Searching For The Hotel... Cheap...

There is a newspaper called „Baltic Stand By” for tourism professionals. In the last one I saw this: „Guests will always search per rate and not per discount” And this is true. Sometimes you don’t see any discount offered even on the home pages of the hotels, so when booking a hotel room, make sure you ask about discounts that may be available. And there are also hotels which has the same „Special Offer!” for years...

Try shopping early for your hotel room, especially if you're planning to travel during peak season, always call in advance, rates tend to get higher as the season approaches.

Sometimes hotels will reserve a block of lower-priced rooms, available on a first come, first serve basis. Getting the best lodging deal is often based on timing and planning ahead. Don’t try to guess! Talk with them! Ask!

If it’s possible, plan your vacations on off seasons: hotel rates,  airline tickets and car rental rates are lower during this time due to lower demand, you can get as much as a 50% discount if you book a room during off season.

Some hotels give discounts to certain people like students, military contingents, senior citizens, honeymooners etc. Some hotels and even car rental companies, give "free days" if you use their services for more than a week! And sometimes, hotels provide free airport pick-up. Use it, if you have a chance! Ask your confirmation number as soo as you reserve a room.

And thanks to the biggest encyclopedia in this world called Internet you can check out photos of the property, rooms, the surrounding area and of course reviews of those who have stayed at the same hotel before you. There is nothing better than reviews!!! Of course, there are different travellers with different needs – that makes reading them interesting. But even if you don’t have any special needs and you really need just a place to sleep, check the area where you are staying – or it may cost for you more than you are planning to spend.

On October 15th 2010, the Riga Tourism Development Office spokeswoman Guna Caune informed that Riga – the capital of Latvia has been recognized as the world’s cheapest travel destination, quoting the latest study by the world’s leading hotel reservations site Hotels.com, aimed to determine the world’s five most and least expensive travel destinations.

According to the Hotels.com study, Riga’s hotels offer rooms for an average of 52 pound sterling per night. Meanwhile, the Swiss city of Geneva ranks as the world’s most expensive travel destination, as the average room rate in Geneva’s hotels is 155 pound sterling per night.

Pictures: Hotels & hostels in Riga.