How to find cheap hotels without sacrificing quality
By the Agoroam team · Published 5 June 2026
Quick answer
- Sunday and Monday nights are 20-40% cheaper than weekend nights at most city hotels.
- HotelTonight and HotelsCombined catch last-minute discounts the big OTAs miss.
- Book directly, then ask via email for a 5-10% discount on the listed rate. Works ~30% of the time.
- Refundable rates beat non-refundable by ~€20-40, the optionality is worth it for trips 3+ weeks out.
- Boutique chains (Citizen M, Yotel, Generator) have luxury-touch fittings at hostel-ish prices.
Night of the week
In business-traveler cities (London, Frankfurt, Singapore, New York), hotels are most expensive Tuesday-Thursday and cheapest Friday-Sunday. In leisure cities (Lisbon, Barcelona, Rome, Florence), the opposite is true, Friday-Sunday is peak, Sunday-Monday is cheap.
For a 3-night stay, Sunday-Monday-Tuesday in leisure cities saves 20-40% over Friday-Saturday-Sunday. Same hotel, same room, half the price.
Last-minute apps
HotelTonight is the original, books that day only or up to a week out, focused on hotels with empty inventory. Discounts of 30-60% are common. The catch: you don't always get to pick the exact room category.
HotelsCombined and Trivago meta-search the big OTAs, sometimes one of them surfaces a 15-20% discount the others miss.
Email the hotel directly
After you book on an OTA (or before booking), email the hotel. Ask if they'll match the rate directly and offer a small additional discount (5-10%) for booking direct. Hotels save 15-20% on OTA commission and are often happy to give you back half of that.
Wording: "Hi, I'm considering booking the [room type] for [dates]. Booking.com shows €[X]. Could you match this directly and possibly offer a small additional discount for booking direct?"
Refundable vs non-refundable
Non-refundable rates are typically €20-40/night cheaper. But: trip plans change, flights cancel, you might need to push the dates. Unless your trip is within 7 days and locked, the refundable rate is worth the markup. Insurance-as-optionality.
Boutique chains, luxury for less
Some chains have figured out the "small rooms, fantastic everything else" play:
- CitizenM, €100-160/night central locations, premium beds, design-forward, in 30+ cities
- Yotel, airport + city options, compact rooms, tech-forward, €80-130
- Generator Hotels, upgraded hostels with private rooms, €60-110, great common areas
- Moxy (Marriott), funky-design budget Marriott, €100-180
- Hoxton, stylish, central, €140-220 (higher tier but consistently good)
Loyalty + the discount stack
Even casual travelers can stack: book through a loyalty portal (free membership), use a credit card with travel rewards, time-of-year discount. A €120/night hotel becomes effectively €85-95 after stacking.
Frequently asked
What's the cheapest night of the week to book a hotel?
In leisure cities (Lisbon, Rome, Barcelona), Sunday-Monday are 20-40% cheaper than Friday-Saturday. In business-traveler cities, the opposite: Friday-Sunday is cheap, Tuesday-Thursday is peak.
Is it worth booking last-minute on HotelTonight?
For solo travelers and flexible couples, yes, 30-60% discounts on hotels with empty inventory are common. For specific room categories or guaranteed dates, book in advance.
Should I book refundable or non-refundable?
Refundable for any trip 7+ days out. The €20-40/night markup is worth the optionality, trip plans change, flights cancel, weather happens.
Does emailing the hotel directly get you a discount?
About 30% of the time, yes. Hotels save the 15-20% OTA commission on direct bookings and are often willing to share half of that with you. Phrase it as a polite ask, not a demand.
Plan it with your crew.
Free for the first trip. Everyone votes. The AI does the boring half.