Things to Do Now to Save Money on Hotels Later

There are a handful of things you can do now, to get ready to save money and time on your future hotel reservations.

If you want something to print out, our Things to Do Now Checklist (Hotels) provides a more compact version of this article.

Unless you have a problem managing credit, signing up for credit cards to take advantage of their travel benefits and signup bonuses, is smart and easy. It is one of the key ways to travel more cheaply and more luxuriously. It won’t kill your credit rating—it is likely to improve it. See our Credit Cards 101 guide.
You can't just sign up for a bunch of new credit cards all at once. Instead, you are going to need to spread your applications over time, so you can comfortably meet each card’s initial spending requirements, and earn their lucrative signup bonuses. In addition, most banks limit how many new cards you can get during a given time span.

It is best to get started applying for cards as soon as you can, so you’ll be able to take advantage of the additional hotel benefits and points as quickly as possible.

You’ll should sign up for Chase and Bank of America credit cards first. Chase issues some of the best travel and reward credit cards. But you will be automatically denied, if you’ve signed up for 5 or more credit cards in the last 24 months. They count credit cards from every bank, not just the ones you got from Chase. Bank of America has a similar rule. Because you are probably about to start signing up for a handful of cards, you need to get any of these cards first, as you’ll be blocked from getting them later. Step-by-Step Guide: Before You Apply.
Consider getting one or more cards that give you free night certificates every year. You can get one or more useful free night certificates from nay of the hotel programs, with a considerably lower outlay the the normal cash cost of the room. Get Free Hotel Nights with Credit Card Certificates.
If you stay a few times per year at Hilton hotels, consider getting a credit card that gets you free breakfast on every stay. You could get the Hilton Surpass, Hilton Aspire, or Hilton Business cards. Another option is the Amex Platinum card, which gives you Hilton Gold status, as well as the similarly valuable Marriott Gold status, comes with many additional benefits, but has a much higher annual fee. Which Hilton Card Should You Get?.

Hilton Credit Card Guide

Other things to do (Easy)

Along with starting to sign up for new credit cards, there are some other things you can do now to get ready to save time and money later.

Start using AwardWallet to keep track of your loyalty program information. Over time, you are going to want to sign up for a bunch of different hotel loyalty programs. To keep that simple, a free app and website called AwardWallet can keep track of all your loyalty program information, and track the point balances of all your accounts. Use AwardWallet to Easily Manage Your Loyalty Program Information.

Consider joining AAA. You’ll get a discount at most hotels in North America (and additional hotels around the world that are operated by North American hotel chains). AAA membership gives you a discount at big chain hotels, small independent boutiques, independent beachfront inns, and tiny roadside motels. The only question is whether these hotel discounts, and the other benefits of membership, are worth the approximately $60 per year fee. Consider Joining AAA for Hotel Discounts at Many Hotels.
Check to see if you have a corporate code that you can use. If you work for a large company, or belong to a large professional organization, there is a good chance that you can get discounted rates at hotels. Some companies allow you to take advantage of their corporate hotels discounts on personal travel, others do not. Find out now if you can use these codes (or your organization’s booking engine), so you’ll know whether to check them the next time you are booking a hotel.
Sign up for a few websites, so you can easily use them the next time you need to book a hotel.. If you sign up now, you’ll be more likely to take advantage of them later.

Kayak.com, goSeek, and Hotel Storm. These three sites can help you find “private deals” that are much cheaper than the normal rates for many hotels. But, you’ll need to be a registered user, to get access to these deals. Find Lower Room Rates on 'Private Deal' Websites.
Hotels.com. Hotels.com has the best loyalty program of the big travel booking websites. Sign up now, and get a free hotel night for every ten you book. If you Can't Find a Better Rate, Book at Hotels.com to Take Advantage of their Generous Loyalty Program.

Sign up for the major hotel loyalty programs (except Marriott). After you’ve got AwardWallet set up, you should sign up for any of the major hotel loyalty programs that you don’t already belong to. For most people that means at least Hilton, Hyatt, and IHG. Hotel Loyalty Program Reference Guide.

Don’t sign up for Marriott, until you are planning a stay, because new members can get a free night, when they stay twice in the first four months. You don’t want to start the clock, until you are ready to take advantage of that benefit.

Set up your browser to make it easy for you to search for great rates. Add links to the most useful hotel booking and award night websites. Useful Hotel Links.

Things to do (Intermediate)

Try to get enough points with IHG and/or Choice Hotels to be able to take advantage of the “Cash & Points Trick”, the next time you need to book one of their rooms.. The Cash & Points Trick allows you to cheaply purchase reward points at the last minute, which can often save you money on your reservation. You need to start with 5-30,000 IHG points, and 6,000 Choice points in your accounts, to be able to take advantage of the trick. If you signed up for the IHG credit card, you should be already set for IHG points. If you have an opportunity to buy Choice points when they are on sale, you should pick up the 6,000 points you need. Get Cheap IHG and Choice Points Using the Cash & Points Trick.
Sign-up for shopping portals. Shopping Portals can give you extra cash-back when you book a hotel. If you sign up for a couple of the better services, you’ll be all set to take advantage of them when it is time to book. Top Cashback and Be Frugal are two good programs to start with. Earn extra rewards using Shopping Portals.
Consider joining AARP (anyone can join, regardless of age). While AARP discounts aren’t always as useful as AAA’s, the AARP rate is sometimes cheaper, and the membership only costs $16/year.