Even though some travel specialists say that bargains on luxury hotel accommodations don’t really exist and that you might be able to find added values and off-season rates, but you’re not likely to find any true luxury bargains, there is now evidence to the contrary. With a bit of homework and advance planning it is now possible to locate significant savings at luxury properties around the world. Tactics like dealing directly with a hotel or using an aggregator Web site that allows travelers to compare the prices on dozens of reservations sites can both yield lower rates. Online travel auctions may deliver the best deals though, as comparing auction results with the prices available from other booking channels for the same type of room in the same season clearly shows that auctions have deals that are sometimes as much as 50 percent off the best available nightly rates.
Online travel auctions that sell luxury travel to the highest bidder often offer auctions as part of travel packages that will include extras and activities that you can get basically for free when the price of the entire package is less than the cost of the room alone. Some savvy travelers using auction sites recommend that bidders should contact a hotel directly before they bid to make sure they are actually getting the best rate and to ensure that the property will be available on the dates desired. Because many bookings are binding and nonrefundable, potential bidders should make sure they fully understand the rules before bidding. Auctions with Buy Now offers can also represent savings if enough extra amenities are included in a particular package. However there are instances where booking the room on your own and buying the extras as you need them is the cheaper way to go.
Travelers willing to do the research can save sometimes up to 40 percent on the lowest rates offered by hotels, but blackout dates can make booking reservations over holiday weekends difficult and to get the best prices you might have to consider traveling midweek. The use of travel aggregator search engine sites is a good way to get the lowest room rates as well. Aggregators make comparison shopping easy and compared to the prices on a hotels' Web site or reservations lines, the aggregators can often beat those prices by 25 percent.
Many hotels now have their own branded Web sites because it's the cheapest way for them to sell their rooms and their average room rates can be less than the average rate for reservations made in any other way. However, there are still many instances where you can find some very good rates by contacting a property directly. Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity are the three leading online travel sites today and can each deliver good values with some comparison shopping. The last option is letting someone else do the comparison shopping for you by using a travel agent. A good high-end travel agent has relationships with preferred suppliers that can provide significant savings and free upgrades. Even if a travel agent charges a fee for their services, the savings they deliver can be worth the investment.
Determine if your accommodation is a luxury bargain:
• Luxury hotel rooms should be at least 400 square feet in size and include a separate seating area.
• A luxury room should have a good view that is not overlooking a parking lot or looking directly at another building across the street.
• Inquire about the staff-to-guest ratio. More is better, but a ratio of at least one to one is standard for luxury hotels.
• A luxury hotel room should have a bathroom with a separate bathtub and shower.
• A wide range of guest services indicates the hotel attempts to provide a luxury guest experience.
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