Best Websites To Book Your Hotels — Deals, Discounts and Variety

We’ve sieved out the best hotel booking sites and apps to help you get the best deal in town!

Gone were the days where you had to manually go into a hotel’s official website to make a booking and compare prices. 

With the myriad of hotel booking websites and apps available, comparing accommodation prices for your next trip is a breeze, with just a few clicks.

However, the real challenge is finding the best app for the lowest price. Aside from the price points, we’re also looking for websites that offer the best group discounts, the widest variety of hotels, the usability and more!

Here are the best websites to book your accommodations for your next trip, including tips on how to find the best deals, factors to consider when booking your hotels and more!

Table of contents:

• Best hotel booking websites/app for best prices
  • Agoda
  • Trip.com
  • Hotelscombined
  • Booking.com
  • Klook
  • Traveloka
  • Expedia
• Things to look out for when using a hotel booking site
• Things to look out for when booking a hotel room
• FAQ

Best hotel booking websites/app for best prices

1. Agoda: Best for flight + hotel bundle deals

Agoda has always been one of the first few names when we think of hotel bookings, and for good reason. Known for their price guarantee, rest assured that you will always be paying for the lowest price for Agoda. If you happen to see a cheaper price on other sites, simply submit a photo proof and you’ll be refunded the price difference — that’s just how confident they are!

Agoda also has a special tab for flight + hotel bundle deals, that allows you to purchase both your flight tickets and hotel accommodations with just a click! They also offer great savings for purchasing both together, allowing you to stretch your dollar even further.

You won’t be disappointed with their variety too, as they offer a very wide selection of accommodations.

2. Trip.com: Best for frequent credit card promos

If you’re an avid user of Trip.com, then you’re probably familiar with their iconic S$100 off hotels and flights credit card promotions that they’ll drop ever so often. They also have a slew of other irresistible deals like S$20 off sitewide, 1-for-1 promos, 8% off your first hotel booking with them and many more, valid for a limited time only.

For hotel bookings, they have a price match guarantee whereby if you find a cheaper price of the hotel that you booked, they’ll refund you the price difference. 

Have the ultimate peace of mind with their nifty hotel booking and hotel stay guarantee. If the hotel you book confirms you stay but cancels it after, or can’t provide you a stay when you arrive, you’ll be reimbursed up to 3 times the price of the first night!

3. HotelsCombined: Best for value deals and lowest prices

If you’re gunning for the best deals in the market, you can always rely on HotelsCombined as they almost always offer the lowest prices compared to other aggregators. They also offer a price guarantee that allows you to be reimbursed the price difference if you see a hotel that’s cheaper on another site.

Their website is also extremely useful, as they have an array of filters you can use. Be it the hotel class, review score, specific amenities like free cancellation and free airport shuttle service, or unique stays, you’ll be able to find a hotel that best suits your travel needs.

4. Booking.com: Best for Membership perks and variety

If you have a Booking.com Genius account, you’ll be able to save a great dea on hotel prices, especially as you progress onto each level. Certain hotels with the blue Genius logo will indicate a price slash, only for those who are Genius members.

Here are the discounts you can enjoy:

• Level 1 — 10% discounts, 10% off rental cars
• Level 2 — 10% - 15% discounts, 10% off rental cars, free breakfasts on select stays, free room upgrades on select stays
• Level 3 — 10% - 20% discounts, 10% off rental cars, free breakfasts on select stays, free room upgrades on select stays, priority support on stays

To level up, you’ll need to complete 5 bookings within a 2-year window. Otherwise, you’ll revert back to Genius Level 1. Pro tip is to always use the mobile app for further mobile-app discounts!

5. Klook:  Best for all-in-one travel needs

As Klook is known for their extensive selection travel activities that you can purchase, they are the best one-stop-shop platform for all your travel needs. From theme park entry tickets and tours to shows and even dining experiences, you’ll definitely be spoilt for choice.

Aside from hotels, they offer a tons of exciting packages for you to choose from. Looking for a staycation? Klook does a marvellous job at tempting you with their discounted activities on your hotel bookings, under their hotel + activity package that allows you to score savings of up to 50% off your hotel or activity. 

6. Traveloka: Best for holistic travel deals and transparent prices

For convenience, purchase your hotel, flights and activity packages on Traveloka — they offer a wide selection of hotels and activities for you to choose from.

Not only that, they also have regular travel deals up for grabs, ranging from hotels, to flights and even activities! From 1-for-1 deals, airline-specific discounts and credit card promos, you’ll be able to snag the best deals on their site!

You also won’t have to worry about additional fees when it comes to Traveloka — they don’t have any hidden fees or booking fees that will be charged to you upon checkout. Their prices are also inclusive of GST so what you see is what you get!

7. Expedia: Best for usability

Whether you’re looking for a hotel that’s pet-friendly or a room that is equipped with a hot tub, Expedia lets you search for hotel accommodations based on your preferences and needs with the click of a button.

They provide extensive details on each and every hotel option, and sport an easy-to-use interface, allowing you to browse through the seelctions with ease. They also have clear indications to inform you if the room if refundable or comes with breakfast to help you make choosing a hotel a lot easier.

Things to look out for when using a hotel booking site

Hidden fees

Ever clicked into a hotel listing because of the low price but end up being disappointed at the exorbitant fees that are charged upon check out? We feel you.

It’s always better to use a site that provides transparent pricing so you don’t get clickbaited and find out the great deal you found isn’t that much of a steal after all. 

Variety of hotels offered

It’s always better to have more options than no options, and the variety of hotel accommodations offered is something that we have to look out for. Would you rather choose a site that only has 10 options for you rather than one that has 50 options?

Deals and discounts

Getting a preferred hotel is one thing, but bagging discounts and enjoying bundle deals is another, and it’s definitely the cherry on top. 

Be sure to always scout around for additional discounts and deals you can find — be it by using a specific credit card to make payment, or using the mobile app to enjoy a lower price. Some websites also offer slashed prices occasionally, so be sure to look out for those if you’re not in a hurry to secure you accommodations.

User-friendly interface

We always stan a website or app that caters to user’s experience — one that’s simple to use, and easy to navigate.

As It can be hard to the perfect hotel that suits all your needs, a good interface makes the world of a difference to help us filter through the extensive list of accommodation options available to find the one we’re looking for.

Things to look out for when booking a hotel room

Reviews

By now you should know that photos can be incredibly deceiving. What seems like the cleanest and biggest villa you’ve ever seen might look the opposite in real life.

So in order to save yourself from major jumpscares when you check in, reviews are very important to find out if these hotels are as great as they claim to be.

Be sure to filter the reviews by ‘newest’ instead of most relevant and it gives you a better idea of the state the of the hotel now, rather than a review that was posted 5 years ago.

Price

Seeing if the hotel fits your budget is definitely of priority. While it may seem like a great opportunity to splurge, keep reminding yourself that the high price tag you’re paying for has to be multiplied for the number of nights you’re staying there.

Alternatively, you can also consider splurging just for a night if the hotel or villa is something you want to experience, then opt for a cheaper option for the rest of your stay.

Beyond that, would you rather blow your budget on a fancy 5-star hotel or would you rather save the money and go for a 2-star hotel, while being able to use the money to spend on other experiences instead?

Weigh your options and ask yourself if the price you;’e paying for is really worth it or not.

Location

You may think staying in the outskirts is worth the huge price difference of your accommodation compared to one located in the central. But is it really worth the time you’ll be spending travelling in and out of that secluded area where your hotel is?

While you may want to save every penny you can, the trade off is that you may spend even more for transportation to get to your ulu apartment, or precious hours commuting to tourist attractions that you don’t want to miss.

Sometimes, paying extra for a good location may be a better choice, but do weigh your options and see if you can find a balance.

FAQ

What are some other ways to save on hotel bookings?

Most of these websites have telegram groups where you can get notified on ongoing promotions and discounts in real time, allowing you to snag the best deals on your hotels.

You can also use websites like ShopBack or Fave that gives you additional cashback on your purchases, or allow you to purchase vouchers at a lower price to make your bookings.

Be sure to also use cashback cards or miles cards to maximise the rewards you can earn on your purchases.

Are online hotel booking websites reliable?

As not every hotel booking website is reliable, it’s a good idea to only make your bookings on websites that are trustworthy and reputable. 

Even if you find a better deal on a site you’ve never heard of before, it may be better to pay a slightly higher price to make your booking on a more reliable site to avoid any unexpected situations when nearer to your travel date.

Is it cheaper to book directly from the official websites?

It depends. At times, official websites may offer the lowest rate compared to other aggregators, but most of the time these aggregators are also able to offer discounts and bundle deals which could potentially make the prices even lower than booking on the official website.

You should always cross-check websites to make sure you’re securing the best deal for the same room you’re eyeing.