With the summer travel season upon us, we took a look at more than a billion search inquiries to identify the most popular hotel amenities and determine when travelers booked to get the cheapest hotel rates.
Unlike airfare that commonly follows a pricing trend (When to Book tips here), the best time to book hotels often varies by location. To score great rates at 4 of the most popular destinations this summer, keep these guidelines in mind:
– Las Vegas: Historically, prices fall within 30 days of check-in (up to 16% below average), so book no earlier than a month out
– New York: While prices did not fluctuate much, the cheapest rates were found a week before check-in (6% below average)
– Orlando: Booking no earlier than 3 months before check-in resulted in savings of up to 13%
– Chicago: Booking between 4-5 months out resulted in savings of up to 29%
We also looked at hotel amenities clicked on KAYAK for summer travel and found that travelers most want to stay cool and connected. Here are this summer’s top amenities:
1. Pool
2. AC (interestingly, those staying in the US want pools in the most, whereas those traveling abroad prefer AC. Tip: Check for AC for summer hotel stays in Europe – just imagine the disappointment in finding that your hotel in Rome in August doesn’t have AC)
3. Airport Shuttle
4. Parking
5. Internet
Our data also showed that travelers in Las Vegas care more about amenities than any other destinations in the world: Vegas came in 1st in clicks for parking, pets, restaurants, spas, golf and casinos (duh). Not surprisingly, out of all available amenities, families staying in Orlando are most interested in hotels with kitchenettes and pools.
Wherever you go this summer and whatever amenities you’re looking for, remember to follow our Travel Guide to save money and set up a hotel price alert to do the work for you.
Photo source: https://www.flickr.com/search/?q=luxor%20pool
(Preview photo cred: iStock.com/LiuNian)
