TAMPA, Fla. — Between March and May, hotel prices rose 11 percent. The national average for a hotel room hit $171 a night this summer. Whether you are looking to book next week or next year simply downloading a couple of apps could slash the cost of your stay.
Tech expert, author and frequent traveler Marc Saltzman says he discovered the Pruvo app a couple of years ago.
Here's how it works
Book a hotel room on any site, Expedia, Hotels.com, even directly with the hotel. Just make sure the reservation is refundable. Then send the reservation to Pruvo. If the hotel drops its price before you check-in, Pruvo sends a notification and users are walked through the steps of how to rebook the room at the lower rate.
”Why would you pay more than you need to?” said Saltzman, who estimates Pruvo saves him $30-40 a night on average.
Hopper is another app that helps rein in room costs. It recently added a new price freeze feature for hotels, allowing users to lock in the best rate on a specific hotel for up to 60 days.
“When you’re coming onto Hopper, we’ll guarantee the price point for you," a Hopper spokesperson said.
Hopper estimates an average savings of $43 for a typical 2-3 night booking.
But keep in mind hotels drop their rates somewhere between 40 to 50 percent of the time after you book. Whether the rates drop or go higher these apps work to protect your wallet.
