The most significant part of planning a holiday trip is to figure out where to stay. Finding an affordable accommodation is crucial for budget-conscious travelers. The good news is, there is a myriad of best websites to find cheap hotels and affordable accommodations. You can browse these sites to compare prices and grab the best hotel deals that suit your budget.
This article will explore the best websites to book affordable accommodation so you won’t have to spend an arm or leg on your holiday trip.
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Top Websites to Book Cheap Hotels
Traveling is all fun but it can be pretty expensive too, especially if you fail to find affordable accommodation. It requires a bit of time and effort but if you are willing to put in your energy, you can find cheap hotel deals and save a great deal of money on your vacation.
Getting a cheap hotel to stay in can significantly reduce the overall travel expense. The money you save can be spent on more rewarding leisure experiences and holiday activities. There are tons of options that you may utilize to find cheap hotel rooms. Book directly with the hotel website, use travel aggregator sites or browse through online travel agencies to find yourself the best and most economical hotels for a holiday trip.
Before we jump onto the list of best websites to find cheap hotels, let’s first take a look at the types of websites that you may use for searching and reserving affordable accommodations.
Types of Hotel Search and Reservation Websites
Generally, there are three types of websites that you may use to find, compare, and avail of the best hotel deals. Here is a brief description of each type to help you figure out the most suitable platform to search for hotel rooms when planning a holiday trip.
- Hotel’s Websites
Occasionally it’s better to keep it simple and book a room directly through the Hotel. Most hotels and guest houses these days run websites that customers can use to make reservations. Also, members of a Hotel’s loyalty program often get special discounts and waive-offs on dining and stay.
Booking directly through the hotel often helps customers to avail of special promotions and get loyalty points in return which may be redeemed for discounts on food and activities. Most big hotel chains have membership programs to facilitate their guests to the maximum.
- Online Travel Agencies (OTAs)
Online Travel Agencies or OTAs are basically the most sought-after mediums to find and reserve hotel rooms and accommodations when planning a travel itinerary. These agencies offer travel-related products including flight tickets, hotel rooms, leisure activities, airport transfers, and a lot more. The online reservation portals allow customers to find and book accommodations seamlessly without having to navigate to other platforms.
Millions of people around the globe use OTA’s to plan business and holiday travel itineraries. Hotels and guest houses partner with these agencies and allow them to sell reservations on their behalf. Trip.com, Expedia, Airbnb, and Agoda are popular examples of OTA.
Travel Aggregator Websites
Travel Aggregator Websites function as search engines allowing customers to find hotel deals from various other platforms. These websites work by searching the web and presenting the user with relevant results to help them find the best hotel deal possible.
These platforms do not actually handle bookings but in fact, extract data from hotels’ websites and OTA’s and list it in one single place. Users can then browse through the search results to find the most appropriate choice.
List of Best Websites for Cheap Hotels
- Staypia
- io
- Agoda
- Kayak
- Expedia
- Momondo
- Priceline
- com
- com
- Orbitz
- Hotwire
- Travelocity
- Tripadvisor
- Google Hotel Search
- Skyscanner
- Staypia
Powered by AI (artificial intelligence), Staypia can be a great tool to find cheap hotels and budget-friendly accommodations. The Korean-based platform makes artificial intelligence to carry out an in-depth search for the lowest possible price for hotel stays. Travelers from across the globe use the website to search for and compare prices for millions of hotels worldwide.
You may either browse the OTA website or download the app for a seamless hotel search online. Users can join the Staypia membership plan to enjoy price drops and members-only pricing on accommodations and vacation packages.
Pros:
- Smart filters and search tools
- Attractive Membership Plan to save money on hotel expenses
- User-friendly mobile application to search and make hotel reservations on the go
Cons:
- A relatively newer addition to the ever-evolving competitive tourism market
- io
While Wayaway.io is particularly known for finding cheap flights with cashback, the aggregator website also helps travelers find cheap hotels and save a good amount of money on their accommodations.
You can either browse hotels on their website or download their app to search for flights and hotels in a quick, seamless, and comprehensive way. When you enter a destination city, the website crawls the web and pulls together data in a precise way to present you with relevant information on the best affordable hotels in that particular region.
You can provide your preferred travel dates and the website will provide you with a list of available hotels offering the best vacation packages. Customers can save up to 20% on their hotel reservations made through Wayaway.io on Bookings.com and earn up to 10% cashback.
Pros:
- User-friendly app
- Attractive discounts on hotel reservations
- Cash back on purchases
- variety of tools and search filters
Cons:
- Paid membership program
- Agoda
Agoda perhaps needs no introduction. This renowned OTA can be a valuable tool to find discounted hotel bookings and is worth checking out. The platform unlike many other OTAs, lets you reserve non-conventional accommodations including hostels, B&Bs, private houses, vacation homes, and guest houses.
Agoda has a great selection of filters including a map feature to find out all possible accommodations, attractions, and restaurants in the destination city.
It has its own reward program too where you can earn Agodacash each time you book a hotel. The earned cash can be used to redeem discounts when booking a hotel in the future.
Agoda also runs an AgodaVIP Program which is actually an elite status program where members can earn special benefits and discounts to save on their accommodation.
Pros
- Agoda Reward Program and AgodaVIP Program to save on accommodation
- Advanced search with smart filters to find cost-effective lodging options
Cons
- Customers will not be able to earn Hotel’s loyalty points
- Kayak
Kayak is a popular aggregator website that helps users search for all sorts of travel deals. The platform crawls other popular websites and presents the user with the best offers available online.
Kayak has some exciting filters and tools that you may use to filter results. The built-in Map Feature may allow you to get a detailed picture of your destination including accommodations, restaurants, attractions, shops, and retail centers.
You may click on the dots on the map to find out more details and information about a hotel including available rooms and their costs.
You can also utilize the price slider feature to sort out the results and find the most inexpensive deals.
Pros
- User-friendly Interface
- Map Feature to explore the destination city
- Pricebreaker to find the cheapest hotel packages
Cons
- It often does not display the room price on the hotel’s website which may be a lot cheaper
- Expedia
Expedia is a well-renowned OTA that deals with providing a wide selection of travel products including flight tickets, hotel rooms, cruises, airport transfers, sightseeing, leisure activities, and a lot more.
What makes Expedia stand out from the rest of the crowd is that it offers a lucrative reward program to its customers. Anyone can join for free and save up to 10% or even more when making reservations for hotels, flights, and holiday packages.
You can save a significant amount on hotel rooms when making reservations through Expedia Reward Program.
Pros
- Offers a lucrative Reward Program
- Special discounts and promotions for Expedia Members
Cons:
- Customers will not earn reward points on the Hotel’s own loyalty program
- Some reservations are non-refundable which may put the customers’ money at risk in case of unforeseen cancellations.
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- Momondo
Momondo is a user-friendly travel aggregator website that helps people search for all sorts of travel deals and holiday packages on OTAs’ and hotels’ websites. You can make reservations through the portal but it rather helps you land on a third-party website where you can review the deal and make bookings accordingly.
Find the best prices on hotel accommodations and compare rates through Momondo simply and intuitively.
Pros
- Simple, clean, and easy-to-use interface
- Selection of filters and tools to narrow down the search
Cons
- No reward program to earn benefits
- Priceline
Searching for affordable hotel deals on Priceline is pretty simple and seamless. The rates they offer are quite similar to other popular OTAs in the market. However, you can avail of special discounted deals through their Express Deals section.
Express Deals keep the hotel details hidden until the reservation process is complete. Reservations made through Express Deals are non-refundable, non-transferable, and prepaid. If you are not sure whether you will be able to make it to your trip, you should avoid using this feature.
Nonetheless, Express deals provide users with massive discounts on hotel bookings that aren’t usually available for standard reservations.
Priceline promises to refund the price difference in case a customer finds a better deal within 24 hours of the reservation. Customers who book through an Express Deal and find a better price elsewhere before midnight will get a 200% refund of the total price difference.
Priceline also runs a loyalty program named Priceline VIP which is free to join. It has a tiered membership plan offering exciting benefits, discounted deals, and Express Deal vouchers.
Pros
- A rewarding loyalty program to earn benefits
- Express Deals and Price-breaker features to save big on hotel reservations
Cons
- Customers will not be able to earn Hotel’s elite credits or loyalty points.
- com
This one is perhaps one of the most popular of all the best websites to find cheap hotels. The easy-to-use portal allows customers to search and book hotels, guest houses, vacation homes, hotel apartments, and private accommodations.
What makes Booking.com top the chart of travel websites to find cheap hotels is that it guarantees the lowest price possible. If a customer finds a similar deal for a lesser rate, the website will refund the price difference up to a day before the check-in date.
You can also avail of the Genius Discount feature and save money on your reservation. When you find a room on the website labeled with Genius Discount, you will save 10% off the total price by signing into your account at the website.
There’s an exciting loyalty program too that you may join for free. The Genius Loyalty Program offers great discounts and benefits including complimentary breakfast and free room upgrades. There are three membership levels based on the frequency of reservations made through Booking.com.
Pros
- Genius Discount feature to save money on reservations
- Genius Loyalty Program to earn points and get complimentary food and room upgrades.
- Options to reserve guest houses, B&BS, hotel apartments, and hostels.
Cons
- Customers will not be able to earn Hotel loyalty points and elite night credits.
- com
The next one on our list of websites to find cheap hotels is Hotels.com. The website is a popular choice among travelers who seek to find affordable accommodations for their holiday trips.
There is a loyalty program that allows customers to get one complimentary night when they book 10 nights through Hotels.com. The free night can be redeemed without any restriction across the globe at over 200,000 properties.
Register an account at the website to avail yourself of special member rates and save up to 15% on your hotel reservations.
Pros
- Attractive Loyalty Program to earn benefits
- Special discounts and price drops for members
Cons:
- Customers need to pay taxes and fees on the extra nights they get through the loyalty program
- No Hotel loyalty points can be earned when making the reservations.
- Orbitz
Orbitz is yet another simple and user-friendly OTA with a tempting reward program. Customers can earn discounts through the points earned and save on hotel reservations, flights, activities, and holiday packages. This can be perhaps a good way to find low-cost accommodations online.
By participating in the Orbitz Loyalty Program, you can earn Orbucks to get discounted hotel bookings and save on your travel expenses. However, you might only be able to earn points when booking prepaid hotel packages.
Orbits has its in-house elite status program where members can earn perks including complimentary internet connection, free breakfast, and room upgrades.
While the rates Orbitz offers align with other notable OTAs, the benefits and perks it offers make it a preferable choice for budget travelers.
Pros
- Attractive Rewards Program to earn points redeemable for discounts on holiday packages
- Bargain Holiday deals
Cons
- Points through the reward program can only be earned when booking prepaid hotel stays.
- Customers will not be able to earn Hotel loyal points or elite credits.
- Hotwire
Hotwire is another popular choice when looking around for bargain hotel stays. It’s one of the pioneer websites to find cheap hotels and the go-to platform for a lot of travelers who need to save on their travel itinerary.
Hotwire is an OTA and offers exciting tools and filters for users to help them find the most suitable holiday packages. Their Hot Rate Hotels feature is a good way to save money on hotel reservations. However, these are opaque bookings and you won’t be able to know any details of the hotel you would be staying in until the reservation is done.
If you are a flexible traveler then the Hot Rate Hotels feature can help you bag budget-friendly lodging. Another way you can save money through Hotwire is by opting for a vacation package. Getting a holiday deal that includes flight tickets and accommodation can be a feasible way to plan an itinerary. Also, it will help you save a good deal of your hard-earned money.
Pros
- Hot Rate Hotels feature to find bargain hotel stays
- Vacation packages to plan a budget itinerary
Cons
- It often masks the discounted deals available on Hotels’ websites
- Travelocity
The next one on our list of best websites to find cheap hotels is Travelocity. This popular OTA offers a range of travel products including hotels, car rentals, flights, vacation packages, activities, and a lot more. Considering the number of choices available, it can sometimes get a bit overwhelming to find the product you were actually searching for.
Nonetheless, it provides an advanced platform to find hotels and cheap accommodations for budget-conscious travelers.
Like most of the other OTAs, you can save money by opting for a vacation package where you book a hotel and flight simultaneously.
Users who register for an account at Travelocity are expected to enjoy a 10% discount on select hotels and accommodations. Members-only pricing will be highlighted once you log in to your account. However the discounts are only available for specific destinations, so if you are a flexible traveler, this option can help you cut down on your travel expense.
Pros
- Special discounted rates for registered members
- Incredible price drops on vacation packages
Cons
- Inability to earn Hotel loyalty points
- Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor is known widely for its exceptional and authentic user reviews. It’s one of the go-to websites to find cheap hotels and learn what an accommodation actually looks like. Besides providing users with real photographs and reviews from travelers across the globe, Tripadvisor also lets people search and book hotels on the go.
You can use the built-in search engine to find suitable accommodations in your destination city. The website will display all available hotels in your preferred location and you may choose the one that suits your budget and personal preferences. The website also displays rates offered by different OTAs and hotel websites so that you can make a quick comparison and grab the best bargain stay.
You can click the links and it will take you to the vendor’s website where you can make reservations.
Pros
- Authentic customer reviews
- Smart filters to narrow down the search
Cons
- Prices shown often do not include taxes and additional fees
- Google Hotel Search
Do you know you can find hotels and search for budget accommodations using Google? Like other aggregators, Google allows users to enter keywords and present them with a list of available budget-friendly hotels in their desired destination city.
It won’t let you book rooms but is a great way to find cheap hotels and accommodations for holiday trips.
In the search bar, type queries like “cheap hotels in —-“, or “hotels in –-“ and click search. The search engine will provide you with OTAs links or hotel websites where you can inquire and make bookings.
You can search hotels by location using Google Maps or use the filter options to narrow down the search results. You may click on the hotels mentioned in the list on the left side or click directly on the pins on the map for more details.
You may click on the “prices” button to see the price rates of a certain hotel in a given location. Google also provides you with a rough estimate of the average cost that travelers pay for hotels in a particular location. Click on the “What you will pay” tab located above the search results to learn the hotel price trend in a particular region during your preferred travel dates.
Pros
- Quick and relevant results
- Location-based search feature
- Price trends to get an estimate of the average cost
Cons:
- No reward program or membership plan
- io
- Skyscanner Hotels
Skyscanner is often only used for searching and booking cheap flights, but you can also use the platform for searching for bargain hotel stays and cheap accommodations. There isn’t a variety of filters like other travel Meta search engines, but it does have a pretty good map feature to let you search for accommodation by location.
You can browse the search results and click on a given link to visit a third-party website to complete the reservation process.
Pros:
- Simple filters to find the lowest price for all hotels in a given location
- Easy-to-use interface
Cons
- Limited range of search filters
Other websites that you may use to find cheap hotels and search for budget-friendly accommodations that you may use include:
- HotelTonight
- Hopper
- Trivago
Conclusion:
While there are tons of websites to find cheap hotels, unfortunately, there is no platform that consistently offers the cheapest rates. Prices and costs fluctuate depending on the time of the year and other underlying factors. A lot of websites display prices without including taxes and fees. While the deals at a particular site appear attractive at first, additional charges and hidden fees may increase the total cost.
If hotel prices across different platforms look similar, look for other benefits like last-minute cancellations, refunds, complimentary food, room upgrades, and loyalty programs to bag the best possible deal.
Finding the cheapest hotel price can be overwhelming, but knowing where to find the most reasonable deals make things a lot easier.
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