Travelers who wish to take advantage of its warm climate, vibrant culture, delectable cuisine, and varied landscapes frequently choose Spain as their destination. However, it might be difficult to locate an inexpensive hotel in Spain, particularly in famous locations or during high travel times. Fortunately, we are well-versed in how to locate the most affordable hotels in Spain.
32 Best Ways to Find Low-Cost Hotels in Spain
So, here are our top 32 tried-and-true suggestions on how to book hotels on a budget while still enjoying a great stay.
- Book in advance
- Compare prices online
- Use discount codes and coupons
- Be flexible with your dates
- Stay outside the city Centre
- Share a room
- Look for alternative accommodation options
- Use hotel points or miles
- Choose hostels over hotels
- Negotiate the price directly with the hotel
- Look for freebies and extras
- Book a package deal
- Check for hidden fees and taxes
- Use a travel agent
- Join a group tour
- Stay longer or shorter
- Use a bidding or a mystery site
- Follow social media and blogs
- Ask for recommendations from friends or family
- Check for reviews and ratings
- Be loyal to one hotel chain or brand
- Use a VPN or incognito mode
- Look for last-minute deals
- Stay during the week or the shoulder season
- Look for special offers or discounts
- Use cash-back sites or apps
- Use hotel booking apps
- Stay at a hotel that offers a free cancellation
- Stay at a hotel that is under renovation or construction
- Use price alerts and notifications
- Be polite and friendly with the hotel staff
- Try couch surfing or Airbnb
1. Book in advance
You may achieve lower prices and prevent last-minute price increases by making your hotel reservations in advance. Depending on the season and location, the ideal time to reserve a hotel in Spain is often three to six months in advance. In case your plans change, you should also look into the cancellation procedures and charges.
2. Compare prices online
Utilizing internet tools that analyze costs from many websites and service providers is one of the simplest methods to locate inexpensive hotels in Spain. Booking.com, Kayak, Hotels.com, Expedia, Trivago, and HotelsCombined are a few of the most well-known. Price, location, star rating, facilities, and other factors may all be used as search criteria.
3. Use discount codes and coupons
Utilizing discount codes and coupons, which often give you a percentage off or a free night, is another fantastic method to save money on hotels. On websites like Groupon, Voucher-Codes, or RetailMeNot, you may find them. Additionally, newsletters and loyalty programs that offer exclusive discounts and promotions are offered by hotel chains and internet booking sites.
4. Be flexible with your dates
You may usually save money by traveling off-peak hours or on weekdays if your trip plans are reasonably flexible. To locate the cheapest days to fly to Spain and stay there, you may also utilize resources like Google Flights or Skyscanner.
5. Stay outside the city Centre
Hotel rates in city centers are often more expensive than those in the suburbs or even somewhat farther afield. This choice has frequently saved us money, and if the public transportation available is adequate, it’s usually simple to go to the center districts on metros, buses, or bikes.
6. Share a room
Sharing a room or a bed with friends or family members while on vacation is a terrific method to cut costs. Hotels with family rooms, bunk beds, or couch beds that can accommodate additional individuals for less money may be found online.
7. Look for alternative accommodation options
Look into finding a different place to stay. Accommodations can be found in guesthouses, cortijos and rustic cottages, bed & breakfasts, self-catering flats, or campgrounds. All of these options may help you preserve cash while also giving a top-notch hotel substitution.
8. Use hotel points or miles
At many participating hotels in Spain, you may exchange hotel points or miles for free nights or savings. Either via prior trips or the use of travel credit cards, points are accrued. You may also sign up for hotel loyalty programs that provide benefits like free upgrades, late check-out, and free breakfast.
9. Choose hostels over hotels
Hostels are not just for youthful or backpacking travelers. Depending on your preferences and budget, you may pick between large open dormitories and smaller private rooms.
10. Negotiate the price directly with the hotel
Booking directly with the hotel may, on occasion, result in a lower rate than doing so through a third-party website or travel agent. On multiple cases, calling or emailing the hotel directly resulted in lower accommodation costs. If you don’t ask, you won’t get, thus sometimes it makes sense for the hotel to give you a lower rate than what is advertised.
11. Look for freebies and extras
Some hotels could provide extras and freebies that are valuable and cost-effective. Among the extras and benefits you could get are free parking, free Wi-Fi, free breakfast, free use of the gym, free shuttle service, and free welcome beverages.
12. Book a package deal
There are times when booking a package that includes your travel and lodging will be less expensive than doing it separately. You may also look for deals on bundles that include extras like car rentals, guided tours, and other activities. Websites like On the Beach, Travel Travelocity, Travel-Supermarket, Orbitz, or Priceline provide a ton of affordable package offers.
13. Check for hidden fees and taxes
When researching hotel costs, be careful to look out for any additional taxes and fees that can push up the overall price of your stay. Some of these taxes and fees could include Wi-Fi fees, resort fees, service costs, local taxes, and VAT. Before booking a reservation, be careful to read the small print to prevent any unpleasant surprises. If it’s feasible, you may also ask the hotel to waive or lower some of these charges.
14. Use a travel agent
If you lack the time to look for inexpensive lodging on your own in Spain, you can consider hiring a travel agency. A travel agent may be of great service to you in many ways, including discovering the finest bargains, negotiating the best pricing, coordinating all of your reservations, and offering wise counsel and support throughout the entire process.
15. Join a group tour
Joining a group trip is another option to save money when making hotel reservations. You might be able to book a group trip that includes lodging, transportation, tour guides, and meals for a predetermined price. Additionally, traveling with others may be practical, secure, and fun. An excellent place to start is to look for group trips on the websites of Intrepid Travel, G Adventures, or Contiki.
16. Stay longer or shorter
The cost of a hotel might also vary depending on how long you stay there. If you stay at a hotel for a longer amount of time, some may give you a discount or free night. The best course of action is to experiment with the date choices to see whether the price is altered. On the other side, certain hotels may charge extra for brief stays. Furthermore, you may look for accommodations that allow you to choose your own check-in and check-out timings.
17. Use a bidding or a mystery site
You might be able to save money by using a mystery or auction website. By using these sites, you may bid on or book a hotel without knowing its name or address before you pay. This may save you a lot of money at the hotel. This type of booking has several apparent disadvantages as well such as the possibility of receiving a hotel with low reviews or being far away from where you want to stay. Hotwire, Priceline, and HotelTonight are some of the most well-known auction or mystery websites.
18. Follow social media and blogs
By keeping you informed of the most recent discounts and advice, monitoring social media and blogs may help you locate inexpensive hotel rooms. On social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, you may follow lodging establishments, booking websites, and travel agencies. You may also follow influencers or travel bloggers who post about their adventures and advice on websites like YouTube, Pinterest, or TikTok.
19. Ask for recommendations from friends or family
Ask your friends or family members who have visited Spain in the past for assistance in directing you toward affordable hotels that they have tried and like. Anyone is aware that getting ideas is a fantastic way to learn more and get excellent prices. Joining internet forums where travelers discuss their thoughts and experiences with Spanish hotels is another option; it’s how we found some of our greatest bargains.
20. Check for reviews and ratings
Finding affordable hotels in Spain may be made easier by looking at reviews and ratings. Awards or certificates are two examples of indications of the standing and standard of the hotel.
21. Be loyal to one hotel chain or brand
By accumulating points or prizes that can be used for free nights or discounts, staying loyal to one hotel chain or brand may frequently result in financial savings. Benefits like free upgrades, late check-out, and a complimentary breakfast are also available. NH Hotels, Melia Hotels International, Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, or Paradores de Turismo are some of the most well-known hotel brands or chains in Spain.
22. Use a VPN or incognito mode
Using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) or browsing anonymously might help you locate hotels that are more economical. You may also use a VPN or incognito mode to view blocked or prohibited websites in your country or region.
23. Look for last-minute deals
Finding cheap hotels has always been possible by searching for last-minute offers. Hotels want to have full houses, so they’re more inclined to provide a last-minute bargain when there are unsold rooms or cancellations. Websites like Lastminute.com, HotelTonight, or Booking.com have last-minute bargains. However, you should be ready to give up some of your preferences for hotel, location, or facilities if you choose this approach.
24. Stay during the week or the shoulder season
You may get reduced hotel rates if you stay throughout the week or in the shoulder season because these are times of lesser demand and occupancy. In general, weekdays are less expensive than weekends, especially in towns with a strong business sector like Madrid, Valencia, or Barcelona. The shoulder season is the time between the peak and low seasons, often in spring or fall. The weather is still lovely during this season, but there are a lot less tourists.
25. Look for special offers or discounts
You might uncover some pretty alluring hotel rates by searching for specialized travel organizations’ special offers or discounts. Keep an eye out for discounts for those who are older, students, teachers, healthcare professionals, or members of particular organizations or groups. For holidays, birthdays, weddings, honeymoons, anniversary celebrations and various other memorable occasions, you could also search for unique offers or bargains.
26. Use cash-back sites or apps
You may locate low-cost hotels by using cash-back websites or applications. Websites and applications that provide cash-back might assist you in finding a decent price by returning a percentage of your payment when you make a hotel reservation. To receive cash-back on hotel reservations made through various websites and providers, conduct a cash-back search on websites like Rakuten, TopCashback, or Ibotta.
27. Use hotel booking apps
Through the use of hotel booking applications, you can browse, compare, and book hotels from your smartphone or tablet, making it easier to locate affordable lodging in Spain. Additionally, by using hotel booking apps, you might be able to get exclusive deals, discounts, and incentives that aren’t available through other means. Expedia, Trivago, Hotels.com, and Booking.com are a few of the most well-known hotel booking applications.
28. Stay at a hotel that offers a free cancellation
Your ability to cancel your reservation without incurring any fees if you discover a better bargain elsewhere or if your plans change might help you locate inexpensive hotels in Spain. On websites like Booking.com, Hotels.com, or Expedia, you may search for hotels that allow free cancellation.
29. Stay at a hotel that is under renovation or construction
Although it may seem weird to book a hotel when it is undergoing renovations or construction, we have done it in the past and were rewarded with reasonable savings in exchange for the inconvenience and noise. However, you must also consider the size, duration, and effect of the work being done on your comfort and stay. If you don’t intend to spend the most of your days relaxing by the hotel pool, we think this arrangement is wonderful.
30. Use price alerts and notifications
You may locate inexpensive hotels in Spain by using price alerts and notifications, which will warn you when the cost of the hotel you want decreases or a better offer becomes accessible. To keep track of changes in your hotel’s pricing and reserve it when it fits within your budget, you may use price notifications and alerts on websites like Kayak, Skyscanner, or Hopper.
31. Be polite and friendly with the hotel staff
You may ask the hotel personnel for advice, suggestions, or favors that can enhance your stay and help you save money by being kind and nice with them. For instance, you may request a free upgrade, a late check-out, a free breakfast, or a discount voucher. Although it might seem too simple to be true, it happens more frequently than you might imagine.
32. Try couch surfing or Airbnb
Through online services like Couchsurfing and Airbnb, you may spend time with locals or rent out their homes for short periods of time. In numerous instances, they cost less than resorts but offer a more individualized service. The local insider information from your hosts may also be obtained in this manner.
Conclusion
Finding inexpensive lodging will enable you to save more money in your pocket to spend on activities as it is one of your biggest fixed trip expenditures.
