Travelling can be ridiculously overpriced, no matter what your budget is. This is especially for genuine accommodations, which are often the priciest part of a trip besides airfare. Yet as with any form of shopping, there are a few ways you can search for the best rates. Start with picking the best time of year to travel, then consider one of two options: booking far in advance or leaving it up to fate with a last-minute deal. We’re here to break down the details precisely when you should book your hotel room to score a steal.
Book beforehand
Start by reserving the best deal you can find early on, even if it’s as soon as you start planning your trip—but with one limitation: make a “pay when you arrive” reservation, not a nonrefundable deal. And while you’re not fully perpetrating, it should still be a deal you could happily accept if you can’t do better later. Otherwise, it’s not worth booking. Reserving early can typically get you the cost, but choosing a cancelable booking means you keep your choices open. And cancel-friendly hotel bookings are simple enough to come by.
Keep an eye on offer
Maintain a pulse on flash sales without seeking for them by signing up for hotel sale alerts. Keeping track of flash hotel sales is easy: Sign up for sale bulletins like those from Booking.com, trivago.in, and as many others as you’re willing to allow in your inbox.
Let them stream in until just before you plan to leave to see if your hotel or any comparable ones offer a better price. If something really good pops up in your inbox, snag it. Otherwise, keep “looking.” You can also wait for special days like Black Friday or any other special offer days to get a good deal out of it. However, Keeping booking early as possible should be the first priority!
Last-minute booking
If you’re willing to speculate on a stay, you might want to hold out for the day of travel. Given that most hotels have a 24- or 48-hour cancellation policy, extra rooms might available at the very last minute when guests Cancel their reservations. Most hotels would rather see their rooms booked than stay vacant, so they’ll offer them at cheaper rates than usual in order to fill them. There are even apps to assist you to find the best last-minute deals, including apps like booking.com, etc. Of course, there are uncertainties involved with waiting—you might end up with no room at all, especially if you’re staying in a tourist spot like Ooty, Kodaikanal, etc. For those destinations, it’s more reliable to book in advance.
Best time to travel
If you’re flexible with your travel programs, base your bookings on the time of year. Peak season will drive the most expensive prices—this varies greatly per destination. For instance, looking to book hotels in the Coimbatore will be the most expensive in the summer, when tourists flock to the Hills like Ooty.
Logically, low season is the contrast of peak season, and that’s when you’ll find the best deals. The downsides to low-season travel are that many businesses might have restricted hours or be closed altogether, and the weather might not be ideal. That’s why the exact best time to travel is in the shoulder season, in spring and fall, between peak and low seasons. You’ll still find good hotel deals while facing smaller crowds and experiencing mild weather.
Best time to book hotels in Coimbatore is during June, July and August because the temperature will be mild and you can safely explore many places with lesser crowds.