Don’t Make These Mistakes When Booking a Hotel Room – Part 3
This article is a continuation of the hotels in Springdale post Don’t Make These Mistakes When Booking a Hotel Room – Part 2.
Booking too early or too late
We all know that procrastinating almost never results in anything good, and that certainly is the case when reserving rooms, even when booking hotels in Springdale. When it comes to travel, particularly with airlines and hotels, the longer you wait the more expensive rates become. Prices typically climb the closer you get to your intended travel dates so good advanced planning is always smart if you don’t want to spend more money than you have to. However, the opposite end of the spectrum can sometimes present a money problem as well. Sometimes, depending on the location and the dates, booking too early can also yield high prices. Experienced travelers discover that there is a middle ground that exists where the best deals are usually found. But the truth is that there are so many factors involved that it can sometimes be difficult to pinpoint the right time to press the button, such as weather, conventions, seasons, location, and more. If you plan on going to a “popular” destination, it is usually a good idea not exceed 21 advanced days when booking your rooms. Wait until the three weeks before your desired dates and then get going on getting those rooms booked. Certainly monitor trends before that, though. Websites like Tingo can help you monitor the fluctuation of hotel prices that you’re interested in. Note: if you are a notorious procrastinator and take vacations on a whim, the app Hotel Tonight will be your best friend and provide you with deals last-minute.
Failing to compare prices
Always do research before booking, no matter what. Even if you know exactly where you want to stay and when. Advertisements for “new low prices” and such can give you a false sense of security in feeling like you got the best deal you’re going to get. A good rule of thumb is to compare prices a minimum of three times before booking, preferably more. Visit all the different websites that pull from various booking sites and pools them together, showing you the best prices. Also, don’t forget to visit the actual websites of the hotels in Springdale where you’re considering staying. Sometimes you can get better deals when contacting the establishment directly. Some site recommendations to always check are Kayak, Groupon Getaways, Expedia, and Priceline. And consider the fact that some hotels in Springdale give bigger savings for certain discount platforms, meaning that maybe a hotel will give you a bigger discount for AAA membership than a senior citizen discount, for example. If there are multiple discounts that you could go with, hotels in Springdale will usually only let you apply one. Find out which one gives the greatest discount.
Refundable or nonrefundable?
You’ve probably noticed that booking sites offer a slightly less-expensive price if you choose “nonrefundable” rather than “refundable” for the same room. Hotels in Springdale often do this as well. They do that because it’s better for the hotel to lock in that room and know they are guaranteed the money. Most of the time, this is not worth it for you, however. Paying an extra $15 or so to know that if an emergency came up you could get your money back will come in handy eventually. It’s like hotel room insurance, in a way. And make sure that no matter what you check the cancellation policy for the booking site you’re using as well as the cancellation policy of the hotel you’re planning on staying at, even hotels in Springdale.
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