20 tricks insiders use to score a cheap hotel room

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Finding a cheap hotel room can be difficult. The average daily rate for U.S. hotel rooms has increased in the past seven years, to $121.37 in 2015, according to statistics resource Statista.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t find deals to save money on a hotel room. There are many hotel savings tricks that you can use to tame the wildest of hotel bills. Find out how the experts get hotel rooms on the cheap with these 20 tips.

1. Buy someone else’s reservations

RoomerTravel.com allows you to purchase other travelers’ unwanted hotel room reservations at a cut rate, said consumer and money-saving expert Andrea Woroch. “The site connects you with travelers who are stuck with a reservation they can’t cancel, but are willing to sell and transfer the reservation at a discount.” The site offers discounts of up to 74 percent.

2. Search for coupon codes

Hotels don’t regularly offer coupons, said Woroch. But if you search, sometimes you can find coupon codes for third-party booking sites that will score you a cheaper room. “For instance, Coupon Sherpa offers 40 percent off select hotels at Hotels.com, and $20 off $150 booking at HotelWiz,” said Woroch.

3. Ask for a price match

 Price matches aren’t just for Target shoppers. Although they might not advertise it, many hotels will match a competitor’s lower price if you ask, Woroch said. That goes for third-party sites, as well.

“Hotels.com offers to price match any competitor or hotel’s price — just book, then submit the cheaper-priced link," said Woroch. "I do this because I earn a free night through their site after 10 stays, so it’s a win-win."