Going on a trip and need to book a room? Here are some of the best places to find a great deal on a hotel online.
Online booking sites allow you to compare the world’s hotels to find the best deal. Whether you like to stay in only the finest establishments, want to rent a flat and immerse yourself in the local scene, or are looking to stick to a budget, there are literally thousands of options out there. You just need to know where to look.
Top 20 sites to book hotels online
Hotels.com
Expedia
Wotif
Webjet
Travel Factory
HotelsCombined
HotelClub
Helloworld
Roomarama
Booking.com
BYOJet
Virgin Australia
Hostelbookers.com
OneTravel
Turu
CheapAir
Accor Hotels
Groupon
LivingSocial
OurDeal
Before you book your hotel
READ MORE: How to compare hotel deals
READ MORE: 10 tips to get a cheap hotel deal
READ MORE: Luxury stays in Sydney for less than RRP
1. Hotels.com
An offshoot of Expedia, Hotels.com has got the scale to search every corner of the web to help you find yoru perfect hotel.
Customer reviews for every property available
Rewards program
Toll-free helpline from Australia
Go to Hotels.com
2. Expedia
Search for all types of accommodation including guesthouses, B&Bs, hotels, hostels and more.
One of the largest online accommodation search networks available.
Price match guarantee.
Rated 92% by customers on Feefo reviews.
Go to Expedia
3. Wotif
Search and book hotels and other travel services worldwide with a locally based Australian travel agent.
Daily deals
Australian based
Over 500,000 properties available globally
Go to Wotif
4. Webjet
Multi-award winning Australian operated online agency for flights hotels, packages and more.
Customer service helpline available 24/7
Earn and redeem Flybys on all bookings
Award winning
Go to Webjet
5. Travel Factory
Package holidays and guided tours for every budget and travel style.
Sign-up for a discount on your first booking
Flash sales
Deals on hotels, packages, travel goods and accessories
Go to Travel Factory
6. HotelsCombined
Compare all the top travel engines such as Expedia and Booking.com in one place to find the most competetive price.
Winner of World’s Travel Award for the World’s Leading Hotel Comparison site in 2014
No booking fee
Top rated on Trustpilot
Go to HotelsCombined
7. HotelClub
The travel club that is free to join and promises huge savings on all travel expenses.
Happiness guarantee
Member extras and exclusives
Rewards program
Go to HotelClub
8. Helloworld
Helloworld’s customer service and booking engine won the award for Best Travel Agency Group at the AFTA NAtional Travel Industry Awards in 2014.
24/7 customer support
No booking fees
Hotel best price guarantee
Go to Helloworld
9. Roomorama
300,000 available flats and rooms available for rent all over the world.
All hosts are verified
Roomorama Instant guarantees booking immediately
Rent a whole flat and stay like a local
Go to Roomorama
10. Booking.com
One the the most popular online hotel booking sites in the world.
Over 690,000 properties available
No booking fees
24/7 customer service
Go to Booking.com
11. BYOJet
An affiliate of Helloworld, BYOJet is an Australian-based travel agency and online booking service.
Live Online chat support available 24/7
Best price guarantee
Australian owned and operated
Go to BYOJet
12. Virgin Australia
You can book accommodation from one of Australia's favourite airline companies, and use your Velocity points to save.
Family benefits with the Velocity rewards program
Daily deals and special offers
Partners with Agoda for international hotel reservations
Go to Virgin Australia
13. Hostelbookers.com
For the young and young at heart, hostelbookers is one of the leading online services to book a backpacker’s hostel.
Only major hostel site that has no booking fees
Lowest price guarantee
All bookings are immediately confirmed
Go to Hostelbookers.com
14. OneTravel
Search for hundreds of thousands of properties worldwide.
Rewards program
24/7 customer service
Last minute deals
Go to OneTralve
15. Turu
Turu is Australia's specialists for caravan park, holiday park and vacation bookings.
No booking fees
Sign up for special news and exclusive offers
Customer service available via phone or email
Go to Turu
16. CheapAir
Compare offers from the world’s hotels to find your perfect room – at the perfect price.
Lowest prices guaranteed
Payment methods include bitcoins and litecoins
Seasonal sales
Go to CheapAir
17. Accor Hotels
For high-flyers and lovers of luxury: Accor Hotel group offers the only the best for your hotel needs.
Members receive exclusive treatments, prices and offers
Online check-in/checkout service
Le Club Accor Hotels loyalty program cares for you throughout your travel
Go to Accor Hotels
18. Groupon
Get a discount coupon to use at a hotel booking site, or search for discounted accommodation with Groupon directly.
Flash sales every day
Everything available with the app
Last minute deals
Go to Groupon
19. LivingSocial
Lovers of coupons deals and flash sales: LivingSocial is the big thing.
Special prices on hotels available with the coupons
Coupons can also be used to book with an agency
Savings of up to 80%
Go to LivingSocial
20. OurDeal
Looking for a fantastic deal on a hotel? OurDeal Travel is a great place to start.
Refunds can be claimed within two weeks of purchase
Up to 80% off hotels and accommodation
Great ideas for different places to stay while you are away
Go to OurDeal
Which agents don’t charge a booking fee?
Expedia
Wotif
Webjet
HotelsCombined
Booking.com
Virgin Australia
Hostelbookers.com
Turu
How much do these agents ask for a hotel deposit?
Agent
Deposit required
Hotels.com
Varies depending on property
Expedia
No deposit required
Wotif
Varies depending on property
Webjet
No deposit required
Travel Factory
Varies, depending on property and conditions
HotelsCombined
Deposit varies depending on the property
HotelClub
10% of the reservation amount
Helloworld
Total reservation amount required at the time of booking
Roomorama
Total reservation amount required at the time of booking
Booking.com
No deposit required
BYOjet
Total reservation amount required at the time of booking
Virgin Australia
A deposit is required for some properties
Hostelbookers.com
15% of the reservation amount
OneTravel
Deposit required by some hotels
Turu
Total reservation amount required at the time of booking
CheapAir
Total reservation amount required at the time of booking
Accor Hotels
Deposit required by some hotels
Groupon
Deposit may be required depending on the offer
LivingSocial
Deposit may be required depending on the offer
OurDeal
Deposit may be required depending on the offer
Which agents offer cheap rooms?
One of the most important things to consider when you want to find a cheap place to stay is that hotels, hostels, b&bs, guesthouses and holiday rentals will vary greatly in price depending on the time of year, the time of booking and how full they are. That’s why it's important to compare lots of different properties before making a reservation. You might be able to find a bargain on a normally pricier hotel if you book last minute and grab a room that is still unsold.
Renting whole apartments is another way to get more value from your accommodation. Sites like Roomorama or Turu tend to offer self contained accommodation. If you are sharing with a friend it could even be cheaper than a traditional hotel, and you can save extra by using the kitchen.
If you don’t mind shared accommodation, Hostelbookers and other hostel booking sites is definitely a budget way to travel.
Always read the terms and conditions when making a reservation to get the best deal and take advantage of the price match guarantee. While most larger booking engines will offer comparable pricing (and often will advertise the same hotels) extras like taxes, booking fees and other charges can really add up over time. Larger sites such as Expedia, Booking.com and HotelsCombined advertise thousands of hotels at once and allow you to search by price, so you can book a hotel room that is on sale for your dates.
Which agents offer a Price Match Guarantee?
Hotels.com – Price match guarantee for the same room in the same accommodation right up until you check in.
Expedia – If you find a cheaper rate Expedia will match it and give you a $50 travel voucher, with some conditions.
Wotif – Wotif will match any lower price for the same room and accommodation within 24 hours of booking, with some conditions.
Webjet – Price match guarantee with any other price for the same accommodation available for booking online.
HotelsCombined – HotelsCombined will refund the difference if you find the same accommodation for a lower price, unless it is a link provided by HostelsCombined.
HotelClub – Price match guarantee available within 24 hours of reservation.
Helloworld – Price match guarantee available within 24 hours of reservation.
Booking.com – Price match guarantee with any other price for the same accommodation available for booking online.
BYOJet – Price match guarantee available within 24 hours of reservation.
Virgin Australia – Price match guarantee on any available online price.
Hostelbookers.com – If you find a lower price on the same room withe the same conditions Hostelbookers will refund you twice the amount of the difference.
CheapAir – Price match guarantee for flights only. If the price drops after you purchase through CheapAir they will refund your the difference (up to $100) in the form of travel credit.
Accor Hotels – Accor Hotels will match any lower price available online, and then beat it by 10%.
Which sites let you book a hotel with Paypal?
Most larger booking sites will support PayPal payments, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you will be able to use it for all hotels. While the option is there, hotels themselves are often able to opt to accept the payment method or not. If a hotel accepts PayPal, you should see a little PayPal icon on the hotel information when you go to make a reservation.
Booking.com, Expedia, Hotelscombined, Hostelbookers, Wotif, Hotels.com and Helloworld all support PayPal payments.
Best hotel promo codes and deals July 2015
Hotels.com - Save $50 on a $300+ Booking at Select Hotels
Save $50 on a $300+ Booking at Select Hotels at Hotels.com.
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Coupon code
Last verified 25 Jun 2014
Deal expires 31 Oct 2015 12:00am
Hotels.com - 5% off a new hotel-only booking at a participating hotel
Get 5% off a new hotel-only booking at a participating hotel
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Coupon code
Last verified 13 May 2014
Deal expires 31 Oct 2015 12:00am
Hotels.com - Save 10% on Select Hotels
Save 10% on select hotels by using this code at Hotels.com.
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Coupon code
Last verified 23 Jul 2014
Deal expires 31 Oct 2015 12:00am
Get 5% off your hotel booking
Get 5% off on select hotels when you spend $50 or more at Hotels.com. For US bookings only.
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Coupon code
Last verified 10 Mar 2015
Deal expires 31 Dec 2015 11:00pm
Hotels.com - Extra 10% Off with Minimum 2 Night Stay
Get extra 10% off at Hotels.com with this code on top of current discounts on a great range of hotels for minimum 2 night stay.
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Last verified 4 Jul 2014
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Hotels.com - Last Minute Deals
Find the Last Minute Deals at Hotels.com.
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Last verified 18 Jul 2014
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Last verified 17 Jun 2015
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Expedia.com - Up to 60% off on Playa Grande Resort & Grand Spa in Los Cabos
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Stretch your stay and save up to 25%
Save up to 25% when you stretch your stay in Oz, NZ, Asia, or the Pacific at Wotif.
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Last verified 17 Jun 2015
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Last verified 30 Mar 2015
Stay two nights and save 30%
Book a stay at a TFE property through Webjet and save up to 30%
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Last verified 9 Jul 2015
Deal expires 17 Jul 2015 12:00am
Compare thousands of travel sites and save up to 80%
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Last verified 4 Feb 2015
The Extraordinary Mid Year Sale
Save up to 60% on worldwide hotel stays and get extra benefits
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Last verified 9 Jul 2015
Deal expires 1 Aug 2015 12:00am
Stay 2 night, 3rd night free
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Last verified 26 May 2015
Deal expires 31 Aug 2015 11:00pm
Up to 30% off selected hotels
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Last verified 26 May 2015
Earn up to 7% back on every booking
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Last verified 26 May 2015
Get great hotel deals
Great hotel deals with helloworld.com.au