4) Prior Research is Important
If you accept a deal at any of these discount sites, how do you know if you’re really getting a deal? You need to have something to compare it to. After you check the travel discount websites, research the room cost of several hotels in the desired neighborhood and see how much they cost “normally,” as if you didn’t go through a discount site. With hidden deals, you don’t know the name of the hotel you’re booking, but you have enough information to get a general idea (i.e. star rating, location, room type). When comparing prices, make sure you select hotels that have similar characteristics. MapsandHotels.com is very useful for this. This site shows a neighborhood map of hotels with their retail room price, giving you a better idea of whether your “hidden deal” is really a steal.
