Weekend rates

Many hotels offer a lower rate on the weekends, from Friday through to Sunday nights.  The reason?  Hotels in major cities get their regular trade from the business travellers on weekdays and so lower their prices to get higher occupancy on the weekends,

Long stays

A seven day stay is clearly going to bring in more revenue for a hotel than two or three nights.  So, to make it more appealing, they may offer a lower rate.  Or if they don’t, be sure to phone and negotiate.

Operators and travel agents

Travel agents that have a national presence and tour operators are able to negotiate discounted rates with hotels due to their larger buying power.  Even though you may have found a good price on the internet, be sure to check what rate an operator can get you.  Sometimes their rate may be the same but it could include, say, breakfast.  Or the rate could be even lower.

The price you get via the Internet may often be best for hotels in the United States, but in other countries such as China an operator will frequently beat rates obtained, because of the way business is done there.  (Some Chinese operators are online but there is no guarantee that they quote their best price there.)

Negotiate

Phone and negotiate.  We aren’t just suggesting calling and asking, “what is your best price”?  You need to try harder than that.  Get a comparative price at a different hotel chain that is of the same standard as the one you want and then ask them to match it.  In many cases they will.  It’s a tough economy out there today and everyone wants business.

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