How to Get a Great Rate on a Hotel Room - The New York Times
With the cost of hotel stays generally trending upward — 2024 saw the highest recorded average daily rates in the U.S., for starters — the luxury hospitality world may not seem the most fertile bargain-hunting ground. But you can still find deals, and they go well beyond those you can obtain ... With the cost of hotel stays generally trending upward — 2024 saw the highest recorded average daily rates in the U.S., for starters — the luxury hospitality world may not seem the most fertile bargain-hunting ground. But you can still find deals, and they go well beyond those you can obtain by converting your credit card and loyalty points into discounts.A good starting point is the boutique and luxury hotel membership program Dis-loyalty, run by the Ennismore Lifestyle Collective. For a membership fee of $18 per month, you’ll get deals and perks at 10 hotel brands (Mondrian, SLS and the Hoxton, among others) that include 50 percent off any of the site’s new hotels within the first three months of opening day.Another membership-based hotel collection, Design Hotels, offers free membership and various discounts — among them, 50 percent “debut” savings on certain properties that are new to the collection, including Xela Tulum, a 12-room hotel on Mexico’s Caribbean coast that opened in late 2023.Roberto Cowan, a co-founder of the Desert Vintage boutiques, which has outposts in Tucson, Ariz.; New York; and, later this year, Paris, suggests calling the hotel directly for the best rates. You never know where a politely asked “Is that the best you can do?” will lead, he says.