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When planning a holiday, advance planning is always stressed by travel professionals as well as airlines, hotels, and other accommodations. However, sometimes there are advantages in making your reservations at the last minute, especially if you can spend a short amount of time comparison shopping.
Five major advantages of last minute hotel reservations are:
1. Discounted prices. While the common approach is to reserve a hotel room three weeks or a month in advance, last minute hotel reservations often can reap significant discounts. Hotels are rarely fully booked under normal circumstances, so they are often happy to accommodate last minute requests in order to fill rooms. When it comes to a choice between giving a significant discount and having an empty room, often the significant discount wins out.
2. Securing high-quality accommodations. On the other hand, the significant discounts often available through last minute hotel reservations can make a first-class hotel room, which otherwise would have been far outside your budget, become a very possible option. As opposed to staying in a budget hotel with limited amenities, you might find a great deal on a luxury hotel.
3. Ease of online reservations. While in the past, making last minute hotel reservations meant spending a good deal of time on the phone, now it is simple to find information on the Internet. With a few quick clicks of the mouse, you can find special deals available for travelers at a number of convenient locations, decide which will work best for you, and make your reservations immediately.
4. Discovering a new destination. Making successful last minute hotel reservations requires a certain amount of flexibility. The exact hotel you wanted to use might not have rooms available, but one nearby that you’ve never tried might have a great package available at significant savings. This detour could make it possible for you to experience a holiday completely different from what you’d imagined.
5. Creating the perfect romantic getaway. Last minute hotel reservations are often most easily available for couples. If you’ve always wanted to have a private getaway with your spouse or significant other, taking advantage of last minute arrangements at a deluxe accommodation can give you that perfect love nest for the weekend.
Roo Sadegi is a travel writer based in London’s East End, although he spends much of his time travelling around Europe’s travel hotspots.