The absurd price for even a night’s stay at a hotel is why so many people opt for Airbnbs and hostels over a classic hotel. But according to data published by travel site Hipmunk, there is one more way to optimize your budget, and it doesn’t even require sharing living space or giving up the convenience of a shower. It’s… staying at a luxury five-star hotel.
Yes, five-star hotels are expensive, with the average booking price in 2018 at $431 a night, but have you ever seen a luxury hotel? Those things are huge! They have a lot of rooms, and the properties aren’t always able to fill them up. As Hipmunk states (and anyone who’s ever used apps like Hotel Tonight can attest) they regularly have deals that can score you a five-star room at a three-star price. It’s not always cheap, but it is a value.
Hipmunk’s data team provided us with the 20 cities where you’re most likely to save on the luxury hotel experience and it’s full of destinations we’d be down to visit.
Check the median booking prices for five-star hotel rooms below:
According to Hipmunk, the secret to booking luxe digs on the cheap is searching between two and four weeks prior to your actual check-in date, that’s when hotel prices temporarily drop before increasing on the week leading up to check-in and rising sharply 24hrs before. It’s really about hitting that sweet spot window — as bookings made 30 days prior to check-in are at their highest.
In September, due to what’s known as “Shoulder Season,” rates are at their absolute lowest. So while visiting Miami in September isn’t quite the same as during the height of summer, the weather is still a favorable 85 degrees — that’s straight up balmy. It feels even better when you’re getting a great value on a room.
Hipmunk’s travel data is based on the average nightly price of its five-star bookings from 2018, check out their website for more info.
