We are family of 7 now, which means finding the best accommodations with the best price is important! But booking a hotel doesn’t have to cost an arm and leg if you know when and where to look for the best deals. Are you planning some fun vacations or getting ready for a work trip? If so, before you finalize any hotel details, read my tips below for saving on hotels.

7 Tips for Saving on Hotels

Look for Groupon or Living Social Deals

Groupon and Living Social are both great deal sites to look for hotels. On Groupon you can search by location for hotels or you can browse through the “Getaways” they have available. Getaways often include more than just a hotel room, but they are for select cities and properties. On Living Social, you are also able to browse through what they call “Escapes,” which is similar to the Getaways that Groupon offers. You may find hotels, bed & breakfast deals, whole trip packages, and more. Plus, Groupon and Living Social often run extra deals where you can use a coupon code to get an additional percentage off!

Join a Hotel Rewards Program

If you are a frequent traveler but don’t participate in a hotel rewards program yet, you need to! Most rewards programs are free for basic membership and you can start earning points when you sign up. Our family travels a lot for workshops and we have been Marriott Rewards members for at least the last 10 years.  Staying loyal has earned us great perks like free breakfast (even at expensive locations), always free internet, upgrades and more.

Each program will offer different perks, but they all are designed to help you save money in the long run. You can often use the points you accrue through your membership towards flights, free night stays or upgrades, and other things.

Use a Discount Travel Program

There are a ton, and I mean a ton of travel programs! In my area, one of the local credit unions gives you access to travel benefits and hotels deals just for being a member of the credit union. For military members and their families, USAA offers hotel and other travel discounts online and over the phone.  You’ve also got the standard AAA and even Costco and Sam’s Club are getting in on the travel discounts!

Research Rates & Compare

Frugal trip planning takes time and if you set aside time to do your research before you head out, you can save yourself a lot of money and frustration. It’s easy to find the first rate that fits in the budget and yell, “We have a winner!” But I encourage you to check more than one website or travel program before making a reservation. There are numerous websites that will check rates against other sites to make sure you are getting the best deal. Trivago.com is a great example of a site that will crosscheck rates for you. Read More→