Alright, let me tell you how I actually go about finding a decent place to stay without breaking the bank. It wasn’t always this way, mind you. For years, I’d just pick a hotel chain I knew or spend ages clicking from one hotel’s own website to another. What a waste of time that was, and probably money too, if I’m honest.
My Old Habits and the Shift
I used to think those comparison sites were all a bit gimmicky. Maybe they’d show you a low price then slap on a load of fees at the end. And some do, you still gotta watch out. But one time, I was planning a trip, a bit last minute, and the prices I was seeing directly were just making my eyes water. I thought, “Okay, I’ve got to give these comparison things a proper try.” Not just a quick glance, but really dig in.
Diving Into the Comparison Game
So, what I do now is pretty straightforward, but you gotta be a bit methodical. First, I fire up my computer. I suppose you could do it on your phone, but I like a bigger screen for this kind of thing. I’ll open a few web browser tabs. This is key – I don’t just use one comparison website. Why? Because, believe it or not, they don’t all have the same hotels, or the same prices, even for the same hotel! I usually pick three or four of the big names I’ve come across.
Then, I start plugging in my details. Destination, dates, number of people. Standard stuff. Once the first list of hotels pops up on each site, that’s when the real work begins.
Filtering is Your Friend
Don’t just look at the first page of results. That’s often what they want you to book. I immediately look for the filter options. My first filter is almost always “price – low to high.” I want to see the cheapest options first, naturally. But cheap isn’t everything, right? So then I look for other filters:
- Guest Rating: I usually set a minimum. I’m not expecting five-star luxury on a budget, but I also don’t want to end up in a complete dive. Reading a few recent reviews is also a must. I pay more attention to reviews from the last few months.
- Location: Sometimes the cheapest places are miles out of town. If I need to be central, I’ll use the map feature or filter by distance to a landmark. This can save you a ton on taxi fares or public transport.
- Amenities: If I need parking, or Wi-Fi (who doesn’t these days?), I’ll check those boxes.
The Cross-Checking Dance
Once I’ve got a shortlist of a few potential places on one site, I then specifically search for those same hotels on the other comparison sites I have open. You’d be surprised how often I find the exact same room cheaper on a different platform. It’s a bit of a pain, flicking between tabs, but it’s saved me a decent chunk of cash over the years.
And here’s a big one: always click through to the final booking page. That’s where they sometimes add on “resort fees” or “service charges” or other sneaky taxes that weren’t obvious on the initial results page. The price you see first isn’t always the price you pay. I learned that the hard way a couple of times.
What I’ve Found Works for Me
I remember one trip to a city I’d never visited. The prices looked scary at first. But by doing this little dance – opening multiple sites, filtering hard, cross-checking, and looking at the final price – I found a perfectly good, clean, centrally located independent hotel for about 30% less than what I was initially seeing on the big chain sites. It wasn’t fancy, but it was exactly what I needed, and the money I saved went on a couple of nice dinners instead.
So yeah, it takes a little bit of effort, maybe an extra 20-30 minutes of clicking around. But for me, the savings are usually worth it. It’s just become my standard routine now before booking any hotel. No more just blindly picking the first thing I see. You gotta shop around, even for hotel rooms.
