Okay, let me tell you how I actually go about finding cheaper hotel stays using just regular search engines. It’s become my go-to method lately, saved me some cash a few times.
Starting the Hunt
So, the other day, I needed to book a room for a short trip. First thing I did, instead of jumping straight onto one of those big hotel booking websites, I just opened up my usual search engine. Nothing fancy.
I typed in something really simple, like “hotels in [City Name] affordable” and added the dates I needed. Sometimes I try variations like “cheap stays” or “budget accommodation” just to see if different words pull up different options. You gotta play around with it a bit.
Digging Through Search Results
The search engine immediately threw back a bunch of results. You know how they often have that special box or section just for hotels now? With a map and a list? That’s what I focused on. Ignored the sponsored ads mostly, scrolled right down to that hotel finder tool built into the search results.
This thing is pretty useful, actually. It showed me:
- A map with prices right on it, so I could see if something cheap was way out in the sticks. Location’s important, right?
- A list of hotels with prices pulled from various booking sites AND sometimes the hotel’s own website.
- Filters! I immediately used the price filter, setting a maximum I was willing to pay per night. I also sometimes sort by “Price (low to high)” just to see what the absolute cheapest options are, even if I don’t pick them.
Comparing the Prices – The Real Work
Here’s the key part. The search engine shows you prices from different sources for the same hotel. You might see Booking . com, Expedia, Hotels . com, Agoda, and maybe even a price directly from the hotel listed side-by-side.
I saw this place that looked decent, good reviews aggregated right there in the search results. The price shown was from one of the big booking sites. Looked okay. But I didn’t stop there.
I specifically looked to see if the hotel’s direct website price was listed. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t. If it was, I compared it directly. If not, or even if it was, I often did one more step.
The Double-Check
I opened a new browser tab. Searched specifically for the name of that hotel I liked. Found their official website. Went through their booking process right up to the final price page, making sure I included taxes and any sneaky fees.
Then, I might quickly check that same hotel on maybe one, just one, major booking site that I trust, just to triple-confirm the rates I saw in the initial search engine results. Sometimes prices change fast, you know?
What Happened This Time?
On this particular trip, guess what? The price listed directly on the hotel’s website, which I found by searching for the hotel’s name after spotting it via the main search engine, was actually about 10 bucks cheaper per night than the best price shown in the search engine’s comparison tool! Not a huge amount, but hey, that’s dinner or a few coffees.
Other times, one of the booking sites listed in the search results genuinely does have the best deal, maybe through some special offer. The point is, using the search engine first gave me that broad overview and pointed me towards potential candidates and prices without having to visit ten different booking sites manually.
It takes a few extra minutes of clicking around compared to just hitting up your favorite booking app. But I found it often surfaces deals or direct booking options I might have missed otherwise. For me, it’s worth the extra effort to feel confident I’m not overpaying. Give it a try next time you’re booking!
