Traveling is something that happens throughout the year. Everyone travels for some or the other reasons but vacations are something that we prepare for with utmost planning and research because it involves big cost and we want to utilize each and every penny that goes into it. Most travel enthusiasts avoid spending too much on vacations. They wish to have a reasonable trip and save money for the next trip. One of the ways is to save on the accommodations.

Looking for budget hotels can be very taxing at times. People take months, especially those with families, to finalize on a good deal. Google search is the first go-to place for most of us but trust me many times they throw you more options that may even deviate you from your original plan like running offer promotion of a different destination, too many options for hotels that will confuse which one to go for etc. But fret not. Good news is that there are ways by which you can find decent accommodation at rates that can crack affordable deals even at four-star and five-star hotels.

With these 5 top hacks, you are surely going to save bucks on your next trip.

1) Sign up to the newsletter for promotional offers – Most of the hotels send out promotional offers and loyalty programs to keep the customers updated to what’s coming up or help them plan the next vacations. It will have a lot of selections based on locations with combo packages for flight and hotels, talk about the properties and facilities that you can get and all this comes with a good discount. You will see these offers mostly for vacations or festivals that will be sent way in advance for you to plan before and to keep ahead of the competition.

There are 2 ways to get a newsletter. First, you log in to the hotel website and sign up (sign-up option will be on the top right side of the webpage). Click and fill in the required details and boom, you will start receiving your newsletter. Or the second way is when, in case, you become a member by registering while making a purchase through the website. In that case, you will have to start checking your email for the newsletter.

2) Travel Off Season – I agree most of the vacation that we take up are for festival holidays or kids holidays which are peak time or season (terms that we use!). Traveling off-season is the best way to save on money. The rates are doubled up during the holiday season by hotels and travel businesses as a reason to make money. Going this time has benefits of its own. You will receive preferences and special facilities when many guests are not there. I once was on vacation during my birthday which comes during the offseason. The hotel surprised me by upgrading my room to a special-suite and free spa.

3) Book your hotels in advance – Be smart and book your hotels in advance. Booking way ahead will help you get deals of non-peak days. This helps if you have already planned your holiday. Last minute the prices for accommodation will soar sky high or you end up unlucky to not have any rooms available.

It is more advisable to use their apps. These apps come in handy during last minute bookings. Apps provide exclusive and cheaper deals most of the time and at the convenience of your home or office.

4) – One of the tried and tested method of getting a good hotel at a reasonable rate is to call up the hotel directly. The advantage of this is you that most of the time you will get better discounts than that you could get on the website. Your package can be customized based on your needs and you can always ask for complimentary breakfast or a wifi service or late check-in and check-out. If you have been to the hotel before and are a member already then it is nothing less than icing on the cake. You are sure to get a whole lot of services and upgrades on the package and on arrival.

Always mention that you have stayed there before. Loyal customers are the best brand ambassadors. One tip would be to look out for properties which have a chain of hotels. So in case, the place works for you, you can always take the hotel on your next trip to another place.

5) Don’t miss the comparison website – Last but not the least is checking the hotels on the fare comparison websites. Before your finalize and book a hotel, make sure that check for tariffs from other websites and agents. This helps you to get a fair understanding of the pricing for that particular hotel.

If you are good at haggling, then negotiation with the hotels can help better deals. If you are a family with more than two people, you can put an additional bed to save on the cost of the extra room. Book a stay on a weekday instead of a weekend as weekends have higher demand so the tariffs soar really high.

OYO rooms are dedicated to providing the best deals in providing affordable hotels. Get OYO offers on hotels for budget accommodation. They are known to provide comfortable, budget-friendly hotels at the cheapest rates possible.