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Is it a VERY popular spot that sells out in advance?
Is there some big event going on at the time you want to be there that would cause the rooms to fill up fast far in advance? Like "Hot August Nights" in Reno......... rooms at the hotels along the strip have been booked a year in advance.
A big Holiday travel time? Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break, etc.
Are you wanting to stay in a specific area or hotel? If so then the sooner the better. If your not THAT specific and don't care you can wait.
If your willing to wait until 2 weeks in advance most travel websites have "Last Minute Deals" and you can get some great bargains. But if you answer "yes" to more than 1 of the questions above........ You might not be able to wait that long and get what you want or anything at all.
Is it months ahead or closer to the date you want to arrive?
Thanks
Not to be cute or anything, but I'd say ... both!
Back when I traveled a bit for work, I would book a hotel room several months in advance, and generally got a better rate (sometimes a MUCH better rate) 5-6 months out than 5-6 weeks out. I'd check into several hotels, looking for (a) something close - walking distance? - to where I needed to be for meetings, and (2) included a good continental breakfast ('cuz hotel breakfasts are usually way too expensive).
But a few days/one week before I was scheduled to travel, I would check some of the travel websites to see if they had any better rates. If so, I'd book through them, and cancel my previous reservation.
Also a few days/one week before my travel - and this only worked for me once, in Philly - I'd call the hotel I was booked to stay in, and check to see if I could get a better rate. The time in Philly, apparently a convention was booked, and not all the rooms set aside for convention-goers were taken, and so I could get a better room for less.
My philosophy has always been "book early, book often". Book the best deal NOW, and book again if you can get a better deal later.
The ONLY thing that you MUST consider is whether the reservation is cancelable. Make sure that you can cancel a reservation without penalty if you are going to book early.
Normally, I would say the farther in advance the better. But I once read a travel tip that if you're not picky about where you stay, walking into the hotel and getting a room the same day often yields the most inexpensive prices. Of course you run the risk of a hotel possibly being booked up, which is why you can't be picky about where you stay. And if there is any big event or if it's a very popular time of year, you run the risk of not being able to find a place at all.
But I once did this in NYC and got a room at the Radisson for the same cost of a room at the Gershwin, a hotel known for more reasonable costs (for NYC). But we found the Gershwin to be a bit of a dump so we walked into the Radisson just around the corner and asked how much a room for that night would be - it was much less than what they normally charge according to their website.
IMO, it's definately better to book far ahead if you are going on a holiday or popular weekend, I sometimes notice that hotel prices drop later in the week, like reserving on a Thur or Fri rather than a Monday or Tue. I never have enough time to wait for last minute deals, so I'd rather book ahead and see if I can get the room at a discount whenI arrive or something like that.
Good luck!
Quote:
Originally Posted by SunnyKayak
When is the best deal to get on hotels?
Is it months ahead or closer to the date you want to arrive?
Thanks
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