Travel Tuesday: Save on Hotels

Having four small children makes it difficult to even want to travel very far these days; however, there have been times when we have needed to get a hotel room while on a short out-of-town trip. I use Priceline to save big on hotels with their Name Your Own Price feature, or their new Express Deals. They each have their own advantages/disadvantages.

Name Your Own Price:

- Biggest advantage: Most of the time, this is the way to get the best price. You choose the area you want to stay, the star rating you want, and the price you are willing to pay. If you do not win the bid, you have to wait 24 hours to up your bid with those same parameters. If you want to immediately try another bid, you must change parameters by either adding either another area, or lower the acceptable star rating. It helps to be familiar with what deals are most likely to be accepted.

- Biggest disadvantage: you don't get to choose the hotel you want. For example: some 2.5 star hotels are very nice, and others might be run down or not exactly in the location you would prefer. You also won't necessarily get all of the amenities you might want.

*Start bidding with enough time to try for what you want, within the budget you have set for yourself. I have gotten really nice hotels for 50-75% off their normal price using this feature!

Express Deals:

- Biggest advantages: This is usually the best way to get a great deal last minute. You are also able choose a hotel with the amenities that are important to you. By doing some detective work (and some math), you can usually figure out which specific hotels are offering these deals. You can save up to 55% on some great hotel rooms!

- Biggest disadvantage: Just like the Name Your Own Price feature, the rooms are non-refundable. They do have an option to buy traveler's insurance, which claims they will reimburse your costs if you are unable to go.

**Sometimes you can look at the Express Deals, and bid slightly under those deals for an even better price. I have done this before, and won a bid for the same hotel listed in the Express Deals for less; it's worth a try! Once you are a member of Priceline, they will also send you special deals like 10% off Express Deals when you book within a few days. Here's to some great, inexpensive hotel stays!