When it comes to booking vacation accommodation, there are various theories that travelers adhere to. Some swear the best time to book a hotel is months in advance to secure early-bird discounts and the peace of mind that you’ve got a place to stay. Others are adamant it’s best to wait until the last minute to bag real bargain prices.
So, when is the best time to book a hotel? In this article, we’ll get to the bottom of this debate so you can make the right choice for your next vacation.
What to know about the best time to book a hotel?
- When to book hotel – How far in advance should I book a hotel?
- When exactly is the best time to book a hotel?
- When is the best day to book a hotel?
- Best time to book a hotel on the day of your stay
- What days should I stay at the hotel?
- What season should I book my hotel for?
How far in advance should I book a hotel?
According to reports, it’s the laid-back last-minute bookers who get the best deals. Researchers found that bookings made just before the date of stay were routinely cheaper than bookings made a long time in advance.
Unlike flights that have a limited number of seats (which means that airlines can hike up the price the closer it gets to the departure date), there are normally more hotels than visitors. Hotels would rather have a room filled by guests paying a discount price than no guests at all. Bear in mind, though, that this rule probably won’t apply if you’re booking around the date of an important event, the Olympics in Tokyo for example, as demand for rooms is likely to sky-rocket.
The general rule is the closer you get to your intended date, the cheaper it’ll be! Some websites dedicatedly offer last-minute deals on hotel rooms like HotelTonight, Expedia, TripAdvisor and Roomer, which allows you to book a room at a reduced rate that someone else has booked but can no longer use.
This is a standard strategy for when to book hotels. Now we’ll look at specifics: the cheapest day to book hotel and the cheapest time to book hotel.
READ MORE: When is the best time to book a flight?
So when exactly is the best time to book a hotel?
According to SkyScanner, the absolute best time to book a hotel is one or two days before check-in or on the actual day you’re staying. In some cases, you can find rooms at as low as half the price of the original offer as this is when the cancellation policy window for most hotels is.
Obviously, this comes with certain disadvantages. You may not be able to plan your vacation activities based on your exact location (which may be important to you if you’re in a big city, for example) and instead you may not be able to research the finest eateries nearby. If you’re desperate to stay at a particular hotel you may also get caught out by delaying as the property could sell out, particularly if it’s popular.
Booking the day before may give you the best value but this option may not be for you if you like to have your itinerary done and dusted in advance of your trip.
When is the best day to book a hotel?
Holding out until the day before may give you the chance to get rock-bottom prices, but there are other tricks to help you pay less without taking the gamble on a last-minute booking.
Analysts studying booking data have suggested that the day of the week that you book on can also make a difference. For the best day to book a hotel, the data is conflicting, however.
Whilst Orbitz have discovered that the cheapest booking rates are offered on a Friday and the most expensive day to reserve a hotel is a Sunday, Priceline has found that Sunday was actually the best day to book, with Monday following closely behind.
READ MORE: Top 10 hotel and flight booking sites for travellers
Best time to book a hotel on the day of your stay
If you’re taking the plunge and booking on the day of your stay, knowing the best time to book a hotel room can make a difference. Prices usually plummet around 4 pm as hotels work to entice customers to their empty rooms.
If you’re bold enough to wait until after 8 pm, you’ll find prices probably reduce by another 5-10% again.
What days should I stay at the hotel?
When it comes to the cheapest day to book a hotel, avoiding Fridays and Saturdays can substantially lower prices with the added benefit that you should get easier access to local attractions and amenities too by steering clear of the weekend crowds.
Sunday nights could be a third cheaper than the Friday and Saturday night prices for exactly the same room and services!
READ MORE: Best travel package sites for holiday booking
What season should I book my hotel for?
As well as the day, the season can also play an important role when deciding on the best time to book a hotel. There’s a simple formula to save yourself money here and that is to stay when nobody else is. Avoid big holidays when everyone is traveling and choose the low or shoulder seasons if your biggest goal is to save some cash.
For the best time to book a hotel, research can be inconclusive and varying but there are clear guidelines we can follow to save some money. Peak holidays should be avoided and last-minute bookings are the cheapest if you can manage to wait it out until your day of stay (or the day before).
We know this option isn’t for everyone so if you’re worried about ending up with no booking, one tactic is to make a cancellable reservation well in advance.
You can re-look again at your accommodation options closer to the date of your vacation and if you spot a bargain you can cancel your original booking and take advantage of the reduced price. Just keep an eye on the date that you’d need to cancel so you don’t end up with two bookings!
