Getting the best hotel room rate can be a fine art; T+L teaches you how to do it.
What you pay for your hotel depends on when—and how—you book. We tested seven methods (from online travel agents and aggregators to the hotels’ own reservation channels) on five different U.S. hotels over a six-week period. The lessons learned? Always shop around, and waiting is (usually) worth it.
6 Weeks Out: $525 *
5 Weeks: $525
4 Weeks: $425
3 Weeks: $425
2 Weeks: $425
Final Price: $395
The Takeaway: True to its word, Four Seasons matched rates on third-party websites—and even beat them. Three weeks out, the hotel yielded a rate $70 lower than anywhere else.
6 Weeks Out: $359
5 Weeks: $359
4 Weeks: $359
3 Weeks: $359
2 Weeks: $359
Final Price: $260
The Takeaway: After five weeks of near-consistent rates everywhere, all third-party sites dropped by $100—a full $70 less than what the hotels’ toll-free reservation numbers offered.
6 Weeks Out: $318
5 Weeks: $299
4 Weeks: $299
3 Weeks: $299
2 Weeks: $299
Final Price: $299
The Takeaway: Six weeks out, Expedia and Kayak offered $80 less than all other channels. But we’re glad we waited. A week later, prices dropped to $299 across the board.
6 Weeks Out: $239
5 Weeks: $239
4 Weeks: $239
3 Weeks: $239
2 Weeks: $291
Final Price: $239
The Takeaway: Aggregators had the better rates in the early weeks, but in the end (after a brief spike), prices on all channels ended up here.
6 Weeks Out: $199
5 Weeks: $189
4 Weeks: $169
3 Weeks: $169
2 Weeks: $149
Final Price: $149
The Takeaway: Rates dropped in small increments across all booking outlets, eventually landing at $50 less than the original price.
* Lowest available price (across all booking channels). Booking methods included Expedia, Kayak, Priceline, and Hotels.com, as well as the hotel’s own website, toll-free number, and front desk. Figures indicate average occupancy and room rates from Feb. 2011 through Jan. 2012, versus Feb. 2010 through Jan. 2011. All data provided by Smith Travel Research.
