I am a hotel cheapskate

Ok, so I am a hotel cheapskate. This does not mean that I enjoy dingy, dirty hotels. But it does mean that I LOATHE paying more than $80 per night for a hotel room.

So, how do I get nice hotel rooms for less than $80 per night? It takes a bit of work, but here is my step-by step process.

1. Go to www.hotwire.com and search for the city you are going to. Then, choose the neighborhood you want to stay in.

2. I limit my search to hotels with 3 stars and up. Within that search, I require at least an 80% guest satisfaction. Depending on the city and the neighborhood, I sometimes will do a 2 ½ star hotel, but the guest satisfaction must be more than 85%.

3. Then, I search on www.expedia.com and try to determine which hotel Hotwire might be selling me. At this point, you should be able to determine if the hotels will be local hotels or chains. If it is likely a local hotel, I will not buy on Hotwire because at that point I want more control.

4. Now, it is time to buy. If the prices are similar between Hotwire and Expedia for this area, go with Expedia. But if you can get a great deal, go with Hotwire. And remember to check what is included…I always look for free wi-fi and parking at a minimum…and free breakfast is always appreciated.

This seems like a lot of work but I once got a Westin for $50!

#travel #hotels #hotwire #expedia