A FREQUENT traveller has revealed how they manage to save money on hotels whenever they go on holiday.
The prices of accommodation can fluctuate quite a lot, depending on when you book.
While late deals can often be found, there's no guarantee that leaving it late will get you the cheap room that you want.
However, Tiktok user Alexis Gould has a clever method to make sure she gets the best late deals on hotel rooms, while making sure she doesn't miss out if they aren't available.
Her method is called hotel hedging and it involves booking rooms in advance, but making sure they're both cancelable and refundable.
She explained exactly how it works in a video.
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She said: "Hedging is a hack that hotels don't want you to know about.
"You're going to make a regular advanced reservation when you book your trip. Now, the most important thing to do here is make sure it's cancelable and refundable within 24 hours of check in.
"We're doing this because you want to guarantee you have a place to stay just in case, for some reason, your hotel hedging doesn't work out. But if you do it right, it will."
The trick relies on hotels not being at maximum occupancy and selling off their remaining rooms at cheaper rates late on.
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Alexis continued: "Current hotel occupancy rate is around 60 per cent. That means that around 40 per cent of the rooms go unsold every single night.
"And what do the hotels do with those rooms? They discount them. And if you put the proper plans in place, you will be able to take advantage of these discounts."
Certain websites specialise in late deals. If you can find one of those closer to your trip than the rate you booked in advance, then you can simply cancel your original booking and take advantage of the deal.
Alexis said: "You already booked your refundable room, so now your trip is coming up. Around this time, you're going to want to look into last minute hotel deals.
"You can do this on sites like Priceline, Hotel Tonight, Hotwire. That part is up to you.
"You can often find the same hotel or an even better one at an even better price. So you cancel your original room, get your refund, save money, and enjoy your trip.
"And that, my friends, is how we travel better."
The video has been seen by more than 23,000 people, with lots of people appreciative of the advice.
One hotel worker said: "As someone who worked in hotels 16 years, that’s one of the smarter suggestions I’ve seen."
A second person added: "Loved this hack! Well explained!"
There are other ways to make your money stretch even further once you've arrived at your hotel as well.
The travel experts at Thrifty Nomads are well used to hunting for bargains and have revealed some of their best tips to avoid forking out a fortune for a place to stay.
In an article for Metro they explained how they look after their pennies while travelling.
One of their top tips is a simple one that can get you a free upgrade, or at very least a free celebratory item.
Their advice is that, if your trip is to celebrate a birthday, you shouldn't be shy about telling your accommodation.
Jen Avery from Thrifty Nomads said: "If you’re coming to celebrate a birthday or anniversary, don’t be shy about telling your hotel, even subtly.
"Complimentary upgrades or fizz can often result from that."
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Meanwhile, a hotel in Thailand had rooms available for just 2p this year to try and bring back tourists.
And the cheapest Airbnb in England costs just £9 a night.
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