How to Use Hotel Bidding Sites

Hotel bidding sites advertise discounts of up to 50 percent off the regular rate, but by learning how to make an offer, it's possible to get even bigger discounts. The way bidding sites work is easy: the site works with hotels to fill up empty rooms. The bidder gets a cheap room, the hotel keeps its rooms full and the site gets a finder's fee for getting the rooms filled. Know the current rate and prices offered by other companies before you bid.

Use hotel bidding sites, such as Priceline, which is the biggest site of this kind. The sites offer large discounts because they work with hotels and get paid for finding guests. The hotels are willing to pay because even if the guests pay less for the room, they make more than letting the room sit empty.

Search for hotels by picking the dates of your trip, the city you're visiting and the number of rooms needed. The standard price offered by the bidding site is listed first, but then you have the option of bidding on the room and paying less than the original listed price.

Research current hotel prices on the hotel's official website, as well as other travel sites. Always see what others charge for hotels, to reduce the chances of overbidding. Most sites give examples of bids that won hotels in the recent past, including both the city name and hotel star rating. It gives you an idea of how much to bid and the typical savings offered by each company.

Check for a list of hotels included in your bid and compare the rates for those hotels. Pay special attention to any discounts offered, including discounts for AAA members, which lower the rates significantly. If the bidding site lists a higher rate for the same hotel, look for a different option, as the company lists its savings off whatever price its website says.

Decide on the date of your trip. Bidding sites work, but you still pay more for hotels when booking a trip around a major holiday or on the weekends. The site uses different prices for the weekends than weekdays and your bid price must go up during those days.

Enter a bid and check the total amount the company charges before placing it. Use all the information you discovered earlier to determine your bid, including the star rating of the hotel and the neighborhood. Most bidding sites charge extra fees for processing the bid, which makes the total higher than your original bid.

Create a new bid if your first was turned down by changing some detail of your original bid. If you're willing to increase your price, change the date of your trip or select a new neighborhood or nearby city, you have the option of bidding again. Otherwise you must wait at least 14 hours before bidding again.

Extra Tips:

Keep in mind that most sites make it difficult, if not impossible, to change the date of your stay or cancel the reservation completely. Once it accepts your bid, you're stuck with paying the cost, even if you can't make your trip.

Always take a copy of your reservation with you. If the reservation gets lost or the hotel doesn't receive a copy, you still have proof that you paid and have a room waiting.