Hotel Savings

Another Wednesday is here already?  How did that happen?  Seems like this week is flying by.  And, for the record, I am thrilled by that.  I have seen the seven day forecast and fall is on it's way and I could not be happier.  There is actually a day in the 7 day forecast where the high is in the 70's and the low is in the 50's.  That is my PERFECT weather forecast. 

However, Wednesday is not a day for talking about the weather...it is a day for saving money!!!  WHOO HOO! 

Today's great money saving idea is about hotels.  Rarely do we need to save money on hotels these days as we have not traveled much since having Isabelle, but now that I know this great tip, I can be sure I will be able to get a great deal if we get away.

Everyone has heard of Expedia.com.  But did you know about their unpublished rates?  That of course is where you can find the best savings. 

Example:  My father in law and his wife came for a visit over labor day.  She was searching for hotels in Tulsa and saw a line that mentioned unpublished rates.  To make a very long story short, she clicked on the link and was able to specify the area she wanted to stay and the star level she preferred and they showed the price.  You do not see the hotel you are choosing, just an area and a star level with a price when you decide to book.  She booked a three and a half star hotel near Jenks for $39.99 a night.  The hotel?  The Hilton at Southern Hills.  They stayed in a king suite where the regular cost for a night is $239 (according to the website).  Quite the deal.  A savings of $800 since they stayed four nights.  Now I realize most people are smart enough not to pay the full $239 by using a site like Expedia (which shows the average night stay here to be $84), but even using the $84, they still saved $176 by using the unpublished rate.

So next time you need to travel and are looking for ways to save money, try out Expedia.  Don't like Expedia?  Try Hotwire or Priceline or Hotels.com or some other website designed to save money on hotels.  I have heard good reviews from all of them!