Five simple ways you can save money on your hotel

Organising your accommodation for an upcoming trip can seem daunting, especially when you're adding up how much it's going to cost you.But there are a few things you can do to save some money when looking at hotel options.From some simple booking tactics, to choosing where to stay, here are five ways you can save money on hotels.READ MORE: Here's how a cruise holiday can actually save you moneyBecome a loyalty program memberOne of the simplest options when it comes to securing the best hotel deals is to join a loyalty rewards program, allowing you to earn loyalty points every time you stay at a participating hotel.Recent research from YouGov revealed that 31 per cent of Aussie consumers are members of at least one hotel loyalty program. And Accor Live Limitless/Accor Plus, celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2024, is the most popular hotel loyalty program in Australia.Accor Plus members, for example, can indulge in elevated hotel stays, dining, and events with savings at more than 1000 Accor hotels, resorts and apartments, including Sofitel, Pullman, Peppers, Novotel, Mantra and Ibis. Some of the exclusive benefits include a complimentary hotel night, up to 50 per cent savings on stays and dining, and more.READ MORE: Here's how a cruise holiday can actually save you moneyPlan ahead and book earlyWhile booking early is a great way to be organised it can also save you some money. Although the key here is to 'reserve' early, but give yourself the option to cancel if you spot something cheaper closer to your desired dates.Plenty of properties will offer 'Early Bird Discounts' and 'Advanced booking' options to get travellers to lock in rooms well ahead of their scheduled stay.Book directly with the hotelYou will often get a better deal if you book directly with a property, instead of using third-party websites."This ensures you aren't paying commission to booking sites, and many hotels now guarantee that you will find the lowest price by booking directly," Suzanne Bucknam, CEO of Connecticut Explorer, told HerMoney.A hotel receptionist also recently pointed out that you might avoid some additional headaches should something go wrong, by having your booking through the hotel directly."What's going to happen is your reservation is going to get lost; you need a refund; you need to cancel. Something is going to happen and we cannot touch that reservation because you booked third party," the hotel worker cautioned on TikTok.Be flexible with your datesGetting cheaper hotel rates can sometimes come down to timing. Often when you search for a property you might notice an option to select "flexible travel". It could also be written as "Search for +/- one day" or sometimes two days.Basically, when you're able to be flexible with the dates of your stay, you can capture the best possible bargain. That can sometimes add up to hundreds of dollars by staying in a hotel on less popular days of the week. For example, Friday and Saturday nights are almost always more expensive.Don't choose the most obvious locationAnother great way to save money is to stay somewhere just outside the city limits and travelling a kilometre or two to get to your accommodation."People love convenience and are often willing to pay more to be closer to what they want to see. However, if you don't mind travelling a little way each day, you can save a lot of money," travel blogger Josh Hewitt shared.In cities with excellent public transportation, this can be an even easier option. With less people using hotels set outside the city centre, you may also find you'll have a better experience during your stay, with more quiet and less crowds.- In partnership with Accor Plus.