Five tips travel industry insiders use to save big on hotel rooms

1. Book your hotel as part of a package. Many hotels are reluctant to lower their stand-alone hotel rates, but will do so if the hotel is bundled with a flight. Why? During the last downturn in travel (after 9/11), hotels slashed room rates to spark demand. The problem, however, was that it was difficult to then raise rates when things normalized because travelers had come to expect such discounted rates. Now, hotels are struggling again but don’t want to lower stand-alone rates, but will do so in a package where the customer can’t see what the hotel rates is vs. what the flight costs – they just see one total price.

Example: Travelocity conducted a study and found the average savings on booking a package vs. booking the same elements of the same trip separately was $315.

2. Stay on a Sunday. This is a trick to use when staying in a big city that is also a business center – like New York City. Why? Sunday nights are often discounted because the weekend leisure travelers have left and the business travelers have not yet arrived, leading to lots of empty rooms. If you can, always try to incorporate a Sunday-night stay into your big-city vacation.

Example: A three-star hotel near the Theater District of Manhattan for the last weekend of March. Rate for Friday and Saturday night is $199 / nt. Sunday night rate is $99/nt.

3. Stay at a brand-new property. It seems counter-intuitive, but often you’ll find the best deals at brand-new hotels and resorts. Why? New resorts often don’t have the word-of-mouth buzz that more established resorts have, which can make travelers reluctant to give a new property a try. To entice visitors, new properties will often discount their rates during their “soft opening” period. Full disclosure: you may find service spotty or some parts of the resort still being built as the place gets up to speed. The upside is that you’ll get to enjoy a luxury resort at a fraction of the price. The key is to book with a website that has a customer guarantee so if the property is not what you anticipated upon arrival they can work with you to book you at another hotel.

Example: The Hacienda Tres Rios is a new, eco-friendly all inclusive luxury resort in the Riviera Maya. Rates are now 30% off when you book before April 14 and travel before the end of the year.

4. Calendar shop. If you have flexibility, calendar shopping is the easiest way to see the lowest rates. Start your hotel search with your ideal dates and see what you get. Then, click the “Flexible Date” options and see the rates available over several months.

Example: Rates at a four-star Miami hotel range from $469 / night to $149/night over the course of March and April.

5. Take advantage of every freebie. This is related to tip #1 - hotels don’t want to lower their room rates, so what else can they do to lure travelers? Throw in freebies. Free nights, free room upgrades, free breakfast, kids stay free – it all adds up to a discount for you.

Example: 5-star Miami hotel offers a book four nights and get the last night free promo – a savings of almost $400.

Example: The Landings, A Rock Resort is a luxury St. Lucia hotel offering $1,000 resort credit with every 7-night stay with the "Invest in Yourself" package.