Any way you cut it, hotels add up. And as we’ve lamented before, you’re getting less and less bang for your buck these days. But what if you could turn the stacked odds against you, into stacked savings? There are some supremely clever way to knock hundreds of dollars of your hotel stays, with just a little bit of magic. Here are a few of the best…

Cash Back X Promotion

Want $10 off your next hotel instantly? Cash back sites like eBates, QuidCo and TopCashBack each sign up bonuses just to get you started. Use this link for $10 cash back at eBates and this one for £10 cash back at QuidCo. You’ll then easily earn between 1-10% back on all hotel stays you book after clicking to the booking site or hotel brand, via their website. If you know a promotional code, for something like buy two get one free, you can then stack $10 cash back + up to 10% cash back + a free night. You can earn cash back with brands like Hotels.com, AccorHotels, British Airways, Expedia, Intercontinental and more.

Cash Back X Credit Card Spending Offer X Hotel Offer

American Express offer targeted spending offers, like “Spend $300 at Intercontinental, get $100 back”. These offers can be combined with cash back portals and hotel promos to save a fortune. For example, a cash back site is currently offering 8% back on Intercontinental Hotels. So click from the cash back site to Intercontinental to trigger your 8% back, use an offer code such as a third night free to save more money, spend $300 and get the $100 back from Amex later.

Citi Prestige Free Night X  Free Night

For US travelers, Citi Prestige is the best defense against overpaying for hotel stays of four nights or more. You instantly get the 4th night free on all four night stays. But you can take things a step further, by stacking your free night from Citi Prestige on top of a free night which the hotel brand is offering. If there’s a rate code, it can usually be done. To find a rate code, look to book on the hotel website by clicking the offer. When you go to plug in dates, you’ll usually find a section that says rate code – just copy and paste. Call Citi Concierge and see if they can add it.

Discount Gift Cards X Promo X Free Night

This may take a bit more work, but it can really help with the margins around the edges. Using sites like Raise and frequent gift card sales, it’s not hard to find hotel gift cards on sale for anywhere from 3%-10% off. If you know you’ll be booking at least the gift card amount at a specific hotel group, why not buy the discounted gift card, click through a cash back site and then enter a promotional code or offer code for a free night, or discounted rate? You may even earn loyalty points too! There’s potential to take 10% off from the gift card purchase, 10% back via cash back and any additional promotions or offers – all at once, plus points from the stay!

What are your favorite ways to save on hotel stays?

Featured image courtesy of W Hotel Dubai.

Gilbert Ott

Gilbert Ott is an ever curious traveler and one of the world's leading travel experts. His adventures take him all over the globe, often spanning over 200,000 miles a year and his travel exploits are regularly...

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