I like the flexibility that booking directly provides, but I do it through gondola.ai instead of the hotel website. I find that this is the easiest way for me to find good deals and still use AAA rates. Gondola books directly so it shows up in my Hyatt app like normal and I still get the flexibility and the hotel loyalty points, plus the site gives 3% back.

I recently did the math and that plus my credit card points means I end up getting like 18% of my room rate back on my bookings; I’m yet to find a better deal.

Edit: clarity

Just book directly through the hotels. Get a AAA card. Ask if they have discounts for a nearby local university, which you are somehow a graduate of despite never having studied there.

For the love of all that is holy, stay tf away from third party sites. They'll take your money, deliver the shittiest service they can, then blame the hotel for their mismanagement when things go poorly for you.

Also, American Express Preferred Hotels and Resorts uses Expedia to book their rooms. Avoid like the gd plague, unless you enjoy dealing with TWO separate third party systems.

Please do not use third-party sites. If you need to cancel, change dates, change your room type, etc. the hotel can't help you. If there is an issue, we have no real easy way to compensate you.

Third parties consistently lie to guests about amenities, pet friendly status, incidentals, and who actually has your money (Answer: The Third Party). We get a Virtual Credit Card from the 3rd party. We don't have your money. If the VCC declines (which happens rather often), we can't check you in.

99.9% of 3rd party bookings are non-refundable. The third party will tell you the hotel can cancel for free without penalty and that it is the hotel's policy. It is not. It is the 3rd party's policy. They will call the hotel and try to get us to cancel without penalty for our "mutual guest" but they do that to benefit themselves so they don't have to pay the cancelation AND refund you.

When it comes to blocking rooms, you are last on assignments, which means you are more likely to get a room near a loud elevator, noisy ice machine, or outside generator/air conditioning unit. If a hotel has to walk people because they are overbooked, you're the 1st on the chopping block.

If you have preferences like a connecting room or lack thereof, there is a good chance that won't get communicated. You may book a regular room, but it may come to us as a handicapped room, since those are the room types that tend to be blocked last.

If you are a member of a hotel rewards program and you book via a 3rd party, you don't get the points.

I would never book through a site unless it’s the hotel’s own site.

If something goes wrong at the hotel I’m staying at, there are so many more ways the hotel. An accommodate me than a 3rd party booking place ever could.

If I have to cut my stay short, most hotels will help you out and not keep the full amount due on the room.

Booking through the hotel as a member with that hotel chain. Most, if not all hotels have a policy that their members get the best rate guaranteed. If you find a better rate you can submit it to corporate (google for example Hilton best rate guarantee) and they will give you an even better one for the mistake.

I usually just lose $4,000 gambling then they send me offers for free rooms.

I usually just use Expedia.com, I really like Expedia because they include the resort fees in the total price. I normally just sort results from cheapest to most expensive until I find something I like.

COSTCO TRAVEL!

MGM Rewards and travel during the week. We’ve only paid the resort fee the last three years we’ve gone to Vegas.

I always book directly with the hotel. When you book, make sure the reservation is cancelable and avoid prepaying. Then, a couple of weeks before your trip, start checking the hotel's website daily and rebook if you find a lower rate. I've booked/cancelled/rebooked several times for the same trip before, and it's saved over $100 per night in some cases - most recently, I saved $50 per night on an upcoming trip.

Depends on how much you stay at hotels. With loyalty programs, I stay at really nice hotels for cheaper than those Hotwire mystery hotel deals that usually end up being garbage.

I have free diamond status with Wyndham that I got through my sportsbetting side hustle. They give me some pretty good deals, plus I earn free nights pretty quick.

I also get a lot of free nights in AC/Vegas through it as well. Plus a free week in the Bahamas.

Staying in se Asia or anywhere outside of the 'western world' is a safe bet for cheaper hotels (jokes but seriously cheap hotels don't exist much if at all in Canada for sure)

Go around the back and make sure nobody sees you when you enter the room, usually a good kick to the door opens it.

Apps, using special offers for double the amount of points for using a certain hotel, and using the same app repeatedly with each stay to boost your account level, which increases your points in the end. Then redeeming the points for a certain amount of cash off for the hotel stay. I personally use Expedia. No complaints from the app.

Booking.com usually has pretty good deals. You can also accumulate points to get discounts on future hotel stays.

Add code 'FREE' when booking and you don't have to pay anything.

Google “corporate discount codes.” Years ago I used to use “IBM” when booking at Marriott properties. If ever asked at check in, I was a “Consultant.”

The Guestbook is by far the best hotel app for cash back, use my referral link https://theguestbook.com/users/sign_up?referral=8933f099b3e9d90c4abda7f0f8cff8927fbde748 for extra cash back on all stays for 1 year.

You have any sort of loyalty account with any chain of hotels

Go Hyatt great point ratio , I have Hilton Honors and Intercontinental Group

I worked in sales at a large hotel. Why isn't your team booking a block if rooms together? That's the best way for everyone to get the lowest rate. Otherwise I just let Google find me the lowest rate and then use that particular booking site. Happens to be Expedia very often but sometimes not. I empathize with you though. My nephews played traveling baseball and hockey. It's a huge cost to parents.

Use hotels.com and Expedia to check the prices first, once you find one that looks good to you call the hotel and ask them what the rate is. Sometimes hotels will have cheaper prices if booked directly thru them, other times it’s cheaper thru 3rd parties.

If you're staying at hotels frequently, it's foolish not to honestly.

Literally one room is next to mine and was the same. I will press and see how they got such a different rate then me, wife was unsure because her husband always booked.

Yeah, this may be the biggest key. Many loyalty programs start providing discounts right away, without you really having to hit ant tier levels, simply via access to private sales.

Travel hacking is a larger topic than this, but there is literally no reason not to start having loyalty tracked.

If/when you're ready to commit to focusing on a specific chain, that's when more specific strategies (including chain credit cards and points) come into play.

Some sites have loyalty programs. I use hotels.com which isn't always cheaper but you get 1 night free for every ten (so 10% back), and I use a cashback affiliate link to book, so I get another 3% back in cash on every booking.

Try Mighty Travels – they screen all the hotel prices for next 365 days and show you which are exceptional value.

Use Kayak.com to nail down your area and a half dozen or so favorite options, then check direct.

Dude, honestly all of them are pretty dang similar, but I’m gonna recommend you the best site. I use them personally.

It’s where I will book when I’m looking around. I travel a lot. Also, I don’t recommend airBNB!!

Most of the time I’ve found that booking direct through the hotel is cheapest or at least equal price. Also they prefer if you book through them because they don’t have to sacrifice the 10-20% cut to the 3rd party booking website. So you are more likely to get upgrades when you book direct.

In saying that, I still occasionally book through booking.com when their ‘genius’ (member) discount makes it cheaper.

I love Booking.com. you get rewards and it has consistently been the cheapest for me :)

Hotel Manager here... There are basically only a few companies. Expedia is the largest and they own hotels.com, travelocity, orbitz, trivago, vrbo, and a few others. Booking Holdings owns priceline, agoda, kayak, booking.com and a few others. They are basically all the same thing. Now, within those sites, it is about the way you book. You can book prepaid and not prepaid. If you book not prepaid, it is basically the same as going through the hotel's website. If you book prepaid, you pay them and then they (Expedia, etc) send over their one-time use credit card and we charge that. A prepaid reservation is usually cheaper but you better be sure this is what you want. The hotel can't change it. We can cancel the reservation but this really only just refunds EXPEDIA's card... not yours. We can't change names, dates, length of stay.. nothing. To get it changed, you have to call them and jump through about a million hoops and they blatantly lie to you.
Also, remember that the hotel's rates are usually up front. If it is $149, it is just that plus tax. Expedia, etc. Will list it as $134 +tax and then they throw on a $15 service fee essentially making it the same as going through the hotel. Also, at my hotel, if you book through a 3rd party, you do not get breakfast because the food cost is offsetting the commission fee that we have to pay on these reservations.
TL/DR version - book through the hotel. it will save you hassle, you may lose other perks, and the rates are going to be about the same.

I've been using Super Travel for years and have probably saved thousands by now. They constantly have the best prices.

Often the hotels website, especially when they have a loyalty program for members.

3rd party websites all have exclusive deals for members or loyalty points, VIP, Rewards nowadays. So the more you book at those 3rd party websites the more points or deals you get. Some have deals like for every 10th night you get 1 night for free, etc.

Its just hard to pinpoint which is the best because it is different per region and type of accomodation you stay at.

If you stay at big global chains, check out their own loyalty program, because 3rd party stays dont count towards it.

I usually book through the hotel web site.

It's best to book direct. Many 3rd party sites are scams or scammy. Some blatantly don't book you for the displayed rate because they can't and just take the non-refundable booking fee.

If you are traveling International… always book hotel, trains, ferry's, flights direct. And if you can, call 1day before to confirm. Sometimes, you can schmooze enough to be free upgrades.

I’ve found it’s cheaper to book through 3rd party like Expedia but it could also depend on the state your in or planing to go to.

I’d say, search it through the hotel site first and take note of when they want payment, and the cancelation date limits, then go to the 3rd party site your interested in and compare those items.

You do it the same exact way you do it with 3rd party sites. Hope this helps!

I usually look at the options on Booking. Most of the time, I find a better deal on the hotel website. If you are an AAA or CAS member, a senior (usually 62+), or are in the military you can check that in the special code section (most US hotels). Also look at the "member rates.". Joining the loyalty programs are free. You can get discounts, and collect points.