TRAVEL: How to Save a Penny Off Accommodation Costs

 

During the festive season, prices of almost everything raise to double or even triple the usual. Some of the most charged services are accommodation; hotels, guest houses, lodges and the like. Here is what frequent travelers do to save the high hotel costs.

Check out for the cheap options

Joy Makula notes that “The first thing I do is check for a hotel with fair prices. I look at a variety of hotels to see which one will help me save an extra penny.”

She adds that usually hotels have different packages so she checks out for the fair one and goes with that.

She notes thus, “if you are keen enough, you will realize that getting a whole package (food and accommodation) gets expensive so look at a single offer and move along with improvising.”

Bargain

Makula adds that people think these prices are fixed yet they can be reduced if one talks to the hotel managers. For this reason people are over charged because they pay without a second thought.

“Whenever I am at a hotel, I bargain to get fair charges. When you ask keenly, you will discover that most hotels have cheap offers only that they start by giving the most expensive quotation to make money,” she adds.

Share a room

Zulaikah Muhammad, an IT expert, says there are hotels that will penalize you for an extra person but others that don’t.

“When I travel with a friend or workmate, we share a room and the cost. We also try to look out for the cheapest food and in most cases, we hunt for a cheap hotel.

Since our work is usually internet based, I usually lookout for a hotel with free Wi-Fi to cut data costs too,” she adds.

You can camp

Camping could be the cheapest way of saving hotel costs when you travel.

Joseph Kizza, a camping expert, notes that a tent starts from as low as Ushs 20,000. So instead of paying for hotels, why not rent a tent and explore a new feeling as well as save a lot of money.

However make sure the place where you are camping is secure enough.

Check in every night

Patrick Murungi, a business man working in Dubai, notes that rather than registering for days, he normally carries all his language to wherever he is going so that he is not charged as someone on stay.

“With that I am only charged for a night. This works when you have less luggage but could be tricky when you have more than just one bag.

It’s also important to make friends in places you visit. I sometimes sleep at friends’ places or keep my luggage there and don’t have to incur hotel costs,” says Murungi.

Cut your coat according to your cloth

Sometimes people have an inner imagination of how their hotel room should be like, the reason they are charged a lot for the fancy additions.

One can access a basic hotel room that can serve the purpose other than spend all the trip money on just accommodation.

Look out for the cheapest hotels as long as they have security. Even if these raise their prices during festive seasons, it will still be moderate.

“I always look out for the cheapest as long as it has security. The money I could have paid in a big hotel helps me do something else. For us businessmen, even Ushs 1000 saved is very important because it can purchase a commodity,” Murungi explains.