Booking a hotel is pretty straightforward.
Pick a destination, choose your dates, find a hotel you like, enter your payment details and voila, happy travels!
Right?
Well, for a budget traveller like me, it is not always that simple.
I want a nice and comfortable room. I want a good location. I want my own bathroom. And if possible, I want to stay in a 3-, 4- or even 5-star hotel without paying the full price.
Hostel?
Sure, it can be much cheaper. But one thing about hostels that I don’t really like is the words “shared bathroom.”
Sorry, but I like my privacy. Haha.
So rather than automatically choosing the cheapest accommodation, I prefer to spend a little more time looking for a good hotel deal.
Over the years, I’ve learned that getting a cheaper hotel room isn’t necessarily about finding the lowest price you see on the first booking website you open. It is about knowing where to stay, where to search, what to compare and when to book.
You don’t have to overpay for a comfortable hotel.
Sometimes, a little bit of research can save you quite a lot of money.
So if you’re planning a trip and want to spend less on accommodation, here are the things I recommend doing.
✅ Decide Where You Want To Stay
Before you even start looking for a hotel, decide which area you actually want to stay in.
Don’t just choose a city and start searching.
Think about what you want to do during the trip and where you will be spending most of your time.
For example, if you’re travelling to Kuala Lumpur, you could stay around Bukit Bintang, KLCC, Chinatown, KL Sentral or Bangsar. Each area gives you a different experience, and the hotel prices can vary considerably.
The cheapest hotel in the city isn’t necessarily the cheapest option for your trip.
Why?
Because transportation costs money too.
You might save RM30 a night by staying further away, only to spend that RM30 on Grab rides getting to the places you want to visit.
So before booking, I usually look at:
- Distance to the places I want to visit
- Access to public transport
- Restaurants and convenience stores nearby
- The general surroundings
- Parking, if I’m driving
- Recent guest reviews
- Room size and facilities
For solo travellers especially, location is something I wouldn’t compromise on just to save a few ringgit.
I generally prefer somewhere convenient and reasonably busy, particularly when I know I’ll be walking around alone.
And don’t just rely on the little map provided by the booking website.
Open Google Maps and have a proper look around.
Check the surrounding streets. Look at nearby restaurants and shops. See how far the hotel is from the train station or attractions. If Street View is available, take a look at the area around the property too.
A hotel described as being “near the city centre” doesn’t necessarily mean it is convenient for your particular trip.
✅ Search For The Same Hotel On More Than One Website
Once I know the area I want to stay in, I start comparing prices.
One of the easiest ways to do this is through a hotel comparison website such as HotelsCombined.
HotelsCombined allows you to search for a hotel and compare rates from different booking websites in one place. This can save you from opening several different websites and searching for the same hotel over and over again.
For example, let’s say I find a hotel I like.
Instead of immediately clicking “Book”, I’ll search for that same hotel on a comparison website first.
I want to know:
How much is it on Agoda?
How much is it on Booking.com?
How much is it on Traveloka?
How much is it on the hotel’s official website?
And most importantly, what is the final price?
Because this is where people sometimes make a mistake.
Don’t compare only the big number you see on the search page.
A displayed room rate may not represent the final amount you will pay. Taxes, service charges and other fees can affect the final price, depending on the booking platform and property.
So always click through and check the booking breakdown before deciding.
✅ Compare The Final Price, Not Just The Advertised Rate
This is probably the most important thing to remember when booking a hotel.
Never compare hotel prices based only on the first number you see.
Different booking websites may display their rates differently. Taxes, service charges and other fees may be added later, depending on the platform and property.
So if one website shows:
RM120
and another shows:
RM130
don’t immediately assume that the RM120 option is cheaper.
Click through to the payment page and check the total.
I also make sure I’m comparing the same:
- Hotel
- Room type
- Dates
- Number of guests
- Cancellation policy
- Meal plan
- Payment conditions
For example, a RM120 room that is non-refundable may not be a better deal than a RM130 room that allows free cancellation.
The same applies to breakfast.
A room that costs RM150 with breakfast included could actually be better value than a RM135 room where you have to pay another RM30 for breakfast.
So don’t get too excited when you see a huge discount or a very low room rate.
Look at what you’re actually paying.
That is the number that matters.
✅ Check Different Booking Platforms, Promotions And Hotel Membership Rates
Once you’ve found a hotel you like, don’t stop at the first booking website you come across.
This is where you can potentially save even more.
I usually compare the same hotel across several platforms, such as Agoda, Booking.com and Traveloka, before checking the hotel’s official website as well. The price can vary between platforms, and sometimes a promotion or member rate can make a noticeable difference.
For example, Traveloka may have a coupon that brings its price down, while Agoda or Booking.com may offer a lower member rate for the same room. The hotel itself may also have a direct-booking promotion or a special rate for loyalty programme members.
So before booking, I always check:
- Agoda
- Booking.com
- Traveloka
- The hotel’s official website
- Hotel loyalty or membership rates
- Booking platform coupons
- Credit card and bank promotions
- App-exclusive offers
- E-wallet promotions
- New-user discounts, if applicable
You don’t necessarily have to use every single one of these. The idea is simply to check what discounts or benefits are available to you before you pay.
If you regularly stay with a particular hotel group, joining its loyalty programme can also be worthwhile. Many hotel groups offer member-only rates or other benefits, and some booking platforms have their own loyalty programmes too.
The same goes for your credit card.
Before paying, check your bank’s current promotions to see if there is a hotel discount, cashback offer or special rate available for the booking platform or hotel you’re using.
One thing I wouldn’t do, though, is get too excited about a big discount percentage.
A hotel offering “10% off” doesn’t automatically mean it has the cheapest deal. The original price may already be higher than what another website is charging.
That’s why I always come back to one question:
How much am I actually paying?
Compare the final price after applying any available discounts, along with the cancellation policy, breakfast and other inclusions.
That’s how you’ll know which deal is genuinely better.
✅ Play Around With Your Travel Dates
If your travel dates are flexible, don’t be too quick to lock them in. I usually spend a little time trying different dates before booking because changing my stay by just one day can sometimes make a big difference to the price.
Hotel prices can change depending on demand. Weekends, public holidays, school holidays, festivals, major events and peak travel seasons can all make rooms more expensive. This is especially noticeable when you’re travelling to a popular destination during a busy period.
For example, if I plan to stay from Friday to Sunday, I’ll also check Saturday to Monday to see if there is any difference in price. I might even check what happens if I add another night. Sometimes the extra night costs less than I expected, and if I’m already paying for flights or transportation to get there, staying a little longer can make the trip more worthwhile.
I also like to play around with the booking options. I’ll check a different room type, see how much it costs with breakfast, then remove breakfast and compare the price again. It only takes a few minutes, but sometimes I find a combination that gives me much better value.
You might find that moving your trip by just one day gives you a cheaper room. Or you might discover that adding another night doesn’t cost as much as you thought.
You won’t know until you check.
So if your travel dates aren’t completely fixed, take a few minutes to try different combinations before you book. A little flexibility can sometimes save you more than you expect.
✅ Book Strategically, Especially If Your Booking Is Flexible
There is no magic rule that says you should always book a hotel months in advance or always wait until the last minute.
Hotel prices depend heavily on the destination, property, availability and demand.
Sometimes a last-minute booking can be cheaper because a hotel would rather sell an empty room at a lower rate than leave it vacant.
However, that doesn’t mean waiting until the last minute is always a good idea.
If you’re travelling during a busy period, have fixed dates or really want to stay at a particular hotel, waiting too long could leave you with fewer choices or higher prices.
Personally, I like having a little flexibility when possible.
If I find a reasonable rate with free cancellation, I may book it first and continue monitoring the price.
If the price drops later, I can consider cancelling the original reservation and making a new booking at the lower rate, as long as the original reservation is still within its free-cancellation period.
This is one of the reasons I often prefer refundable bookings when the price difference isn’t significant.
You’re paying a little more for flexibility, but you have the option to change your plans if a better deal comes along.
Just remember to check the cancellation deadline carefully.
A booking being labelled “free cancellation” doesn’t mean you can cancel at any time.
✅ You Don’t Have To Pay Full Price For A Good Hotel
I’m all for saving money when travelling. Really.
But there are certain things I won’t compromise on just to save a few ringgit.
For me, those things are a safe location, a clean room, a private bathroom, a decent bed and good reviews. Especially when I’m travelling solo, I would rather spend a little more on accommodation than stay somewhere that makes me uncomfortable.
Remember, the cheapest hotel isn’t necessarily the cheapest option once you factor in transportation, time and convenience. Saving RM30 on your room doesn’t feel like much of a saving if you end up spending RM30 every day on Grab because the hotel is too far away.
So for me, value is more important than simply getting the lowest price.
You don’t necessarily need a huge travel budget to stay somewhere nice. You just need to spend a little time looking.
Choose your location carefully. Compare the same hotel across different platforms. Check the final price instead of the advertised rate. Look for coupons and promotions. Check your credit card and loyalty benefits. Visit the hotel’s official website. Be flexible with your dates if you can.
And if you find a refundable rate, keep an eye on the price after booking. If it drops, you may be able to cancel and rebook at the lower rate, as long as your original booking allows it.
Most importantly, don’t assume that the first price you see is the best price available.
Hotel prices can vary from one website to another, and the best deal for one hotel may be completely different from the best deal for another.
So before you click that “Book Now” button, take a few extra minutes to shop around.
Because you really don’t have to overpay for a comfortable hotel.
And when you manage to book a 4- or 5-star hotel for a price that makes you think, “Wait… is this really the price?”
Well…
That’s when you know you’ve done a pretty good job.
Love,
Auri Duham 🌻
