1. MoneySavingExpert.com
  2. Travel
Skip to content of guide

In this guide

Tip Email

FREE Weekly MoneySaving email 

For all the latest deals, guides and loopholes simply sign up today - it’s spam free!

FAQs Privacy Past Emails Unsubscribe
FAQs Privacy Past Emails Unsubscribe
Old-fashioned holiday cottage covered in climbing plants.

UK hotels

Bag a bargain in Blighty, including Sunday stays and uni digs

Sally Francis
Sally Francis and Sarah Monro | Edited by Steve Nowottny
Updated 19 May 2021

With many of us likely to be holidaying in the UK this year, cutting the cost of your break could be more important than ever. Here we set out the key steps to bagging a bargain bed in Blighty, plus clever ways to save even more, including the best day to book a bargain, staying at universities – or even kipping in a canal boat or treehouse.

Skip to content of guide

In this guide

Let us know YOUR tips. Let us know if you have any tips to add by posting in the UK Hotels forum thread. Also see our Cheap Hotels guide for tips on booking worldwide, and our guide on how to uncover Secret Hotels.

illustration

Tip Email

FREE Weekly MoneySaving email 

For all the latest deals, guides and loopholes simply sign up today - it’s spam free!

FAQs Privacy Past Emails Unsubscribe
FAQs Privacy Past Emails Unsubscribe

  1. UK hotels have reopened – look for flexible bookings

    If you're thinking of booking a hotel in the UK now that lockdown restrictions are being eased, remember things can change quickly, so check terms and conditions carefully. Look for accommodation which offers flexibility if you're unable to stay due to a change in travel rules or because you or someone you're going with has to self-isolate due to coronavirus symptoms.

    See our full guides on Coronavirus Travel Rights and Coronavirus Life-in-Lockdown Help for the latest info.

  2. Do your homework first to pick the right hotel

    Whether you're visiting the Big Smoke or staycationing in the countryside, the first thing to do is decide where you want to stay. You might already have a particular hotel in mind, but if not, it's important to do your homework.

    When doing your research, it's worth bearing the following in mind:

    • Don't trust the star system

      Star ratings are determined by amenities, not quality – a 5* rating is often based on a pool, swanky reception and conference facilities, not how nice the place is.

      Stars may be given by reviewers, independent bodies or even the hotel itself, so treat them with a pinch of salt. If you really want to check the number of stars, look across a few sites, including the AA's and Visit Britain.

    • Check TripAdvisor for what others have said

      A worldwide institution, TripAdvisor* lists detailed reviews and customer ratings for more than 10,000 hotels across the UK. 

      Generally, the reviews are from past guests and as well as giving objective feedback, they can be a useful source of insider info, eg, telling you the best room to stay in. However, always remember anyone can pen a review. Some hoteliers sign up and post glowing reports of their own hotels.

      See MSE Jenny's blog Free tool to help detect 'fake' Amazon and TripAdvisor reviews for one way to spot them.

    Once you've settled on a hotel, check the price if you were to book it directly – this is a good starting point if you want to haggle later on too. It also means you'll spot if there are any special deals on currently for direct bookings. And then...

  3. Always check a comparison site to see if you can find the same room for less

    Hotel prices vary massively, but thanks to comparison sites, you can easily find the best price for your chosen hotel.

    Laptop displaying a UK hotels comparison website.

    It's not an exact science, and the price you're offered can vary depending on the comparison site you're checking on, so ideally search all three big ones.

    Below is our suggested order, though as prices are much of a muchness and change day-to-day, we've based it on the features each offer, as well as which found the cheapest price in our quick tests.

    • Skyscanner* - Best known for flight comparisons, Skyscanner is also a strong hotel comparisons tool. In our quick tests it found the cheapest price 3/5 times. It has all the standard filters, such as price, star rating etc. Plus you can filter by meal plan and cancellation policy.

    • Kayak* - As well as the standard filters (price, amenities etc), it lets you filter by ambience (eg, 'trendy', 'family', 'eco-friendly') and freebies provided (eg, breakfast, parking, airport shuttle).

    • TripAdvisor* - Popular review site, which provides hotel price comparisons as well as detailed customer reviews. You can filter and rank hotels by traveller rating.

    It's also worth checking HotelsCombined*, TravelSupermarket* and Trivago* for full breadth. And while it's not a comparison site, Hotels.com* can give extra discounts, free stays and member-only prices.

    Former MSE Jordon saved £24 on his booking by going via comparison sites:

    I needed a hotel at Heathrow Airport for a night so went direct to check out prices – I was quoted £89. A quick search via a comparison site brought this down to £65 for the exact same room. And I got more using a cashback site too!

  4. Found a hotel on a comparison site? Call 'em up to see if you can bag a better price booking directly

    Hotels listed on comparison sites have to give the comparison site some of their profit when you book, so they get a smaller share. So, if you find a hotel you like, try giving it a call directly. It may offer you a better deal because it can take the full profit it makes from your booking, then pass some of it back to you as a discount.

    You may need to haggle a little – see our haggling tips to help – but you've nothing to lose. The worst they can say is no, leaving you to book via the comparison site which gave you your original price.

    This works better with smaller chains or independent hotels or B&Bs, but also look out for 'booking direct price guarantees' with bigger chains, eg, Hilton.

  5. Use cashback sites to earn up to 11% back on hotels

    Sign hanging from a door knob saying 'cashback'.

    Cashback websites pay you when you click through them to go to retailers or product providers and spend. In essence, you can get paid for nothing more than an extra click before you get to where you want.

    You can use these sites to shave £100s off the cost of a hotel, if you're away for a while. While rates vary, Topcashback* and Quidco* – the two biggest cashback sites in the UK – pay up to 11% when you book hotels through some sites. When we checked on Tue 11 May, the following cashback on hotels was available:

    • Hotels.com: 11% (Topcashback – for bookings from Sept 2021 onwards)
    • Expedia: 10% (Quidco)
    • Ebookers: 8% (Topcashback and Quidco)

    Of course, we're not saying book via a certain site because the cashback is high – always do a comparison and ensure you can't get a cheaper price overall elsewhere. And remember, too, cashback's not guaranteed, so think of it as a bonus – see our Top Cashback Sites guide for more info.

  6. Uncover huge savings on secret rooms if you're willing to play detective

    Illustration of a detective with a magnifying glass with a pound sign on it looking at hotels.

    With a bit of detective work, mega hotel bargains are available from secret hotel sites. Here, you're only told a star level and rough location – only once you've paid do you find out the hotel's name. This means rock-bottom prices, as hotels needn't worry about losing trade from those who go to them directly.

    You can never be 100% sure which hotel it is before booking, so these sites are not for those desperate to stay at a particular place. But there are usually sneaky ways to discover the hotels' identities to see if it's worth it.

    The biggest site for this in the UK is Lastminute.com* – it also offers similar deals on hotels overseas. For a full how-to and more details, see the Uncovering Secret Hotels guide.

  7. Sunday's the best day to snap up a bargain

    The traditional day of rest is hotels' quietest booking day, so you're more likely to pay less to stay on a Sunday. Also look out for Sunday special offers such as three-for-two nights or free bottles of champers.

    Forumites such as Eileen have saved by booking a Sunday night stay:

    We stayed in La Mon Hotel & Country Club on a Sunday night for £99, which included a two-course meal with a glass of wine or beer and bed and breakfast. On top of this we also got access to the facilities at the hotel including the pool, sauna, jacuzzi, steam rooms and the hubby loved the gym.
    - Eileen B

  8. No-frills UK hotels from just £19 a night

    As long as you've not got an aversion to orange, Easyhotels is another option. It has pads in London, Luton, Glasgow, Edinburgh and elsewhere.

    Normally simple rooms are about £19 a night, but it sometimes offers deals where rooms are as little as £7.99/night. And the earlier you book, the better the chance of a lower price.

  9. Got free cancellation? Cancel and re-book if you see it cheaper

    Close up of a calendar with a 'cancelled' stamp on it and a pen writing a red cross above it.

    Some hotel sites allow you free cancellation up to a certain date – usually no less than 24 hours before you're due to stay. So if you see the price fall, take advantage – cancel your original booking and re-book at the cheaper price. Sometimes you can even do this with the same site you originally booked with.

    For some, you do have to pay in full at the time of booking, even if you're able to cancel penalty-free. In that case you'll need to factor in whether you have the funds available to cancel and re-book, bearing in mind that the refund from the original more expensive booking may take a couple of days to come through.

    Hotels.com*, Booking.com and a host of others have free cancellation bookings, as do some hotels if you book directly with them – just be sure to check the terms and conditions of your booking. See our Cheap Hotels guide for more. 

  10. Bag luxurious UK bargains by signing up to short-term sales sites

    Sites such as Secret Escapes and Travelzoo* offer big discounts on luxury hotels worldwide, plus often throw in other treats like afternoon tea, dinner and bottles of prosecco on arrival. It's free to sign up – you just need to log in to see what's available.

    Hotel companies and travel brokers also often offer short-term sales for 24 or 48 hours and are worth looking at. However, as always, do your own research to see whether you're really getting a great deal, or if you can beat it elsewhere.

    Photo of several houses, a church, a bridge and a river in a picturesque village.

  11. Monitor the latest hotel deals

    This guide helps you cut the cost of UK hotels (see our Cheap Hotels guide for worldwide tips), but it's always worth looking out for sales and special one-off promotions which can save you a packet. Offers can include free night stays, or a limited number of rooms available at a heavily reduced rate.

    £29ish Travelodge rooms – but go quickly

    Travelodge* has a sale with 2.4 million 'saver rooms' (room-only, so no brekkie) for £29 or less per night. It's for stays from 17 May 2021 to 14 March 2022.

    The key to this is to just check which day has the cheaper prices. They’re launched in tranches (this sale started on Tuesday 4 May) and when they’re gone they’re gone. Travelodge says the sale includes seaside hotspots such as Brighton, Great Yarmouth and Southend-on-Sea.

    The £29 rooms are available online across various dates – the Travelodge price finder* can help by showing all dates, locations and prices in one place, but it helps to be flexible.

    What if I need to cancel? You can change your saver-rate booking to another date, as long as you do it before 12pm on the day of arrival. Travelodge normally charged for this pre-pandemic but it's waived the fee 'until further notice' – see its coronavirus update.

    Premier Inn rooms 'from £29'

    Premier Inn* also has many rooms from £29. While some rooms are always available at that rate, it's added more in popular locations such as Bristol, Cardiff and Edinburgh for stays after 17 May 2021. It can be hit-and-miss if the room you want is £29 though so you'll need to be flexible on when (and possibly where) you stay to bag the cheapest rooms.

    Keep your eyes peeled for discounts and deals on our Hotel Sales page.

  12. Slash the cost of city-centre stays by finding university digs outside term time

    Always thought you could've got into Oxford or Cambridge University? Well, now you can. The fab site University Rooms rents halls-of-residence rooms left empty during the holidays in a host of UK cities, including London, Oxford and Cambridge, plus a few worldwide. Singles start at about £30 and doubles from £70.

    While it's not the Ritz, many MoneySavers have been pleasantly surprised. It can be a surprisingly cost-effective way of staying very centrally, and the surroundings at Oxford and Cambridge colleges in particular can be stunning. The website Travelstay also lists cheap university rooms across the UK.

    Here are three of our top picks:

    • King's College London halls: on London's South Bank – £49/night single room, compared with a typical hotel room costing around £150/night.

    • Edinburgh University halls: £85/night twin ensuite, typical hotel room around £130/night.

    • Gonville and Caius College, University of Cambridge: £116/night double room, typical hotel room around £130/night.

  13. Scout around for special opening rates

    New hotels often offer special rates to drum up custom, sometimes giving you 50% off or even complimentary stays. New hotel openings are listed in industry publications such as Hotel News Resource and Hotel Designs.

    You can also pick up this information by scanning social media sites and keeping an eye on local newspapers. It's also worth calling a hotel directly to ask about special rates (a bit of sweet talk goes a long way).

  14. Use Tesco points to knock £100s off big chains' rack rates

    Regular Tesco shoppers who have collected Tesco Clubcard points can trade them in for Rewards Vouchers*, which can be spent at Hotels.com and hotel chains such as Hilton, Butlins and Mercure.

    The big advantage is that Clubcard points are worth 1p in store, but their value's up to three times as much when converted to 'Rewards'. 

    The snag is hotels usually only let you use vouchers against their rack rates (ie, normal prices), which can be much higher than the cheapest internet ones. Before exchanging Clubcard vouchers, check the price on comparison sites first to work out the real size of your saving. You may get better value for your vouchers elsewhere. 

    For more on maxing Tesco vouchers' value, read our Boost Tesco Points guide.

    Close up of the Tesco logo on the handle of a shopping trolley.

  15. Sign up to loyalty schemes for mates' rates

    Many hotel chains have free-to-join loyalty schemes, such as Best Western Rewards, Hilton Honors, Intercontinental Hotels Group Rewards Club* and Marriott Rewards. 

    They're worth joining, not so much for the free stays, which can take ages to clock up, but for the special offers they send members. Extra benefits, such as free room upgrades, early check-in, a free newspaper and a discount on hotel restaurants, are often included.

    Plus if you call the hotel and ask for a discount or an upgrade when you check in, you're more likely to get one as a 'preferred guest'.

  16. Many hostels are just dirt-cheap, not dirty – stay in a castle from £23/night

    Hostels can offer massive savings over hotel prices. While a few may be dodgy, many are clean with friendly staff, and have free internet access and breakfast.

    You're also more likely to strike up a conversation in a hostel than a Hilton. And don't automatically think dorm bunk either – many offer singles, twins and doubles.

    To check prices and availability, try the Youth Hostels Association* (YHA) and Hostelling Scotland. Both boast some pretty special properties including fabulous shooting lodges and Victorian mansions such as Ilam Hall in Derbyshire.

    If you've never stayed in a hostel before, there's a handy list of Q&As on the YHA website which covers everything from whether you need to bring your own bedding to how you can keep your belongings safe.

    MoneySavers' top UK hostels

    Many MoneySavers in our forum rave about great hostels – you can read some of their feedback or add your own in the Great 'Hidden UK Hostel Gems' Hunt. Some MoneySavers' top picks include:

    • In Gloucestershire, YHA St Briavels Castle is located in a moated Norman castle (see picture below). When we checked, we saw private rooms from £39/night while dorm beds started at £15/night. JellyS says: "I had an amazing time – they had a special 'castle night' on with authentic food and ghost stories. Was really good fun."

    Photo of YHA St Briavels Castle in Gloucestershire.

    • Downhill Beach House in Northern Ireland is one of the best hostels they've ever experienced. It's mega-cheap and set in scenery used to film the smash TV fantasy series Game of Thrones. Private doubles start at £25/per person, and private four-beds are £20/per person. Forumite belfastgirl1 says: "On Northern Ireland's stunning Causeway Coast – it's beautiful inside and out".
       

    • Black Sail hostel in the Lake District with dorm rooms at £35/night is picked out by Knitaholic2: "Not just a bargain but also unique and beautiful buildings, often lovely grounds and space to relax – so much better than B&Bs and boring chain hotels".
       

    • Littlewolfmonkey stayed in the Safestay Edinburgh hostel (previously called Smart City Hostel). For five friends for two nights it was £230. "We had our own six-person dorm with a lockable door – clean and right in the centre of town and not far from transport links. There was also a cheap bar, with breakfast served first thing and food throughout the day. I'd definitely use it again."

  17. Look out for Travelodge's regular sales

    Hotel chain Travelodge* has 'saver' room rates from £29, and it also runs regular sales. The ultra-cheap rooms are released in batches – to bag serious bargains you need to know when a new lot has been released. If you can book your room at the start of a sale, there should be widespread availability.

    Our regularly updated Travelodge Sales deals page lets you know when the latest sale starts, and Travelodge sale updates are regularly included in our free weekly MoneySaving email.

  18. Going with a group? Consider an apartment or cottage rental with Airbnb or others

    If there are a few of you planning a UK getaway, consider getting a holiday rental instead of a hotel. There are plenty of country cottages or beachside hideaways on offer across the UK – and there are options if you're staying in cities too.

    With so many to choose from, using a holiday rental site such as Airbnb, Clickstay*, TripAdvisor* and Vrbo* will make the whole thing easier.

    Our forumites are keen on holiday rentals:

    What's great about renting a villa is that they tend to be owned by individuals, so it's a really good chance to talk to someone who knows the area really well and can give tips.
    - Tomkerswill

    Read the full lowdown on how to book self-catering accommodation in our Cheap Holiday Rentals guide.

  19. Holiday in the UK from £9.50 per person (plus charges) with The Sun

    You can bag four-day holiday park breaks for around £44 for four people by collecting tokens in The Sun newspaper.

    There are over 330 parks included across the UK and prices start at £9.50 per person, but a £13.50-£60 service charge per booking is usually added on top. (If you want to go further afield there are a huge number of options in Europe too.)

    The way it works is you pick four dates and four parks you'd like, and hope for the best – you'll be allocated the exact date after booking. You can't cancel or amend your booking after making it though, so double-check you can make all your options beforehand. Check out The Sun '£9.50' Holidays for full details.

  20. Sleep under the stars with a camping holiday

    Good ol' camping's a fun way to explore the great British outdoors and get away on the cheap. MoneySavers rate the website UKCampsite.co.uk, which lists sites by area and facilities. It also includes user reviews.

    Photo of two dome tents in a field beneath a star-filled dark sky, with hills in the background.

    Read the Great Camping Hunt for a full list of MoneySavers' top tips on safe, hassle-free camping, plus if you've any of your own, please add them. It lists everything from where to find the cheapest tents to what to cook over the fire. Forumite Webspyder loves camping, whatever the weather:

    If you go camping for a little bit of adventure and being at one with nature, you won't be disappointed if you experience a little weathering, especially in our British climate. If anything the weather should enhance your experience. Kids love the excitement and cosy feeling of being under 'canvas' when it rains!

  21. Try a house-swap holiday

    A number of home-swapping sites such as Home Base Holidays, HomeExchange.com and Homelink allow you to switch your home with one elsewhere in the world – and while overseas swaps are more common, that can include in the UK.

    To join you'll usually have to pay an annual fee but in return you won't pay any accommodation costs during your stay.

    Reports vary from a way to make lifelong friends to holidays from hell, so always check reviews first and ask lots of questions before you sign up. See the Great Travel Swapping Hunt for tons more tips, like this from forumite Jola 36:

    Not only have I had free accommodation abroad, but I've also done non-simultaneous exchanges and had people to stay in my flat and look after my pets while I was away. It helps that I live in Edinburgh, which is a tourist destination.

  22. Stay in a UK holiday camp

    The UK's full of holiday camps which are always popular for family breaks – fresh air, wholesome fun and plenty of activities to tire out the kids.

    One of the best known is Center Parcs, which has five locations across the UK. Prices aren't cheap, but there are some ways to save. Book as early as possible to cut costs – it's already taking bookings for 2020. Otherwise you'll pay as much as £1,300 for a four-night break, in a cabin sleeping 6-10, at peak times.

    Once you're there, costs can add up, so consider limiting meals out and eating in instead. Load up the car with the family's bikes and cycle the trails surrounding the parks and use the swimming pool – it's one of the few things already included. See our 16 Center Parcs Tricks for more ways to save.

    There are cheaper options too, such as Butlins, Haven* and Pontins*. If you choose one of these, look out for discounts as you can often pick up offers online or in local newspapers. Plus keep an eye on our Butlins deals page – we'll post new ones when they're available.

  23. Embrace your adventurous side – sleep in the trees, on a canal boat or someone's sofa

    If you want to step off the beaten track and explore more adventurous accommodation, you don't have to go far – there's plenty to choose from in the UK. 

    Two wooden cabins on stilts in a sun-dappled, leafy forest.

    You can hire a yurt from around £80 a night, stay in a canal boat for around £1,200 for a nine-berth boat for a seven-day break, or hole up in a treehouse for around £90/night for two.

    The internet's the best place to find and book an unusual place to stay – several websites such as Canopy and Stars, Waterways Holidays and Forest Holidays list non-traditional holiday rentals.

    Alternatively, if you're travelling alone and on a tight budget, you might want to try couch surfing – check out the website couchsurfing.com. You won't pay anything to stay on someone else's sofa but there's a fee to verify your ID (optional but it may make people more willing to put you up for the night).

Share this guide
MSE Forum

Have your say in our forum!

UK Hotels

Spotted out of date info/broken links? Email: brokenlink@moneysavingexpert.com

MSE tools & calculators

Clever ways to calculate your finances 

Credit Card Eligibility

See which cards are likely to accept you

Tool

Loans Eligibility

See which loans you've the best chance of getting

Tool

MSE App

Get MSE on your Apple or Android phone

Tool

Broadband Unbundled

Compare broadband deals & save

Tool

Mortgage best buys

Compares thousands of mortgages

Tool

Mortgage Calculator

Eight calcs for all your mortgage sums

Tool
Tools and calculators

What the * means above
If a link has an * by it, that means it is an affiliated link and therefore it helps MoneySavingExpert stay free to use, as it is tracked to us. If you go through it, it can sometimes result in a payment or benefit to the site. It's worth noting this means the third party used may be named on any credit agreements.

You shouldn’t notice any difference and the link will never negatively impact the product. Plus the editorial line (the things we write) is NEVER impacted by these links. We aim to look at all available products. If it isn't possible to get an affiliate link for the top deal, it is still included in exactly the same way, just with a non-paying link. For more details, read How this site is financed.

Duplicate links of the * links above for the sake of transparency, but this version doesn't help MoneySavingExpert.com: 

Clickstay, Haven, Hotels.com, HotelsCombined, Intercontinental Hotels Group Rewards Club, Kayak, Pontins, Quidco, Skyscanner, Tesco Clubcard, Topcashback, TravelSupermarket, Travelzoo, TripAdvisor, Trivago, Vrbo, Youth Hostels Association

MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 303190). The registered office address of both MoneySupermarket.com Group PLC and MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited (registered in England No. 3157344) is MoneySupermarket House, St. David's Park, Ewloe, Chester, CH5 3UZ. MoneySavingExpert.com Limited is an appointed representative of MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited.