Travel expert reveals the secret tricks to bag a cheap hotel room

THE PRICE of accommodation can sometimes be enough to put people off going on holiday.

But there are ways to cut back the cost of hotels – even in some of the pricier parts of the world.

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The travel experts at Thrifty Nomads are well used to hunting for bargains and have revealed some of their best tips to avoid forking out a fortune for a place to stay.

In an article for Metro they explained how they look after their pennies while travelling.

For weekend city breaks, their advice is simple – avoid touristy areas and instead stay in a business district.

Hotels in those parts of cities will have lower occupancy at weekends because business travellers will have gone home, meaning their prices will also be lower too.

Those areas are often just as accessible on public transport, making them a good base from which tourists can explore.

Another great way to make your stay cheaper is to book mystery hotels, using what are frequently known as “Hot Rate“, “Express Deals” and “Secret Deals“.

With hotels wanting to keep these deals secret, travellers won’t know where they’re staying until they have booked, although they can often be high end places.

Price range and star rating filters can still be applied to make sure that the hotels will be worth staying in.

Additionally, there are tools which can help work out which hotels might be on offer.

Jen Avery, from Thrifty Nomads told Metro: “These booking websites negotiate discounted rates on vacant rooms. Users, however, don’t learn their accommodation’s identity before purchase.

“As this is especially true of higher-end retreats wanting to save face, mystery deals often yield significant savings on five-star stays.

“When searching, you can select a price range and filters by star rating or location. Websites like BidGoggles also help to establish hotels’ (likely) identities.”

A hotel in Thailand has rooms available for just 2p this summer to try and bring back tourists.

The cheapest Airbnb in England costs just £9 a night.

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