The Best Apps for Cheap Hotels
If you’re looking for a new place to stay, whether it’s for a business trip or just a couple of nights away from home, it can be hard to know where to start. With so many options and so little time, how do you even know where to look?
We’ve compiled a list of the best apps for finding cheap hotels that can help you find your perfect place to stay.
Best Apps For Cheap Hotels
When you decide to go away on vacation last minute, it can be hard to find a reasonably priced hotel room. This is especially true when you’re traveling at a busy time of year (like spring break) when lots of other people will be traveling to the same city that you want to.
DISCLAIMER
Just a heads-up that some of the services we’re reviewing here have affiliate partnerships with us, so we may earn a commission if you visit one of them and buy something. You can read more about how this works at https://techboomers.com/how-to-support-techboomers.
Luckily, there are some awesome websites and apps available that can help you out when you’re looking for a place to stay for a decent price. We’re going to tell you about some of our favorite sites to use to book cheap last-minute hotels, and give you some of our best tips for getting a great deal on hotel reservations. But first, let’s talk about whether or not it’s cheaper to book your hotel reservation at the last minute.
Is it cheaper to book a hotel last minute?
Yes, it can be cheaper to book a hotel last minute. Though you’re less likely to get the exact reservation you’re looking for, many websites offer discount deals on hotel rooms if you book within a couple days before your stay. Hotels partner with these sites in order to avoid having empty rooms.
If you’re planning to go away for a longer period of time, or want to stay at a specific location, we’d recommend booking your accommodations further in advance. If you’re just going away for a short amount of time, or if you’re not too picky about where you stay, booking last minute can be a great way to save money on the cost of your vacation.
Now, let’s talk about our favorite websites and apps for finding and booking last minute cheap hotels.
9 Sites and apps to find cheap hotels last minute
1. SellOffVacations.com
(www.selloffvacations.com)
SellOffVacations logo
SellOffVacations.com is a site that sells discount travel packages. They partner with travel companies to offer their users the best deals on travel accommodations. On their site, you can find deals on flights, hotel rooms, cruises, car rentals, and all-inclusive travel bundle deals. Some travel providers partnered with SellOffVacations do offer price guarantees, and you can read about them here.
SellOffVacations button
2. Hotwire
(www.hotwire.com)
Hotwire logo
Another site to find a cheap hotel is Hotwire.com. Hotwire offers awesome prices on hotels, flights, and rental cars. Hotwire makes it easy for their users to get low prices by working with travel accommodation providers to sell seats and hotel rooms to keep them from sitting empty. Hotwire also offers “Bundle + Save” deals on their site, so check those out if you need more than just a hotel!
Hotwire button
3. Priceline
(www.priceline.com)
Priceline logo
Priceline.com is a travel booking site offering hotels, flights, and car rentals. Their unique “Name Your Own Price” bidding system allows users to get great prices on their travel accommodations by naming the price they’d like to pay. Once you make a “bid,” Priceline will attempt to find accommodations to fit your criteria within your price range. If a match is found, Priceline will inform you of your booking details.
Head over to our Priceline course if you’re interested in learning more.
Priceline button
4. Trivago
(www.trivago.com)
Trivago logo
Trivago.com is a bit different from some of the other sites we’ve mentioned in this list, in that it’s not a booking website, but rather a method of comparing prices to find the best deal on your travel reservations. With Trivago, all you need to do is enter the place you’d like to travel to and the dates you need a room for, and they’ll show you a selection of options that meet your criteria. Compare prices and narrow your search with advanced filtering to find the best deal!
Trivago button
5. Hotels.com
(www.hotels.com)
Hotels.com logo
Hotels.com is next up on our list of sites to find deals on cheap hotels. Hotels.com is owned by travel giant Expedia, and offers discounts on hotel rooms in destinations around the world. Just tell them where you’d like to stay and when, and they’ll show you the best deals they have available. Filter your results by star rating, distance to landmarks, and price range to find the right place to stay during your vacation.
Hotels.com button
6. Booking.com
(www.booking.com)
Booking.com logo
Another site you can use to find good prices on hotel rooms is Booking.com. They help their users find the best prices on accommodations in 226 different countries, and their service is available in over 40 languages. On Booking.com, you can find deals for staying at all kinds of properties, from small bed and breakfasts to luxury hotels.
Booking.com button
7. Kayak
(www.kayak.com)
Kayak logo
Kayak.com is similar to Trivago – it allows you to look at prices from hundreds of different travel sites all at once to help you find the best deal without having to take the time to do a lot of research. Find great prices on hotels, rental cars, flights, cruises, and travel bundles. Sign up for Price Alerts to be notified when prices drop, or use their Explore feature to see where you can travel on a set budget.
Kayak button
8. Red Tag
(www.redtag.ca)
RedTag logo
Next up we have RedTag.ca. Red Tag is a Canadian travel company offering low prices on travel accommodations to worldwide destinations. With deals in their “Last Minute” section, you can save up to 50% on the cost of your vacation. Red Tag also has a Best Price Guarantee, so if you happen to come across a better price for the same accommodations after booking through Red Tag, they’ll match the better price.
RedTag button
9. HotelTonight
(www.hoteltonight.com)
HotelTonight logo
The last site we recommend to book cheap last-minute hotel rooms is HotelTonight.com. Hotel Tonight specializes in last-minute hotel bookings, because they advocate for “a life less planned.” Hotels can list available rooms on the app, and users can find awesome deals for a place to stay in the near future – whether it’s tonight, tomorrow night, or in a few days! Hotel Tonight has listings for hotels in hundreds of cities, so you’ll likely be able to find a place to stay wherever you’re traveling.
HotelTonight button
Those are all of the best sites and apps to book cheap, last-minute hotel reservations. Next, we’re going to give you our top five tips to get the best deal possible when booking your stay.
Tips for getting the best deal on hotel bookings
1. Compare hotel prices from several different travel websites.
Several booking websites may have deals for the same hotels. Look around on different hotel booking sites to see which one is offering the lowest price, or use a site like Trivago or Kayak that allows you to compare prices from different sites all in one place.
2. See if you’re eligible for any additional discounts.
If you’re a member of any big associations or unions (like CAA, AAA, or the military), you may be eligible for discounts when booking hotels. When looking into a hotel to stay at, call and ask them if they offer discounts to members of any associations you are part of.
3. Check for guarantees that ensure you’ll get the best deal, even after you’ve booked your stay.
Some travel booking websites offer price guarantees that provide you a refund if you happen to find the same hotel room offered for a lower price. The hotel will refund you the difference between what you paid and the lower price you found.
4. Book package deals to save more money.
If you need several accommodations for your trip (flights, hotel, car rental, etc.) you can sometimes get great discounts when you book all of them at the same time. Check your favorite travel booking site to see if you can find a good package deal for the destination you’re traveling to.
5. Be willing to make a few compromises.
If your main goal is to get the best price possible on your hotel stay, you may need to make some compromises on your hotel preferences. There may be a cheaper room at a different hotel than the one you were hoping to stay in, or even a different type of room at the hotel you’d like to stay at (e.g. one king size bed instead of 2 queen beds.) Try to be okay with these changes if you really want to get a good deal on your hotel stay.
Those are all of our money-saving tips for booking hotel rooms and our top nine websites and apps to use when looking to book a hotel room last-minute. Check out this article on planning your winter getaway if you’re looking for some guidance on how to book your dream vacation. Also, head over to the rest of our site and have a look at the free courses we offer on Travel & Vacation websites. We’ll show you how to use popular travel booking websites to help you make the best of your vacation.
best apps for cheapest hotels
The 17 Best Websites for Booking Hotels at the Cheapest Prices [2022]
Happy backpacker traveler stay in high quality hotel
Katie SeemannBY KATIE SEEMANN – UPDATED: FEBRUARY 20, 2022 | 16
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Travel is fun, right? But it can get expensive if you don’t know where and how to find the best deals. That’s where we can help.
Getting a great deal on a hotel room can save you hundreds of dollars. Sure, you can always reserve a hotel room on the hotel’s website, but is that the best way to do it? How about all of the popular online travel agencies (OTAs)? Which one offers the best pricing?
We’ve shown you how to find the best prices on flights, the best prices on car rentals, and the best prices on cruises. Now we’ll show you how to do the same with hotel rooms.
We’ve gone through all of the best and most popular websites (plus a few that aren’t so popular) to find out once and for all: where is the best place to book a hotel at the cheapest price?
TABLE OF CONTENTS [SHOW]
The Hotel’s Own Website
There are lots of times when it makes sense to just keep things simple and book on the hotel’s own website, whether it’s Marriott, Hilton, IHG, or any other. If you’re a member of a hotel’s loyalty program and are trying to earn or maintain elite status, you will most likely want to book direct.
By booking direct, you can take advantage of discounted member rates and will be sure to earn loyalty points and elite night credits. Many hotel chains offer promotions that allow you to earn lots of bonus points.
If you don’t book direct, the hotel may not recognize your elite status!
For example, if you have Marriott Platinum Elite status and you book your room through Orbitz, you could easily miss out on your lounge access (and free breakfast) perk.
Hot Tip:
If you hold elite status with a hotel, it’s generally best to book direct. In addition to not earning loyalty points and elite night credits when booking through an OTA, your elite status might not be honored by the hotel.
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- Kayak
Kayak is not an OTA, it’s a metasearch engine for travel deals. This site will look at all the other sites and show you where the best deals are.
One of the things to love about Kayak, in addition to the great filtering options at the left of the screen, is the map feature.
On the search results page, you will see a map on the upper left-hand side of the screen. When you click on it, you will get a detailed map of your destination city, including hotel locations as well as popular areas for eating, sightseeing, shopping, and nightlife. Each dot on the map represents a hotel. You can click on any of them to get more details about the hotel, along with price comparisons.
You can also use the price slider to narrow your search to only inexpensive options.
Kayak hotel map feature with price filter
Kayak’s map feature can offer lots of information about your destination city, including where the cheapest hotels are located. Image Credit: Kayak
Also, keep an eye out for Pricebreakers. These are opaque fare deals. That means you won’t know all of the details of your reservation until after you book. When searching for a cheap hotel on Kayak, you can select Pricebreakers in the filtering options for your search.
You’ll then see deals that give you the price and 3 hotel possibilities, but you won’t know exactly which hotel you’ll get until after it’s booked.
Kayak Pricebreakers
You may be able to save money with a Pricebreakers deal as long as you don’t mind not knowing your hotel until after it’s booked. Image Credit: Kayak
Pros and Cons of Kayak
Pros:
Pricebreakers
Kayak maps
Cons:
Kayak doesn’t always show the price on the hotel’s own website and this can often be cheaper
Hot Tip:
For more information about Kayak and how to find great deals on hotels, flights, car rentals, vacation packages, cruises, and more, check out our in-depth guide to Kayak.
- Expedia
We’ve shown you how to save money on flights by booking through Expedia, but how does this OTA compare when booking a hotel room?
One thing that makes Expedia unique is it offers its own rewards program. It’s free to join and allows you to earn points that you can use to book travel on Expedia. This program isn’t impressive when it comes to flights, but hotel bookings through Expedia offer a much better earn rate.
For each hotel booking, you will earn 1x Expedia Rewards point per $1 spent. If you book on the app, you’ll earn an additional 1x point per dollar, and if you book a VIP Access stay, you’ll earn an additional 2x points per dollar. These bonus points stack so you can earn 4x points when booking a VIP Access stay through the Expedia app.
VIP Access Hotel on Expedia
Expedia Rewards members can earn 4x points on VIP Access hotels booked through the app. Image Credit: Expedia
Also, keep an eye out for Member Rates that can be accessed by creating a free account.
Pros and Cons of Expedia
Pros:
Expedia Rewards
Members-only deals
Cons:
You will not earn loyalty points or elite night credits on the hotel’s own rewards program
While most bookings are refundable, some are not; pay attention to the terms of your booking before completing your purchase
Hot Tip:
While you won’t earn points through the hotel’s loyalty program when you book through Expedia, you can earn credit card points. Look for cards that earn points on the general “travel category,” like the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or the Citi Premier® Card, all of which earn 3x points on hotels.
- Priceline
Searching for a hotel on Priceline is straightforward and prices are similar to other OTAs.
One of the areas where Priceline can offer a deep discount is through its Express Deals. These opaque bookings keep details of the hotel secret until the booking is complete. These are prepaid, nonrefundable, and nontransferable bookings. If your plans aren’t concrete, it’s best to avoid this type of booking.
Priceline Express Deals and Pricebreakers
Look for Priceline’s Express Deals and Pricebreakers to save some money. Image Credit: Priceline
These Express Deals also have a much more generous best-price guarantee than standard bookings. When booking a traditional hotel room through Priceline, you will receive a 100% refund of the price difference if you find a better price within 24 hours of booking.
However, if you book an Express Deal and find a better price anytime up to midnight before you travel, you will get a 200% refund of the price difference!
The reservations must be identical in all aspects, and the rate must be available to the general public (no member rates) to qualify.
If you like the idea of Express Deals but want a little more certainty, check out Pricebreakers. These opaque bookings will show you 3 hotel options before you book. You still won’t know which one you’ll get until after you book, but you’re guaranteed to get 1 of the 3 options.
The last thing you’ll want to know about Priceline is that it has a loyalty program called Priceline VIP. This free program comes with 4 levels of membership offering perks like best price guarantees, hotel discounts, and Express Deal coupons.
Hot Tip:
If your plans are flexible and you are comfortable booking an unknown hotel, Priceline Express Deals and Pricebreakers can certainly save you some big bucks!
Pros and Cons of Priceline
Pros:
Priceline VIP
Express Deals
Pricebreakers
Cons:
You won’t earn hotel loyalty points or elite night credits when booking through Priceline
Hot Tip:
For more information about finding the best deals on Priceline, check out our complete guide to booking travel with Priceline.
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- Momondo
Momondo is an easy-to-use travel metasearch engine that sorts through deals on other websites to help you find the best price. Once you find a deal on Momondo, you’ll be transferred to a booking website (an online travel agency or a hotel’s website) to book. You won’t ever actually book anything on Momondo’s website.
Momondo Hotel deals
Momondo shows you hotel prices from lots of websites in 1 place. Image Credit: Momondo
Pros and Cons of Momondo
Pros:
The easy-to-use interface shows you prices from lots of websites at 1 time
Cons:
There’s no loyalty program
Hot Tip:
For more information, check out our detailed guide to using Momondo.
- Booking.com
Booking.com is an easy-to-use site where you can search for and book hotels, hostels, B&Bs, apartments, and vacation homes.
One thing that stands out about this site is its generous low-price guarantee. If you find a lower advertised price for the same reservation available to the public (not a member or special rate), Booking.com will refund the difference up to 24 hours before your check-in date. The offer needs to be online and available at the time Booking.com checks.
Another thing to keep an eye out for is the Genius discount. When a room type is marked as Genius discount available, you’ll save 10% off the base price by logging in to your account. We’ve tested this and sure enough, the price was adjusted just by logging in.
Booking.com Genius discount
You’ll save 10% by booking a rate that’s marked with the Genius logo. Image Credit: Booking.com
In addition to discounts, the Genius Loyalty Program offers perks like free breakfast and room upgrades. There are 3 levels to the Genius program based on the number of stays you complete in a 2 year period.
Pros and Cons of Booking.com
Pros:
Genius Loyalty Program
Generous price-match guarantee
Option to book non-traditional accommodations like hostels or B&Bs
Cons:
You won’t earn loyalty points or elite night credits from the hotel’s rewards program
Hot Tip:
For lots more information check out our definitive guide to Booking.com.
- Hotels.com
One of the best things about Hotels.com is its rewards program. When you stay 10 nights, you get 1 night free. The value of your free night is the average price of the 10 nights you stayed to earn it.
If you stayed 5 nights at a $200 per night hotel and 5 nights at a $300 per night hotel, your free night would be worth $250. You can redeem your free night without restrictions or blackout dates at over 213,000 properties across the globe, however, you’ll still have to pay the taxes and fees.
Hotels.com Rewards
Hotels.com has its own rewards program. For every 10 nights you stay, you can earn 1 for free! Image Credit: Hotels.com
Hotels.com also offers secret prices. These are advertised to save you up to 50%, but in reality, these discounts can be more in the 5% to 10% range.
Unfortunately, as with most OTAs, you will not be able to earn loyalty points or elite nights with the hotel’s program when booking through Hotels.com. If you generally aren’t loyal to 1 brand or don’t have elite status with a brand, this probably doesn’t need to be a factor in your decision of where to book.
Hot Tip:
You will not earn hotel points or elite night credits for nights booked through an OTA.
Pros and Cons of Hotels.com
Pros:
Hotels.com rewards program
Members-only secret pricing
Cons:
You won’t earn loyalty points or elite night credits from the hotel’s rewards program
You have to pay taxes and fees on reward nights
Hot Tip:
For more information, check out our guide to booking travel and saving money with Hotels.com.
- Orbitz
Orbitz is another easy-to-use OTA with a strong in-house loyalty program. You can earn Orbucks, worth $1 off your hotel bill, on hotels, flights, travel packages, and activities.
The Orbucks earning rate is much better for hotels than flights and Orbucks can only be redeemed for hotels. The only catch is generally, you can only earn Orbucks on prepaid hotel stays.
Earn 3% Orbucks for hotel stays booked on a desktop
Earn 4% Orbucks for hotel stays booked on the Orbitz app
Orbitz Orbucks
Unfortunately, you can only earn Orbucks on prepaid hotel rooms. Image Credit: Orbitz
Orbitz has its own version of elite status that can earn benefits like Wi-Fi and breakfast at select hotels after only 4 stays per year. After only 12 stays per year, you will earn Platinum status, which comes with benefits like free TSA Precheck (an $85 value).
While Orbitz’s prices are right in line with other OTAs, some of the ongoing benefits it offers might make them a great choice for the casual traveler.
However, if you can stay consistent with 1 hotel brand, booking directly with the hotel to receive their elite benefits might be a better deal.
Another way Orbitz can save you money on a hotel is if you book a hotel and flight together. When searching for a 7-night hotel stay in San Francisco plus a flight separately or as a bundle, the bundle saved over $100!
Orbitz Vacation Packages
Booking a hotel and flight together can save you money. Image Credit: Orbitz
Pros and Cons of Orbitz
Pros:
Orbitz Rewards program
Vacation packages
Cons:
You can only earn Orbucks on prepaid hotel stays
You won’t earn hotel loyalty points or elite night credits when booking through Orbitz
Hot Tip:
Learn more in our detailed guide to booking travel with Orbitz.
- Hotwire
Hotwire has been around a long time and is probably the go-to OTA for many travelers, but is it the best place to book your next hotel stay if you’re looking for the cheapest price?
If you have some flexibility or aren’t particular about the exact hotel you stay in, Hotwire’s Hot Rate hotels could be a way to save you some money. These are opaque bookings, meaning you won’t know the exact hotel until after the booking is complete.
Hotwire Hot Rate Hotels
Look for Hot Rate hotels to save some money on your hotel booking. Image Credit: Hotwire
However, you will be able to see the hotel’s rating, neighborhood, amenities, and Tripadvisor ratings, as well as the exact hotel the person before you got.
Hot Tip:
Hotwire Hot Rate hotels could save you money. These are bookings in which you won’t know the exact hotel until after the booking is complete, so these properties are best for travelers with some flexibility.
Another way to save some money when booking through Hotwire is by booking a vacation package. Booking a hotel and flight together can save hundreds of dollars! To take advantage of this, go to the Vacations tab or Bundles tab in the top search menu.
Pros and Cons of Hotwire
Pros:
Hot Rate Hotels
Vacation packages
Cons:
Hotel chains including Marriott and Hyatt offer discounted member rates, and you won’t be able to see these on Hotwire
Hot Tip:
For more information about booking travel and saving money with this platform, check out our complete guide to Hotwire.
- American Express Travel
American Express offers more than just credit cards! Amex Travel is the travel portal operated by American Express, and it operates much like an OTA. It’s even available even to those who don’t hold an American Express credit card, although you will get more benefits if you have an Amex card.
One of the downsides to using Amex Travel is you have to create an account and log in to see final pricing. The prices shown do not include taxes and fees, so it can be a little misleading if you aren’t logged in.
Pricing through Amex Travel tends to be in line with other OTAs. However, if you have The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, you can earn 5x points on prepaid hotel stays booked through Amex Travel. Booking fees charged for booking flights through Amex Travel are also waived if you have one of these cards.
If you have American Express Membership Rewards points, you might be tempted to use them to book travel directly through Amex Travel. As a general rule, this isn’t a good use of points.
Amex Travel hotels
Image Credit: American Express
The redemption rate is terrible, often less than 1 cent per point! You can get so much more value by transferring your points to one of the American Express hotel or airline partners.
Pros and Cons of Amex Travel
Pros:
5x Amex points on prepaid hotel bookings with the Amex Business Platinum card or Amex Platinum card
Access to The Hotel Collection and Fine Hotels & Resorts
Cons:
If you don’t have an Amex Platinum card, you’ll be charged a booking fee (on flights)
Terrible redemption rate when you use Pay With Points, often less than 1 cent per point
Hot Tip:
For more details, check out our complete guide to using American Express Travel.
- Agoda
Agoda doesn’t offer much as far as searching for flights, but if you’re looking for accommodations, it’s worth checking out. In addition to traditional hotels and resorts, Agoda lets you search for hostels, private houses, and even monthly stays.
It has great filtering options, as well as a map feature so that you can view all of your options by location.
Agoda is another OTA that now offers its own rewards program. You’ll earn AgodaCash on every eligible booking. Then you can redeem your AgodaCash for all or part of any hotel booking.
Additionally, Agoda offers the AgodaVIP program, an elite status program that allows you to earn additional discounts and perks.
Benefits of AgodaVIP Program
You’ll start to earn AgodaVIP discounts after completing 2 bookings in 2 years. Image Credit: Agoda
Pros and Cons of Agoda
Pros:
AgodaCash
AgodaVIP Program
Good search functionality
Cons:
You won’t earn loyalty points or elite night credits from the hotel’s rewards program
Hot Tip:
For more information, check out our detailed guide to using Agoda.
- Travelocity
Travelocity offers a lot of different products to book, including flights, hotels, cars, cruises, travel packages, and even activities, so it can be a little overwhelming if you aren’t sure exactly what you’re looking for. When searching for a hotel, you’ll see the options of adding a flight, a rental car, or both to your search.
As with most other OTAs, you can save money by booking a flight and hotel together.
We did a test booking and found that booking a flight and hotel together was $35 cheaper than booking them separately. While you could save more or less on your specific travel plans, if you need a flight in addition to a hotel, it’s always a good idea to check the prices on a travel package.
Travelocity advertises lower rates of 10% or more on select hotels if you create an account. Member rates will be highlighted, and you can sort by member rate right above your list of results. Unfortunately, these discounts are only available at certain hotels, so you will need to have some flexibility to take advantage of these deals. In addition, when we did a test booking, the savings by creating an account was only $1.61.
Travelocity member discount
You can save money on select hotels by creating a Travelocity account. Image Credit: Travelocity
Pros and Cons of Travelocity
Pros:
Lower member rates on select hotels
Lower rates on flight and hotel packages
Cons:
You won’t earn loyalty points or elite night credits from the hotel’s rewards program
Hot Tip:
For more information about booking hotels, flights, and more with Travelocity, check out our guide to booking travel with Travelocity.
- Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor is known for its great reviews. It’s the place to go if you want to get a feel for a hotel or activity complete with amateur photos taken by other travelers that show what things really look like! Did you also know you can use Tripadvisor to search for and book hotels?
After searching for your destination, you’ll see a typical list of all the hotels available. In each box, there will be prices from a few websites listed. You can see a full list by clicking on the small drop-down menu in the search results. Doing so will give you a good overall feel for where you might find the best pricing. Clicking on the price will take you to the specific website to complete your booking.
Tripadvisor Pricing
Tripadvisor displays prices from many OTAs. Image Credit: Tripadvisor
Pros and Cons of Tripadvisor
Pros:
Great customer reviews
Cons:
The prices shown do not include taxes, which can vary between websites
Hot Tip:
For more information, check out our guide to using Tripadvisor.
- Google Hotel Search
Did you know that you can search for hotels directly on Google? Like Kayak and Tripadvisor, this is just a search engine. You won’t actually book anything on Google — it’s just another way to find the best hotel prices.
To search, just type in “Hotels in __” in the main Google search box or go to google.com/travel/hotels.
You can easily search by location using the map, or use the filtering options above your search results to find exactly what you’re looking for. You can click on any of the hotels listed on the left side or click on the prices on the map for more information.
You’ll be able to see all of the price options for your chosen hotel by clicking on Prices.
Google Hotels prices
You’ll be able to see each hotel’s prices on lots of different sites at once. Image Credit: Google Hotels
To get a sense of price trends in the area you’re searching, click on What you’ll pay right above the search results. This will give you a good sense of what prices are like in your chosen destination during your travel dates.
Google Hotels price trends
Get an idea of the price trends for your destination by clicking on What you’ll pay. Image Credit: Google Hotels
Pros and Cons of Google Hotel Finder
Pros:
Price trends
Cons:
No loyalty program
Hot Tip:
Google Flights allows you to plan your flight, hotel, and travel package options all from 1 site.
- Skyscanner Hotels
Skyscanner is generally regarded as a flight search engine, but you can also use it to search for hotels. While it’s easy to see the pricing options for each hotel, there are not a ton of filtering options available. The map feature was nice if you prefer to search for a hotel by location.
Once you find a hotel and price you like, you’ll be sent to another website to complete the booking.
Skyscanner Hotels
The lowest price for each hotel is clearly displayed. Image Credit: Skyscanner
Pros and Cons of Skyscanner Hotels
Pros:
The lowest price for each hotel clearly displayed
Cons:
Few filtering options
Hot Tip:
For more information, check out our guide to booking travel through Skyscanner.
- HotelTonight
HotelTonight is a booking app and website geared towards offering great deals on last-minute hotel stays, although you can book rooms ahead of time, too.
If you’re searching on the website, you may notice that some deals are only available on the app, so it might be a good idea to download it.
The website is easy to use, but there aren’t many filtering options, so if you have something specific in mind, this may not be the best place to search for a hotel. If you’d like to set up a price deal alert, you can do so by using the toggle button right above your search results.
HotelsTonight
You can set up an alert for your hotel search on HotelTonight.com. Image Credit: HotelTonight
Pros and Cons of HotelTonight
Pros:
Price deal alerts
Last-minute availability
Cons:
The website doesn’t offer everything that the app does
Hot Tip:
If you’re booking last minute, you may want to check out one of these websites and apps to find a good deal.
- Hopper
Hopper is a mobile app that offers price predictions, so you have a better idea of when to book your room. It is so confident in its app, it claims 95% accuracy!
You can easily find the cheapest dates for your destination in the Hopper app. After entering the city you’d like to visit, you’ll get a color-coded map that quickly shows you the cheapest and most expensive times for hotels. You can choose your travel dates and set your filters, then you’ll see what hotels are available.
Another feature that makes Hopper unique is the price freeze feature. By making a small deposit, which can later be applied towards your stay, you can freeze the price for 1 day. You’ll save up to $300 if the price increases and you’ll pay the lower price if the price drops.
Hopper hotel price freeze
You can freeze your hotel price for a day on the Hopper app. Image Credit: Hopper
Pros and Cons of Hopper
Pros:
Color-coded map to show best prices
Price freeze option
Cons:
No desktop booking capabilities
Hot Tip:
For more information, check out our detailed guide to using the Hopper app.
- Trivago
Trivago is another metasearch engine that scours the internet to show you hotel prices on lots of other websites so that you can easily compare them. Trivago, which is owned by Expedia, is similar to lots of other metasearch sites and is easy to use, but doesn’t offer any features that differentiate it from competitors.
Be careful, because the “featured price” for a hotel might not necessarily be the lowest.
Trivago hotel prices
The featured price may not be the lowest. Image Credit: Trivago
Pros and Cons of Trivago
Pros:
Shows prices from many websites in 1 place
Cons:
The featured price is not always the lowest
No rewards program
Price Comparisons
As you can see, there are a lot of websites that all offer what they claim to be the best prices on your hotel room. But which site is truly the best?
We put these sites head-to-head in price comparison, only looking at the price (including taxes and fees) and not taking into consideration other factors like the cancellation policy.
Conclusion
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
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