Accommodation is usually the biggest concern for people who are planning a trip.Figuring out where to stay and then trying to find the best price can take hours. Here are my tips for finding the best-priced holiday accommodations quickly.

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1.  Ask the hotel directly for a better rate

Hotels pay a commission to the hotel booking sites.  Call the hotel directly and ask them what the best rate they can give you for accommodation will be if you book through them directly.  The main goal of a hotel is to fill their rooms, so they usually will be more than happy to offer you a discount.  I ask for discounts on everything even with the owners of rooms or houses on Airbnb.

2.  Stay in hostels and guesthouses

Not only do hostels and guesthouses charge a lot less than regular hotels, I find that I usually meet more people in them.  Hostels are no longer just for young backpackers. You will now find people of all ages staying in them and most of them offer private rooms and bathrooms.  My favorite hotel site for searching them is HostelBookers.com.  Not only do they offer the best prices, but they have listings for hotels, guesthouses, apartments, campsites, and regular hotels.  The reviews for the places are right on the site, and you can view the places listed by either private rooms or shared rooms. I find this site is a huge time-saver when I am looking for accommodation.

3.  Check the Wi-Fi

If you are a digital nomad like me, the biggest discount in the world won’t be worth it if the Wi-Fi isn’t working. Thank goodness for HotelChatter’s hotel Wi-Fi report.  They put out a report each year of the hotels with the best and worst Wi-Fi.  This is great guidance when selecting a good accommodation to stay at.

4.  Go in the Off-Season or Shoulder-Season

You will get lower rates, and the hotels will be more prone to bargaining if you go in the off-season. Plus, you will be more likely to have that perfect paradise beach all to yourselves.

5.  Just Show Up

I think that not planning anything can be the best time and money saver of all. Of course, you don’t want to do this during busy season or during a holiday.  But, you can really only decide if the accommodation is in the best place and the quality of the rooms by seeing them for yourself.  Also, you can be a more spontaneous traveler this way.  Hotels and guesthouses are also much more apt to give you the best price last-minute when they fear the room will not be booked.  Yes, sometimes being a slacker really can pay off! Sometimes, I will also wait until the night before I am arriving, and I will book on Agoda. They also have great last-minute deals on their website.

6.  House Sit

House sitting is a great way to see the world without paying anything for your accommodation.  I recommend Trusted House Sitters site as a way to find house sits in the areas that you want to go. They are the largest house sitting network and have the best choice of house sits out there.

Do you have any recommendations for finding accommodation at good prices?  Leave a comment below!!