Hotel experts will tell you not to book your hotel room until the very last moment, but if you’re trying to save some money on a short stay, this strategy might be for you. Check out these top hotels globally.
If there’s even one night of your trip when rates are cheaper than the average nightly rate for your selected property, booking early is the best way to get that rate. There’s more competition for hotel rooms in a competitive market like New York City during peak tourism season than most places though — so plan ahead and don’t wait too long! Be sure to read our other article about how much tips really contribute to hotel workers’ incomes before deciding whether or not it’s worth tipping.
Few things hotel experts don’t want you to know are:
1. Book a hotel not based on its number of stars, but rather its distance from the nearest subway station
To find the best deal on your hotel room, see how far it is from the nearest subway stop. Sure, it’s a little bit of effort to dig into the numbers, but you’ll save money and avoid hotel ‘blues’ by doing so.
Some New York City hotels are so far away from their nearest subway stations that many of their guests will never reach them by foot. Of course, there are some hotels that aren’t so inconveniently located — if you need to bring along your travel baby or stroller, for example, be sure to check out our guide on accessible New York City hotels.
2. Book the Sunday-Thursday rate if possible — and call 6 p.m. on a Sunday for the best rate ahead of time
Bargain hunters love to stay in New York City hotels on weekends, but in some situations, pricing out a stay mid-week might actually be cheaper than staying on Saturday. If you’re booking a short stay, you might also want to plan a little bit ahead of time to find the best deal by calling your hotel or making an online reservation at around 6 p.m. on a Sunday evening: Hotels typically update their rates at this time and may offer deep discounts over those already advertised online during the week.
3. Keep an eye on special events in New York City
You can find deep discounts — as much as 50 percent off — on hotels during blockbusters like Comic-Con and the Super Bowl, but be mindful that popular event dates typically sell out in advance. If they’re included on the hotel’s website, book it before they’re sold out — you never know what surprise New York might have in store next time around!
Some other ways to save money at your hotel:
4. Ask for a room with a view
You don’t need to stick to a single hotel when staying for several nights, so ask for a room with a view if you can (weather permitting). You’ve probably seen those promotional “view” tags that hotels always have for their rooms, but sometimes you can make up for the hundreds of bucks you’d pay for a view by getting a look at Central Park!
5. Ask for a room near the back of the hotel
You might not be able to peek down onto the skyline, but if your room is near the back of the hotel, it won’t be as noisy and there’s less traffic noise from the street. Noisy rooms can keep you awake while waiting to meet friends in town, so opt for a quieter room if that’s possible.
6. If a hotel offers a ‘resort fee,’ don’t pay it
A resort fee is technically an ‘accessory charge’ and not technically a ‘resort fee.’ It can range from $10-15 USD per room per night, but remember that the more money hotels make on resort fees, the less they can afford to give you in free stuff. Price isn’t always everything!
7. Ask for a late checkout
If you’ll be checking out at 11:59 p.m., ask for early check-out so you don’t have to pay any hotel-imposed overnight fees. It’s also a good idea to call your hotel at 8 p.m. if you’d like to be sure the room is still available, especially if you’re catching a red-eye flight or arriving late at night: As first-time New Yorkers, we know how tough it can be to find available hotel rooms on busy weekends.
8. Give yourself extra time to check in and out
If you’re checking into a hotel before noon, you might want to spend the extra cash for early check-in. If you’re unsure about the situation, call ahead of time to verify what policies the hotel has in place for check-in. If you’ll be checking out after your morning flight is scheduled to depart, ask if early check-out is possible — sometimes hotels will let guests leave their bags with bell staff so they can head straight to the airport.
Conclusion:
You’ll save money on your hotel, and save yourself from any possible frustrations on the road if you plan ahead. If you’re booking a last-minute trip, be sure to plan ahead by checking the hotel’s website for special deals and call to verify that rates will stay the same or become lower if you book online ahead of time — and remember that there are other ways besides booking directly with a hotel to save money on your stay.
