Last Minute Hotels—Are They Really Super Cheap?

Have you ever heard the online myth that last minute hotels deals are super cheap? You probably have, from a friend of a friend who used to work at a hotel or an airline, or perhaps from some obscure Internet article. It is true—but to an extent. Just because you book a hotel at the last minute doesn’t necessarily mean you will find a great deal. However, there have been instances in which last minute bookings have actually saved visitors bundles. Why does this occasionally happen?

It is usually because the hotel has cancellations at the last minute, and wants to secure that money they made, one way or another. They may be willing to negotiate for a less than average price, provided they have a visitor ready to book a stay right away. It’s the same principle that sometimes reduces the price of airline tickets on a Tuesday or Wednesday night. No company wants to lose money and cancellations cost money. Therefore, last minute deals make everyone happy, including the hotel company, as well as the visitor who saves big.

Of course, there are problems bound to occur in this scenario. Most hotels don’t offer last minute deals, usually because they are booked by other vacationers well in advance. In peak season, it’s very difficult to find last minute cancellations, not only because everyone who paid is very determined to enjoy their vacation, but also because everyone else online is searching for those spectacular last minute deals.

Therefore, this is not the sort of thing you want to plan on—that is, waiting until the last minute to plan your family vacation. However, last minute package or hotel deals do work to your benefit if you want to do something spontaneous and are ready to make or break last minute plans with no major worry.

The best way to find these last minute deals is to search online. Search through official hotel websites, coupon and savings sites as well as travel agency websites. You may have to pay a fee for a service that finds you a cheap last minute deal, though not every avenue charges you. Also keep in mind that some services are actually scams so make sure the website you use is well reported on and verified by a third party. You can find a hotel for cheap—sometimes at the very last minute!