Dec 7, 2007
The basic tips for living cheap in European hotels are so important in these days of a weak dollar, so I'll repeat them again
Here are ten tried-and-true formulas (you may have heard of some, but not all):
1. Ask for a room without private bath. At more modest tourist-class hotels, this is the quickest and easiest way to get a room at a bargain. If you don't insist on having a private bathroom attached to your bedroom and are willing to make do with one down the hall (usually shared with one or two other rooms), you can often save 20% to 30%. Almost all "bathless" rooms in Europe have at least a sink in the room, and some even have a shower (just no toilet).
2. Bargain. European hotels always post the highest rate they can legally charge, even though that peak charge is asked only during the highest of high season, or when holidays, major festivals, or trade fairs book the city solid. At any other time of year, you can get the room for much less -- and if things are particularly slow, you can even get a discount on the going rate in low season. After all, they'd rather rent you a room for 10% less than their asking price than let it stay empty that night.
3. Opt out of breakfast. Hotels in Europe routinely add €5 to €10 per person to room rates to cover the cost of a breakfast that usually consists of little more than croissants or rolls, butter and jam, coffee, and juice. You can get the same thing -- and freshly made, not packaged -- from a corner café for half that amount and get the benefit of rubbing elbows with the locals on their way to work. Ask if you can opt out of breakfast for a reduced rate.
4. Check the hotel website. Many hotels will post web specials, last-minute sales, or discount packages on their sites, especially in low season. It's always worth Googling your intended hotel's name and city to find its website; even if there are no discounts listed there, at least you'll get to see photographs of the place and a locator map.
5. Try an online booking service. Even if a hotel doesn't bother posting web specials on its own site, there's a good chance you can get a room for less than the advertised rack rate by going through an online booking service and taking advantage of their bulk discount. Two in particular stand out: www.venere.com and www.booking.com. Both specialize in Europe and, unlike the major booking engines, tend to include a lot of smaller, family-run, two- and three-star hotels.
6. Lodge the whole family in one room. Asking the hotel to place an extra cot or two in your room for the kids will only add 15% per bed to the rate -- far less than booking a second room.
7. Pay cash. Many hotels, especially the cheaper mom-and-pop joints, will shave 3% to 5% off the price if you pay in cash -- essentially, they build the fee the credit cards charge them into the room rates, and are honest enough not to charge it when they won't be paying that fee.
8. Pick a "matrimonial" bed. This tactic is admittedly getting a bit hoary, as it only applies in some small, generally one-star hotels where they still charge a higher fee for a room with two twin beds than one with a single "matrimonial" bed (of a size ranging somewhere between an American double and a queen).
9. Stay in residential neighborhoods. In Europe, inexpensive hotels tend to cluster around major train stations, but these are often bland, dirty, unappealing locales, whereas if you were to stay in a hotel that's in a pleasant residential area, you could save money while also experiencing a living, breathing, genuine side to the city few tourists get to see. Just be sure you're near a subway stop or major bus line and are no more than a 15-minute ride from the sights you came all this was to see.
10. Consider a different lodging option. There are many alternatives to hotels these days, from B&Bs to rental villas, most of which cost less than a traditional hotel while often offering a more interesting cultural experience (such as staying on a working farm or home-swapping). Go to "Search this Blog" at the upper right-hand corner of your screen, and you'll find a number of hotel alternatives that I've mentioned in past blogs.
Write and read comments about this post.
1. Ask for a room without private bath. At more modest tourist-class hotels, this is the quickest and easiest way to get a room at a bargain. If you don't insist on having a private bathroom attached to your bedroom and are willing to make do with one down the hall (usually shared with one or two other rooms), you can often save 20% to 30%. Almost all "bathless" rooms in Europe have at least a sink in the room, and some even have a shower (just no toilet).
2. Bargain. European hotels always post the highest rate they can legally charge, even though that peak charge is asked only during the highest of high season, or when holidays, major festivals, or trade fairs book the city solid. At any other time of year, you can get the room for much less -- and if things are particularly slow, you can even get a discount on the going rate in low season. After all, they'd rather rent you a room for 10% less than their asking price than let it stay empty that night.
3. Opt out of breakfast. Hotels in Europe routinely add €5 to €10 per person to room rates to cover the cost of a breakfast that usually consists of little more than croissants or rolls, butter and jam, coffee, and juice. You can get the same thing -- and freshly made, not packaged -- from a corner café for half that amount and get the benefit of rubbing elbows with the locals on their way to work. Ask if you can opt out of breakfast for a reduced rate.
4. Check the hotel website. Many hotels will post web specials, last-minute sales, or discount packages on their sites, especially in low season. It's always worth Googling your intended hotel's name and city to find its website; even if there are no discounts listed there, at least you'll get to see photographs of the place and a locator map.
5. Try an online booking service. Even if a hotel doesn't bother posting web specials on its own site, there's a good chance you can get a room for less than the advertised rack rate by going through an online booking service and taking advantage of their bulk discount. Two in particular stand out: www.venere.com and www.booking.com. Both specialize in Europe and, unlike the major booking engines, tend to include a lot of smaller, family-run, two- and three-star hotels.
6. Lodge the whole family in one room. Asking the hotel to place an extra cot or two in your room for the kids will only add 15% per bed to the rate -- far less than booking a second room.
7. Pay cash. Many hotels, especially the cheaper mom-and-pop joints, will shave 3% to 5% off the price if you pay in cash -- essentially, they build the fee the credit cards charge them into the room rates, and are honest enough not to charge it when they won't be paying that fee.
8. Pick a "matrimonial" bed. This tactic is admittedly getting a bit hoary, as it only applies in some small, generally one-star hotels where they still charge a higher fee for a room with two twin beds than one with a single "matrimonial" bed (of a size ranging somewhere between an American double and a queen).
9. Stay in residential neighborhoods. In Europe, inexpensive hotels tend to cluster around major train stations, but these are often bland, dirty, unappealing locales, whereas if you were to stay in a hotel that's in a pleasant residential area, you could save money while also experiencing a living, breathing, genuine side to the city few tourists get to see. Just be sure you're near a subway stop or major bus line and are no more than a 15-minute ride from the sights you came all this was to see.
10. Consider a different lodging option. There are many alternatives to hotels these days, from B&Bs to rental villas, most of which cost less than a traditional hotel while often offering a more interesting cultural experience (such as staying on a working farm or home-swapping). Go to "Search this Blog" at the upper right-hand corner of your screen, and you'll find a number of hotel alternatives that I've mentioned in past blogs.
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: accommodations, europe
Fifty years ago, 
Arthur Frommer is generally acknowledged to be the nation's foremost travel authority. He is the founder of the
