When it comes to booking hotels there are a lot of theories out there on when the “best” time to book is. I know people who swear you should book as soon as you start planning a trip, and others who think a few days before your departure is the right time to get a deal. In truth, the answer is somewhere in-between.
TripAdvisor analysed historical hotel pricing data to determine when the best time to book a hotel is at locations around the world. Its determination was that the best time to buy during the summer is one month before your travels.
Based on its research, the average cost of a hotel during the summer will be $311 per night. Travellers who opt to book a month before their travels can expect to see a discount of 15% on that rate over peak times.
In the U.S. Boston, Chicago, Orlando, San Diego, Las Vegas, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. are where you’ll see the most savings waiting to book that room.
In Europe, things are a little different. Booking early often results on the most savings; however, people going to London or Paris in January should consider booking that room within five weeks of therein trip, a time period where TripAdvisor thinks you’ll be able to score a room at 25% off.
Here’s the breakdown of how much you can potentially save booking a hotel a month in advance at a few popular destinations in the United States (to escape the heat):
•Max. potential savings vs. peak pricing: 40%
•Average summer hotel pricing on TripAdvisor: $US277 ($365) per night
•Max. potential savings vs. peak pricing: 40%
•Average summer hotel pricing on TripAdvisor: $US161 ($212) per night
•Max. potential savings vs. peak pricing: 37%
•Average summer hotel pricing on TripAdvisor: $US190 ($251) per night
•Max. potential savings vs. peak pricing: 34%
•Average summer hotel pricing on TripAdvisor: $US232 ($306) per night
•Max. potential savings vs. peak pricing: 34%
•Average summer hotel pricing on TripAdvisor: $US153 ($202) per night
•Max. potential savings vs. peak pricing: 33%
•Average summer hotel pricing on TripAdvisor: $US202 ($266) per night
•Max. potential savings vs. peak pricing: 32%
•Average summer hotel pricing on TripAdvisor: $US224 ($295) per night
•Max. potential savings vs. peak pricing: 31%
•Average summer hotel pricing on TripAdvisor: $US184 ($243) per night
•Max. potential savings vs. peak pricing: 31%
•Average summer hotel pricing on TripAdvisor: $US297 ($392) per night
•Max. potential savings vs. peak pricing: 25%
•Average summer hotel pricing on TripAdvisor: $US190 ($251) per night
If you’re still a little hesitant to wait, I would personally suggest booking your hotel somewhere like Hotels.com where you can make the reservation online now, but pay for it when you show up on your vacation. Those bookings are super easy and free to cancel if you find a better deal later on, so there’s no risk and nothing but reward at the end of the rainbow.
And while I wouldn’t recommend it as a “plan” for your summer travels, if you’re looking for a last-minute vacation booking, HotelTonight can offer some pretty stellar same-night deals on some nicer properties.
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