If you are looking for a hotel room at the best possible price, your first stop should be booking.com. Lanzado en 1996, es uno de los mejores y más antiguos buscadores de hoteles para reservar rooms, apartments, hostels, vacation homes and other types of accommodation.
Its intuitive interface allows you to quickly find a hotel room that suits your needs. However, if you dig a little deeper, you will discover a number of features and strategies that can help you get great deals on hotels.
In this article you will learn how to get the most out of this incredible search engine to find the best bargains and the cheapest hotels in Booking. Why pay more for a hotel?
6 tricks to book on Booking and find the hotels at the best price ✅
In the competitive world of online hotel reservations, finding the best deal can seem like a daunting task. However, with the right strategy, you can discover incredible offers that will allow you to enjoy quality accommodation without breaking your budget.
We will present you six infallible tricks to book on Booking.com. these tips will help you navigate the site efficiently, take full advantage of its features and the most important, find hotels at the best price.
Get ready to transform your travel booking experience and make your next vacation even more memorable.
You will find the section to find last minute offers in booking and seasonal offers at the end of the same web page.
1. Be part of the Genius rewards program
➡️ Genius Booking discount, what it is and how it works
Once you book five separate trips on Booking.com, the site will upgrade you to a Genius member automatically, and you will be part of their travel rewards program. It's completely free to become a member, it's all about making those five reservations.
💡 It's totally worth it as Genius unlocks 10% discounts at various Booking.com partner hotels.
The Genius Rewards membership has a few other perks as well. Some hotels offer a free airport shuttle service for Genius members, as well as welcome drinks and a two-hour extension at check-in or check-out.
Genius levels and discounts based on your bookings:
This is why joining a Genius program is one of the best ways to save money in hotels .
2. Use free cancellation (and search again)
In your search results on Booking.com, filter the list by hotels that have free cancellation and no prepayment. You can save a lot of money this way.
Well, you're not the only Booking.com user doing this. In fact, that's one of the biggest draws of this site. Therefore, users often book multiple rooms and release them at a later date.
When you book a room with no cancellation fees or any kind of advance payment, you'll get a deadline date after which you'll be charged for the room. One day before the deadline, search for a new accommodation on Booking.com again.
💡 In my experience, you are more likely to find last-minute travel deals, closer to your travel date. (what is known as "Booking offers last minute"
Now you will be able to go for them. Once you get the new deal, you release your old rooms, which is easier without the hassle of asking for refunds.
3. Use the price match feature
Booking.com has a price match guarantee, which means that if you find the same hotel room at a lower price elsewhere, Booking.com will change your price to match the lower price.
To check cheaper prices elsewhere, try the extension TheGuestBook for Chrome. When you see the final price, TheGuestBook will automatically check if there is a better price available for that elsewhere.
If you find it, make your reservation and file your claim. It is one of the best ways to find cheap hotels or hostel rooms.
Where can I find the price match option on booking.com?
You will find it once you have selected the dates and the hotel and you are ready to make the reservation, look at the image:
4. Check the map view to save on transportation
Generally, hotels outside of the main tourist spot will be cheaper than hotels in the main space. But even though they are cheap, you end up having to spend on transportation costs.
Therefore, it may be more profitable to book a room closer to the tourist center. Booking.com's map view allows you to check the location of hotels and find a place that suits your needs.
💡 The booking.com map view allows you to check hotels based on their location. Every time you zoom in or out, or scroll through areas, booking will reload the available properties in that area.
take some time and do this. You will almost always find a great place that meets all your needs, while still being close to where you want to be.
The map view also allows you to apply filters on the fly and check basic information about a hotel by hovering over its price tag.
5. Pay attention to the suggested dates
Unfortunately, there isn't a hotel booking site that allows you to search with flexible dates, or show you the cheapest month to travel like Skyscanner does for flights.
But Booking.com has a manual trick to do this.
Before planning your trip, search Booking.com for your dates. At the top of the search results, you may see a bar that says: "Prices may be higher than usual for selected dates".
💡 Booking will suggest similar travel dates for two days before and after, which are cheaper.
If your travel dates are flexible, click on the suggested more distant dates. Check the bar again to see if the rates drop further if you change the dates further.
Keep trying this until you see the cheapest possible time to book the hotel.
6. Save the filter settings and check the full prices
Booking.com usually shows the price including taxes. But sometimes, there are some hidden taxes that hotels will charge you when you get there, like a city tax or some fees that are particular to that location.
It also adds a neat feature to save your favorite filter settings. You can save several "preset" filters, each for different types of travel situations. It is a useful feature when you are planning a trip between cities and with different people.
When prices drop on Booking ⁉️
Many people wonder when prices drop on Booking.com or if there really are times to book hotels with lower prices.
Another common question is whether there is a cheaper search engine than booking, to which we answer that in hotelscombined you can find last minute deals to book awesome hotels.
Prices on Booking.com can vary depending on various factors, including demand, season, and hotel pricing policies.
Here are some times when you might find lower prices:
- Low season: Prices are usually lower during the off-season, when there is less demand. This varies depending on the destination, but generally, the low season is when there are fewer tourists.
- Last minute reservations: Some hotels lower their prices as the date of the stay approaches to try to fill the rooms that are still empty. Therefore, you can find good deals if you book last minute. However, this can be risky, especially if you are traveling to a popular location or during peak season, as rooms could sell out.
- Weekdays: In some cases, prices may be lower during certain days of the week. For example, some hotels may offer lower rates on weekdays compared to weekends.
- Advance reservations: Some hotels offer discounts for reservations made well in advance. However, these offers often require an advance payment and may not be refundable.
Remember that these are only general patterns and may not apply to all hotels and destinations. It's a good idea to shop around and check the hotel's pricing policies before making a reservation.
Booking disability discount
Booking.com no longer offers a specific discount for people with disabilities. However, Booking.com strives to ensure that all travelers, including those with disabilities, can find suitable accommodation through its platform.
You can filter the search results on Booking.com to show only accommodations that offer certain facilities for people with disabilities, such as wheelchair access, adapted bathroom, etc. This can help you find accommodations that fit your specific needs.
If you have any specific questions about the facilities for people with disabilities at a particular property, I would recommend that you contact the property directly through the Booking.com platform. They should be able to provide you with the most accurate and up-to-date information.
Consider looking for accommodation on Airbnb
While Booking.com is a fantastic search engine for hotels, hostels, apartments and bed and breakfasts. But it doesn't show you Airbnb listings.
This is a huge loss as you can get some fantastic deals when you book an Airbnb instead of a hotel. For now, you'll need to search Airbnb separately, or use an aggregator like All The Rooms.
In addition to Booking.com, Airbnb can be an excellent option to find accommodation.
Board feature comparison from booking and airbnb:
| Characteristic | booking.com | Airbnb |
|---|---|---|
| rewards program | Yes (Genius) | No |
| FREE Cancelation | Yeah | Depends on the host |
| price match | Yeah | No |
| map view | Yeah | Yeah |
| Date suggestions | Yeah | No |
| total prices | Yeah | Yeah |
And if you're planning a vacation with friends, be sure to check out these tips for a wonderful trip.
FAQ
1. What is the Booking.com Genius Rewards programme?
The Genius Rewards program is a Booking.com loyalty program that offers benefits to frequent users. After making five reservations, you become a Genius member and can enjoy a 10% discount at selected hotels, as well as other benefits such as free airport transportation and extended check-in or check-out at some hotels.
2. How does the Booking.com price match guarantee work?
If you find the same hotel room at a lower price elsewhere after making a reservation on Booking.com, Booking.com will adjust your price to match the lower price. To make use of this guarantee, you will need to provide details of the cheapest offer, which must be available online and must meet the same conditions as your booking on Booking.com.
3. How can I save on transportation costs when booking a hotel on Booking.com?
One way to save on transport costs is to use Booking.com's map view to find hotels near tourist attractions or places you plan to visit. Although these hotels may be a bit more expensive, you may end up saving on transportation costs.
4. How can I use Booking.com's suggested dates to save money?
Booking.com offers suggestions for dates that might be cheaper for your trip. If your travel dates are flexible, you can take advantage of these suggestions to find the cheapest dates for your stay.
5. Does Booking.com show the total price, including taxes and additional fees?
Booking.com usually shows the price including taxes. However, some hotels may charge additional taxes or fees upon arrival. Therefore, it is important to verify the total price, including these additional charges, before making a reservation.
Wow, these Booking tricks are awesome! I will definitely try the Genius rewards program. Has anyone else used it?
Yes, I have used Booking's Genius program and the truth is that the benefits are great. Recommended to 100%! Plus, not only do you save money, but you also receive upgrades and other exclusive benefits. Do not miss it!
"I don't know whether to trust Booking's Genius program, has anyone had a positive experience?"
Oh! I had never thought about joining Booking's Genius program to get discounts. Thanks for the advice!
Sure, it's always great to discover new ways to save money! But remember to do your research before joining any loyalty program. Sometimes discounts are not as attractive as they seem. Good luck!