After an initial booking of any hotel, I always monitor the price to see if it drops.
You can read a full description of how this works here.
Basically, after I book a flight, I book a flexible hotel rate.
Then, I monitor it as well as other hotels to see if the price drops.
It doesn’t drop all the time, but it does enough for me to always do this.
On my Vegas trip, I really lucked out.
I was interested in the Vdara, Aria, and the Bellagio.
I will explain later in this post.
I ended up choosing the Vdara.
It was originally $250 three to four weeks before my trip.
A week or so before my trip, it dropped to $150 with the $50 resort fee included
The Vdara is Aria’s sister property, located in the center of the Strip.
My Hotel Plans For Vegas
I am new to visiting Vegas which is why I wanted to return quickly.
My first trip was last year in March.
I returned this February.
It took me almost a year to return, so I don’t know if that was quick, but I did return.
Honestly, with more points, it won’t take me almost a year to return to Vegas.
That is another post though.
I love hotels, and Vegas has a lot of properties that interest me including:
- Bellagio
- Vdara
- Aria
- Cosmopolitan
- Hilton Resorts World
- Conrad
I found out that luxury hotels are cheaper in Vegas than other places, so later I would even include the Wynn, Waldorf, and Fontainebleu.
I had booked my flight.
After I knew what dates I would be staying, I saw that the Vdara and surprisingly, the Bellagio were in my price range.
My price range starts at $200-$250 per night, and then goes down.
Even though that is supposed to be my price range, it is really more like $150.
When I fly every month, it is on my own dime.
So, I try to keep costs down.
I have found that around $150 is actually more realistic.
In December, I stayed at the Embassy Suites in Downtown Washington, D.C. for $180 with taxes.
In October, I stayed at the Doubletree in Downtown L.A. for $180 with taxes
Sometimes, you don’t need as much money as you think to travel.
Eventually, I will use more points on my trips though.
I only stay at upscale Hiltons, Marriotts, Hyatts, or similar too.
At the $150 price range, three weeks before my stay, the only option that was acceptable for me was Hilton Resort’s World.
I have a requirement that the hotel be a nice upscale one, usually Hilton, Marriott, or Hyatt again.
That is important part of the travel experience for me.
Honestly, in being flexible with dates, it has not been hard to get a Hilton or Marriott in the center of each city for around $150.
I don’t travel to places in high season though (or try not too).
In case you don’t know, high season is when places are more expensive.
For example, winter in Miami, or spring break at Disney.
Some cities are also cheaper through the week.
Some are cheaper on the weekend.
Vegas is usually cheaper through the week.
Again, Hilton Resort’s World was the best option for $150 when I booked the flight three weeks in an advance.
It is located on the North Strip.
The Las Vegas Strip is divided into 3 sections: the North Strip, Center Strip, and South Strip.
The Center Strip is the prime location.
This is around the Bellagio and Aria.
On my first trip to Vegas, I stayed at the Sahara near Resort’s World on the North Strip.
I got that hotel for $130.
You can even get the Sahara for $80.
On that trip, I just wanted to get to Vegas
An influencer had recommended it.
It was a good value hotel.
On this trip, I wanted a Central Strip property like Vdara, Aria, or Bellagio.
If you are a first time visitor to Las Vegas, the Central Strip is probably best.
It is where all the action on the Strip is.
The Vdara is a nice upscale hotel.
It may be sometimes cheaper than other similar MGM properties because it does not have a casino or lots of restaurants.
It is more upscale than MGM properties like Excalibur though.
‘It is in the center of the Strip again, connected to Aria and Bellagio.
I will write the review later.
I enjoyed my stay.
How The Vdara Dropped From $250 To $150
As I monitored prices before my trip, about a week and a half before my check in date, both The Bellagio and Vdara prices dropped.
The Bellagio went from $320 to $230.
The Vdara went from $250 to $180.
Again, I was interested in the Bellagio, Aria, or Vdara.
The Aria never went down, and stayed over $300.
I can stay at the Aria another time.
Keep in mind that getting a deal is harder in Vegas on the weekends though.
The prices above were on the Marriott site.
Marriott and MGM have a partnership.
You save money by booking through the MGM site though.
This can be 15-40%.
At the time, MGM was having a 40% off sale.
So, with the MGM discount, the Bellagio was $190 instead of $230.
The Vdara was $150 instead of $180.
In using my trick, sometimes, the price can go back up.
Rebook as soon as you see a price drop.
The next day, the price could go back up.
Because Vegas hotels require you to pay the full price when you book, I was lazy about the good deal at the Bellagio.
The price went back up to $220 the next day on the MGM site.
Though $220 is not a bad deal for the Bellagio, it was still a $70 difference from the Vdara.
Right now, I feel lucky to fly and stay in hotels every month.
Next time, I will make sure to stay at Bellagio though
Though the Vdara was the same price as Hilton Resort’s World, this was a central location which is important.
I usually always stay in the center of every city, but will compromise if prices are outrageous.
My trip to Vegas was in February doing winter, the slow season in Vegas.
When I looked at later months, the prices seemed similar though if choosing a weekday.
Make Sure To Use Flexible Calendars At Marriott and Hilton
I should note on my last trip to Vegas, I got no where near these hotel prices.
That is why I ended up staying at the Sahara.
I was concentrating on only the flight price though.
It was also around spring break too.
This was when I first begin flying every month (or trying to).
Though booking an airline ticket is always the first step in the trip planning, I also suggest you monitor hotels while looking at flights.
Use flexible calendars at Hilton , Marriott, or other sites to find the lowest rates.
Then, you will know the cheapest hotel dates when you go to book your flight.
You can then try to make sure that the two overlap.
Summary
Waiting for hotels prices to drop is one of my favorite tactics in booking a hotel.
It has saved me hundreds.
It doesn’t work all the time, but it works enough.
If you are not dealing with a high demand period or the hotel is not already cheap, the price will probably drop.
This worked well in Vegas.
The city has a lot of hotels.
I use this trick in every city though.
Again, it doesn’t work all the time, but it works enough.
Remember, most hotels will allow you to cancel up to 3 days in a advance with no penalty.
If the price hasn’t changed by then, I usually give up.
Make sure to try this trick to see if you can save money on your next hotel.
You can even get the best location.
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