I was in the ED recently and mis-read the sign that said 'resuscitation' - I read it as 'resurrection'. Mentioned it to the paramedics and the fellow said, sorry - they don't offer that service yet.

  • Dollar General on 02/10/2024 - 13:18

    I like your tips.

    Good luck with this venture and hope you can continually develop on it and make it a full time success

    • Associatedchriscav @ hackyourtrip.com.au on 02/10/2024 - 13:19
      +1

      Thanks for the feedback! I plan to have plenty more guides up in the not-too-distant future but just getting started for now!

  • JIMB0 on 02/10/2024 - 13:29
    +2

    Take all the complementary items, such as shampoo, soap, tea/coffee, toilet paper, pens/stationary etc. Try to stay in 5 star hotels as they have better stuff including toothbrush/toothpaste, sewing kit, shower cap, nicer stationary, slippers, shaving kit, body lotion etc.

    https://youtu.be/NdSrtHJUXbs?si=8zNOEHeulcYQRQuq&t=103

    • Associatedchriscav @ hackyourtrip.com.au on 02/10/2024 - 13:47

      Yep, true Ozbargainer style!

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 02/10/2024 - 13:47

      that's gold, jerry, gold!

    • 6079 Smith on 02/10/2024 - 14:27
      +1

      Sewing kits are rare as hens teeth these days, if you find one you grab it!

      • JIMB0 on 02/10/2024 - 15:34
        +1

        I got one from The Langham in Melbourne along with lots of other goodies. ING paid for the room as well with the welcome offer for opening an account.

    • Pikaloo on 02/10/2024 - 18:57
      +1

      And you can use the app to order more complementary items to your room (Hyatt/Marriott). So you can order like 20 soaps to your room in 1 day. Along with things they don't stock in your room.

    • GnarlyKnuckles on 03/10/2024 - 17:35

      Try to stay in 5 star hotels …

      What? Try and save money by staying on 5-star hotels?

    • SmiTTy on 03/10/2024 - 22:10

      … Laundry bag

  • Nillionaire on 02/10/2024 - 13:45
    +3

    Don't bet on it or feel entitled to it but mere politeness can get you perks and upgrades at a hotel at times. Hotel staff are often treated like shit so if it's in their power to make someone's day better because you made theirs better, they sometimes do.

  • Jetkuma on 02/10/2024 - 13:52

    There is a trick with hotel when you book direct - if you spot better rates - you can use their "Best Rate Guarantee/Price Match/Best Price Guaranteed" to get some points or even cheaper discount than normal rates:

    Some examples: Marriott, IHG, or Hilton

    If that fails, you can call up that hotel directly and negotiate. They usually willing to offer to you since with third party booking - they tend to lose quite significant revenue.

    • Associatedchriscav @ hackyourtrip.com.au on 02/10/2024 - 13:53

      That's a good one! I have done that with Hilton once before and it worked a treat! I'll have to add that to the list!

      • donga100 on 02/10/2024 - 17:45

        I've done it with IHG and it was very painful.

      • sumyungguy on 04/10/2024 - 16:28
        +1

        I've only ever been able to do this once, interestingly also in Hawaii. I've won lotto more often. It's designed to lure you into booking direct then rejecting your price match guarantee submission.

    • Associatedchriscav @ hackyourtrip.com.au on 04/10/2024 - 11:25

      I've made a new guide for this:
      https://www.hackyourtrip.com.au/news/cheap-hotels-little-kno…

      Doesn't always work, but I have had some success before.

  • pegaxs on 02/10/2024 - 14:22
    +1

    I've just started a new travel website/blog

    Wow, a travel blog… I dont know why someone hasn't thought of this before…

    • sumyungguy on 02/10/2024 - 15:24
      -4

      … and ChatGPT offers fifteen tips against OP's eleven

      • altomic on 03/10/2024 - 09:10

        Yeah but one of the ChatGPT tips is "leaving the house is considered travelling, and therefore a nap on the train is free accommodation"

        • sumyungguy on 03/10/2024 - 09:20

          What did you ask it? I got:
          1. Book in Advance; 2. Use Comparison Websites; 3. Sign Up for Alerts; 4. Consider Alternative Accommodations; 5: Stay Outside the City Center; 6. Travel During Off-Peak Seasons; 7. Join Loyalty Programs; 8. Use Discounts and Coupons; 9. Negotiate Directly; 10. Check for Package Deals; 11. Consider Last-Minute Deals; 12. Avoid Resort Fees; 13. Look for Free Amenities; 14. Be Flexible with Your Dates; 15. Check Reviews

  • JimmyF on 02/10/2024 - 14:30
    +1

    Tips for Saving Money on Hotels

    Stay at home…. /thread

  • Bargainitis on 02/10/2024 - 14:36

    the Amex Platinum tip is a good one and has saved me a bit of $. U$100 hotel credit is so useful and comes with free breakfast, early and late check out.

    You should also mention that Mastercard or Visa sometimes have affiliated discounts if you use their card, i.e., 8% to 12% off through Expedia.

  • Mechz on 02/10/2024 - 20:56

    Save on hotels, just sleep in the car.

  • Seaword on 02/10/2024 - 21:54

    I disagree re booking flight and hotel again with a third party TA. If your flight goes to shit, the airlines always help their own bookings first. Third party TA's won't do much to help.

    • Mechz on 02/10/2024 - 21:58
      -1

      Don't book shit airlines and it's unlikely your flight schedule will be bad.

      • Seaword on 03/10/2024 - 08:24
        +3

        My two most recent trips have been with Emirates and Singapore. Both times there have been significant (profanity) ups. Glad they had to deal with me as I booked direct. Don't kid yourself that shit customer service is only with low budget airlines.

  • GnarlyKnuckles on 03/10/2024 - 17:46
    +1

    I have a tip for saving money on a group trip, for example a group of six guys going on a trip to some distant city to see a sporting event.

    Even though there's six of you, just book a single room, then five of the guys all disguise themselves as the sixth guy. When you get there, only one dude 'checks in', while the other five hang down the road in a coffee shop. One at a time, spaced over the course of the next 5 hours, all the other dudes amble into the room, trying to attract as little attention as possible.

    There you have it. Six dudes accommodated for the price of a single room.

    You're welcome.

  • jrvb42 on 03/10/2024 - 19:30

    I'd add a tip. I had a bad experience with booking.com recenty via their customer "service". Without going into it here, suffice to say good service was not received. FWIW: My situation was eventually resolved solely by the accom provider, who certainly knows about customer service.

    Accommodation pays, say, 15% to the booking site (varies, but around this).
    As booking sites rarely have your back as a customer, and the hotel cannot offer you a better rate (per their agreement with the booking site) - here is what I do now, to stick it to the booking site (I stop once they've paid about ten times over what their lack of service cost me when sticking it to any business).

    1. Book the first night via the booking site.
    2. Contact the accommodation and book an extension for the required number of nights in conjunction with the original booking (as you now have an established rate and contact details).

    Benefits:
    1. You're sticking it to the booking site, who won't have your back.
    2. You're helping save the accom 15% that they'd have paid the booking site.
    3. The accom MAY think kindly of you and upgrade or provide something else for being nice to them.

    Doesn't cost you any more, and you might be helping a local business where you travel (obviously not if its a big chain). Trust me, the smaller businesses do appreciate the leg up.

    • bluesky on 03/10/2024 - 21:32
      +1

      … the hotel cannot offer you a better rate (per their agreement with the booking site)

      Contact the accommodation and book an extension for the required number of nights in conjunction with the original booking (as you now have an established rate and contact details).

      Have your success rate been high doing this? Or is this very much dependent on the hotel? Just that it would be a hassle if say, I book one night, then find out the hotel can't do the extension at the booking site rate. Then I will have to make a separate booking at the booking site for the rest of the nights.

      Do you call up the hotel to see if they can do this, before booking the 1st night at the booking site? Thanks.

    • sumyungguy on 03/10/2024 - 21:52
      +2

      I don't get why you're booking the first night with the OTA. Why not use the OTA to find your preferred lodging then book direct? Rate parity agreements mean identical prices across all channels. Narrow parity agreements in some countries allow hotels to undercut OTAs.

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