Hoping to save on a hotel in an ultra-popular destination like Paris? Try these booking tips.
Courtesy of Hôtel Brighton
Whether a budget-friendly room or five-star resort, hotels and accommodations are among the biggest expenses of any trip, and no one wants to pay more than they have to.
Just as timing impacts getting the best prices on flights, so too does timing play a big role in finding deals on hotels. How far in advance you’re making plans, what time of year you’re traveling, and whether or not your destination is in high demand all impact room rates (e.g., finding a discounted family-friendly hotel during spring break is a tall order).
It pays to understand the best time to book a hotel room, whether you’re planning a multigenerational trip or a low-key weekend getaway. From taking a chance on last-minute bookings to working your travel plans around less expensive days of the week, here are tried-and-true tips for getting a better deal on your next hotel stay.
KAYAK says their 2024 data shows “there is no specific day of the week that provides a significant amount of savings compared to other days of the week when…booking a hotel room.”
On the other hand, a 2023 study by Skyscanner, with data from the previous year, found that the best day to book a hotel in the USA is Friday—but only by a 2 percent margin. For international travel, Thursday is the cheapest day to book a hotel, with savings of 6 percent. Even 6 percent may not sound like much, but consider a $250/night room in Paris—the price of many four-star hotels. That $15 saved can get you two good glasses of wine, five or six pain au chocolat, or entry to the Musée d’Orsay.
In short: The day of the week you book a domestic hotel won’t have much of an impact on price. And if you’re searching for hotels and prices are high, set an alert to see if they drop within your budget.
A report from Kayak based on searches made between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024, showed that Sunday is the cheapest day of the week to check into a hotel—up to 9 percent less expensive than other days. Sunday is when weekenders usually return home and is before the Monday check-ins typical of business travelers.
When traveling domestically, Friday is the most expensive day to check in to a hotel. Kayak says you’ll pay 8 percent more than average while Hopper calculates a Friday check-in could cost you 20 percent more than arriving during the week. Internationally, Tuesday is the cheapest day to arrive (4 percent below average), and Thursday the most expensive, but only by 2 percent.
The calculations get a little trickier here. According to travel booking site Hopper’s 2024 Travel Booking Hacks Guide, if you’re looking for an all-inclusive resort in a leisure travel destination such as Miami or Cancun, book at least three months in advance. For regular hotels in leisure destinations, book one to two months before your trip.
When it comes to city stays, booking later is to your advantage, since hotels in larger cities tend to have a lot of competition. “If you can wait, book at the last minute . . . the best prices will be on the rooms left open 48 hours before check-in,” says Hopper.
Similarly, Kayak found that you can save a lot of money by booking at the last minute—up to 58 percent on domestic hotels and up to 73 percent internationally.
This is because hotels typically have a 24- to 48-hour cancellation policy. When those cancellations come in, hotels will cut rates to fill those rooms.
Skyscanner’s advice might appeal to the slightly less risk-averse: its 2023 data found “the best time to book hotels in the U.S. is during the same week of travel,” for prices around 21 percent below average. The same goes for international hotels; you can save around 18 percent on average. Book a domestic hotel three to four weeks out and you’re likely to pay 5 to 6 percent above average. For international travel, 19 and then 8 weeks before your trip are the most expensive times to book a hotel room.
Yes, but only if you’re flexible. The issue with waiting is that availability and room category options for lower rates could be sparse. But if you’re game for a bit of a gamble in exchange for a good deal, a travel site like HotelTonight will be particularly useful to find last-minute deals.
If your main goal is to save money on hotel prices, booking off-season is the way to go. That means avoiding popular domestic or European destinations in the summer and opting for spring or fall instead. Likewise, you won’t find many deals in Palm Springs, Mexico, or the Caribbean in winter. The same goes for popular holiday destinations and major events—think Christmas in Hawai‘i, New Year’s Eve in New York City, or Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
Related: Europe’s Summer Hot Spots Are Even Better in Winter
In short, remember that getting the best deal on a hotel room comes down to a few basic rules: Make your bookings on a more favorable day of the week (try Thursday or Friday), hold out for a last-minute booking if you can, travel during off-season whenever possible, and avoid checking in on Friday.
Related: Five-Star Hotels Aren’t Always Better Than Four-Star Hotels. Here’s Why.
This article was originally published in 2023 and most recently updated on January 15, 2025, with current information. Michelle Baran and Sophie Friedman contributed to the reporting of this story.
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