Last Minute Accommodation
So you’ve decided to get out of town at a moment’s notice - good for you! No advance planning necessary, right? The world awaits. Well, almost. Yes, sometimes you can just show up in your destination of choice and find a comfy place to sleep with no trouble, but you can’t count on that. What’s more, if you’ve only allowed yourself a precious few days away, you probably don’t want to spend the first half of your first day searching for a bed. That’s where booking last minute accommodations can come in handy.
If you’re hunting for last minute accommodations, you’ve either already booked your flight or you’re going somewhere you don’t need to fly. If we’ve caught you in time and you haven’t yet booked your last minute airfare, however, that’s even better - because you might be able to save money by booking your accommodations in combination with your flight. Now, this won’t always be the case, but you’ll often find that last minute travel packages can be cheaper than buying each individual component alone. You just need to make sure that the accommodations they’re offering aren’t too far away from where you want to be or lacking in amenities you’d require. The good news is that at sites like Orbitz, Expedia and Travelocity you’ll have plenty of choices for both your flight and your accommodation.
If you don’t need to fly to get where you’re going, don’t worry - you might still be able to save money on a package deal. Most sites offer car rentals as part of a package as well, so if you’ll be renting a car you can book that together with your accommodations.
With most last minute accommodations searches, you’re going to be relatively limited to hotels - not necessarily all large chain hotels, but you’re not as likely to find charming B&Bs or hostels as readily available. If either of those accommodations sound more like your style, be sure to check these hotels and hostels listings - with both of those you can select from the “Property Type” drop-down menu to narrow your search to budget hotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts, etc. And while these accommodations might not be available for booking that same evening (they’re not quite that last minute), you’ll usually be able to book with only 24 hours advance notice - and that might be spontaneous enough for you.
Your flexibility is very important when looking for any last minute travel deal, and last minute accommodations are no exception. If you’re willing to stay a little bit further from the center of town, or take a room without a view of the ocean, you’ll save more money. If you can travel during off-peak times of the year and the slower times of the week you’ll also stand a better chance at scoring a last minute deal.
If you’re comfortable with some element of risk, you can also take advantage of the ability to set your own price at sites like Priceline and Hotwire. All you need to know before you key in your credit card information and make an offer on accommodations is what the going rate is for a room in that city - you certainly don’t want to bid too high! Do your research beforehand and you could come away a winner.
Find out more about last minute travel, and then begin searching for last minute travel deals using the booking tool right on this page. You can also find last minute deals at sites like Site59, Booking Buddy and Kayak.