Tips For Finding The Best Hotel Rates 

Let’s be honest: booking hotels can be overwhelming. The moment you start to plan, you are bombarded with so many travel sites, last-minute deals, and endless scrolling. 

Therefore, you might feel that you’re always missing out on the best rate. And just when you think you’ve found a winner, you realize the currency’s wrong — ouch.

However, I’m sure you have spent enough time sulking and wondering what to do right. Guess what?  I am here to share the best hotel booking tips to simplify the process for you. 

Therefore, after reading this article, you will be able to consistently find great hotel rates that fit your budget and travel style.

What Are Some Important Hotel Booking Tips You Must Know?

Here are six expert Hotel booking tips to help you save money and book smarter on your next trip.

1. Search In Shoulder Season

What is Shoulder Season? It refers to the time between peak and off-peak travel seasons. It’s often the best time to travel if you want to 

• Save money
• Avoid crowds
• Enjoy mild weather

The Shoulder Season varies in different places. Here’s a list of all the famous tourist places and their shoulder seasons: 

 Booking during these months can lead to significant savings on both hotels and experiences. 

2. Be Flexible With Your Travel Dates

Hotel prices can swing wildly depending on the time of year, local events, or even what day of the week you’re staying.

Therefore, to handle this, you must keep your schedule flexible. If your schedule allows, you can try adjusting your travel dates by a day or two. 

Furthermore, you will find mid-week stays tend to be cheaper than weekends. Additionally, you can avoid national holidays or major festivals, which can mean big savings.

3. Follow Travel-Deal-Focused Content Creators 

There are content creators who specialize in hunting down and sharing incredible travel deals. These creators often post limited-time offers that you might not find elsewhere. These can be:

• Hotel discounts
• Flash sales
• Exclusive promotions 

You can look for creators whose travel style aligns with yours, and keep up with their recommendations. You will find creators about anything, whether it’s:

• Adventure travel
• Luxury getaways
• Wellness retreats
• Business trips

You can find these creators on social media platforms like YouTube or Instagram, or on platforms like Plannin.

Here, travel content creators share their recommendations for the best hotels, experiences, and cruises. 

Plannin is a travel booking site, so once you’ve found your perfect stay, you can go ahead and book, all in one place!

4. Look In Larger Hotel Markets 

If you’re flexible with your destination, consider starting your search in major hotel markets. Cities like Las Vegas, Orlando, or Dubai often have an abundance of hotel rooms.

This increases competition, leading to lower prices.

Pro tip: Newly opened hotels frequently offer promotional rates to attract guests. Keep an eye out for these — they can be some of the best value stays.

5. Book Early, But Not Too Early

While booking in advance is usually smart, booking too early can mean paying full price. The best time to book depends on where you’re going:

• For domestic trips, the sweet spot is often 1–3 months out
• For international travel, aim for 2–5 months in advance

This is when hotels often release discounted rates to fill rooms, but haven’t yet raised prices due to rising demand. Use price alerts to track changes and jump on a deal when it appears.

6. Sign Up For Booking Platforms That Offer Closed-User-Group Rates 

Of course, you will ask me about the platforms you can use. Well, there are many such, but you can really try out Plannin. 

Some booking platforms offer closed-user-group rates, which means discounts are only available to members who create a free account.

For example, Plannin offers:

• Exclusive member-only hotel deals. Additionally, you will get up to 40% off worldwide
• Personalized hotel recommendations based on your travel style
• Real reviews and picks from fellow travelers
• Weekly emails with the best deals in top destinations

👉 Sign up for Plannin here to start saving.

Stay up-to-date on marketing emails from these platforms. This is often the channel they’ll use to share their best deals. By checking your inbox often, you might just find your dream hotel or destination for less. 

Bonus tip: Set price alerts

How do we do that? You have to use hotel price tracking tools (like Google Travel) to set alerts on your favorite properties. 

Therefore, you’ll get notified when prices drop so you can book with confidence at the right time.

Use These Hotel Booking Tips For Getting The Best Hotel Rate

Ah! These are all the hotel booking tips you needed for your next adventure. You see, finding the best hotel rate doesn’t have to be a hassle.

So skin the panic and stress, and just remember one thing. You just need to have the right mix of strategy and flexibility. 

You can book a great stay at a great price — and avoid the stress of overpaying. Here’s a quick recap:

• Firstly, you must always travel during shoulder season
• Secondly, you have to be flexible with your dates
• Thirdly, you can follow trusted travel creators
• Furthermore, you must consider high-volume hotel markets
• Moreover, you can use platforms like Plannin for exclusive member rates
• Finally, you need to time your booking for the best deals

Happy booking — and safe travels!