When is the Best and Worst Time to Book a Hotel? (With Travel Hack Revealed)

What month are the hotels cheapest?

• September is the best month to book hotels located in the US.
• August has the cheapest prices for hotels in Europe. 
• July most often offers the lowest rates for overall international travel. 

Read till the end to learn The Free Travel Hack and Always Get the Cheapest Price!

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However, there's an exception for big holidays and events. If you're booking the stay for Christmas, Spring Break, or any other super trendy dates, it's best to book as early as possible, not waiting for these particular months, as the prices only increase closer to the check-in date. 

Best day of the week to book a hotel

• Tuesday & Wednesday are the best days to book a hotel.

There's a widely spread myth that the best time to book hotels is when everyone's most often traveling - meaning weekends. However, we go on a limb and say it's the midweek you're chasing after. 

It's mainly because hotels release new promotions and discounts early in the week, following the analysis of weekend booking trends. Fewer people search for hotels in the middle of the week, which also influences the pricing strategies.

Best time to book all-inclusive resorts

• It's best to book all-inclusive resorts 6-7 months before the check-in day. 

Resorts have the lowest prices around half a year before the stay date. Closer to the check-in day, they increase steadily (except for last-minute deals that can be caught around a week or two before the check-in). 

The worst time to book a hotel

There's no such thing as one particular time when hotels are most expensive. Overall, it's not advised to book too early (holiday cases excluded) or too late. Sounds complicated, we know, but continue reading. 

• More than half a year before your check-in date (except for resorts). Hotel prices get lower as the check-in date gets closer and the rooms aren't sold out. However, another worst time is… 
• One week or less before your check-in date. While last-minute deals sometimes help to score crazy hotel prices, it doesn't happen frequently enough for you to count on it entirely. If you're planning a vacation, check the hotel rates earlier and don't wait for the very last days. The chances are higher it will be a higher price rather than a 50% off deal. 

Hotel prices fluctuate almost constantly, so while these recommendations can help you score the lowest rate occasionally, it’s best to track hotel prices daily. No worries, though. You don’t have to check them literally every day. 

RatePunk has a price tracking feature that tracks hotel prices automatically before booking. All you have to do is activate the price tracking toggle on the RatePunk browser extension & wait for that “Your hotel price just dropped” email. 

Ultimate hotel-booking TIP: book free cancellation & rebook later. 

Booking a free-cancellation room well in advance and then continuing to track the prices afterward is the safest & most efficient way to score the lowest price. You can use the RatePunk Rebooking feature for this. It automatically tracks the price of already booked free-cancellation rooms & sends notifications when the price drops.