The internet is chalked full of cheap hotel rate websites. You can do a simple Google search and find a wealth of information relating to cheap hotel rates. The problem is not all of these sites that are advertising that they have cheap hotel rates are really saving you money. It is important you know what to look for when you are searching for a hotel to ensure you are actually getting a cheap hotel.

One thing you always want to look for when you are on a site offering cheap hotel rates is a guarantee that they have the lowest price. If they do not have the guarantee then they are just advertising a rate published by the hotel which may be higher, the same, or lower than the hotel’s actual rate. Either way you won’t save much money because you will pay a booking fee and taxes to the hotel when you arrive.

Always make sure that you have to pay up front. Does that sound awful to you? If it does you will not be saving money and you might as well book through the hotel. The fact is all discount website are going to require you to prepay because they have to prepay. If you are paying when you arrive then you have booked a rate advertised through the hotel, and therefore you might as well book at the hotel.

What I want you to do next is learn how to compare prices. Do not compare nighly rates, this is not comparing prices, this is comparing nothing. You have to compare the total with tax to find out which is the better deal. Sometimes you may find a lower rate but the tax is different. The fact is there are a lot of different ways that websites remit the taxes, so therefore taxes are not always the same. Go through the motions like you are booking until you get a total including tax, then compare rates.

Now you are fully educated on how to identify websites offering true cheap hotel rates, and you can also see how to compare sites. Don’t spend a bunch of time on this, with the pricematch, book early, save money, and if the price goes down tell the site to match it.