3 ways to score dream hotels for less
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Live large on your next vacation without spending big bucks. Here are three easy ways to score a dream hotel on a realistic budget.
1. Look for discounted rates and then act quickly.
Knowledge, patience and flexibility are three keys to scoring a great deal on a luxury hotel. First, know what you want–or at least have a few special properties in mind. Second, be patient and watch the rates on websites like Hotels.com. Wait for a slow season or a special occasion for the property to steeply drop its rates. And then book it! You must be flexible with your schedule, because some deals are only good for a limited window.
Need more motivation to take this to heart? Check out the Homeric Poems guesthouse in Greece, with its poolside bar, five-star details, in-room massages, turndown service–it’s just crisp, clean and so white that it’s ethereal. This almost perfectly rated hotel recently dropped its nightly rate by $100, now hovering around $257–a great deal for a five-star hotel on heavenly Santorini Island.
2. Consider staying in a dream home instead.
Through AirBNB and other vacation rental companies, you can rent people’s houses for your next vacation–often for significantly less money than a comparable hotel room (if one even exists).
Take this “covered bridge” house in Nevada’s Sierra Foothills for less than $200 a night. This loft-style home was featured on HGTV, with a unique interior that looks like a bridge, a hummingbird-filled patio, a private patio–and nearby you’ll find easy access to skiing, biking, kayaking and other outdoor activities.
3. Keep a totally open mind and watch daily deals.
If your location is less important than staying in high-class style, stalk travel websites for their deals of the day. Hotels.com recently offered the highly rated Hotel Eugene en Ville in Paris (sleek and comfy rooms ideally located) for only $154 a night–a deal that only lasted one day.
Don’t miss Living Social Escapes, which offers limited-time deals where you can specifically choose the “luxury” category. Stay at a AAA four-diamond Napa resort for $329 a night or a luxury boutique hotel in New York for just $179. But these deals were “flash deals,” and they also must be used within 30 days of purchase.
