Note: I am not being compensated at all by Priceline. These are my genuine beliefs!!
One of the most expensive parts of my trips is paying for the place where I lay my head down at night. Sometimes lodging is part of the experience (we can discuss that in a later blog) but right now I am focusing on finding awesome deals if you don’t care where you stay as long as it’s clean and safe. My methods are so reliable that when my friends and family travel they all message me to help them find hotel deals. I can find them an awesome deal in less than ten minutes and no, I’m not exaggerating!
My Go-To: Priceline Express Deals
If you don’t look at Priceline Express Deals, you are throwing your money away. Like you are actually going to the ATM, paying a fee to get cash, buying a lighter, and lighting that cash on fire. If you take the thirty seconds to download the app, you can stop lighting your cash on fire. The glorious blue app has options on the top that say “All Hotels”, “Express Deals”, “Name Your Own Price”, and “Deals for You”. Click on the “Express Deals” tab. It will open a list of hotels at discounted prices. Here’s the catch–They don’t tell you the name of the hotel before you book it. Priceline shows you the general area of the hotel, its rating, amenities, guest score, and percentage saved from original nightly rate. Note that not knowing the hotel name beforehand can be difficult if you are coordinating with a group. On the other hand, they do offer the option to purchase more than one room at a hotel if you are the leader of the group that is traveling.
At first, you probably won’t know whether a 1-star, 2-star, 3-star, or 4-star hotel is the right fit. I’ll lay out my experience with each one:
- 1-Star: I am 99% sure you will find old pizza crust in your bed sheets.
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- What to expect: Days Inn, Super 8, Knights Inn
- 2-Star: It will probably be clean enough to walk around in socks but you will experience weird smells, creepy people in the hallways, and “free breakfast” that consists of stale cereal and powdered eggs.
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- What to expect: Extended Stay America, Rodeway Inn, EconoLodge
- 3-Star: This is always a safe option (and normally what we go with). You will have all of your basic needs met and they might even have donuts at the “free breakfast”.
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- What to expect: Holiday Inn, Best Western, Courtyard Marriott
- 4-Star: You are going to be in a nice room with a nice shower, friendly staff, and meeting rooms. Oh, and no socks or shower shoes necessary.
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- What to expect: Marriott, Hyatt, Westin, Hilton
- 5-Star: There will be a fuzzy robe in the closet, personal spa, and someone who puts cucumbers on your face at night (I think that’s how that works since I’ve never stayed at one).
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- What to expect: Hyatt, Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts, Sofitel Luxury Hotels
Aside from the price and the number of stars the hotel has, I always look at the percentage saved from the original rate. Most of the time you will find multiple Express Deals in the general area you are looking for at the right price point. If that’s the case, look at the percentage in the blue box in the top right hand corner of each deal. Currently, I am looking at hotels in Miami, Florida. There are two 5-Star hotels that caught my eye. One is $135 and the other is $124. Instead of just going with the cheaper option, I looked at the fact that the first one is 44% off the original price while the other is 58% off the original price. I will probably splurge on the extra $11 to stay at the nicer 5-Star hotel.
There are a million tips and tricks on how to save money but this is one of my favorites! Now go and travel!!
XOXO,
Kay
For some awesome travel tips, especially if you’re planning a trip to Europe, read Rick Steves Best of Europe
