Agoda.com, the online booking site, has revealed the best times of year for travelers to obtain the cheapest hotel rates.
In its ‘Travel Smart Study’, the company analyzed the hotel rates booked on Agoda.com in 2014 for 25 of the most popular tourist destinations worldwide.
The results revealed that for many destinations, the cheapest time to book hotels is at the beginning of the year. Average room rates during the first two weeks of January were below average in 22 of the 25 studied markets. And while many travelers don’t consider September and October as high season, those months tended to be most expensive or hotel rooms.
For European destinations, mid-March was found to be the best time to book, with hotel rooms in Paris, Berlin, Rome, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Stockholm and London as much as 20% cheaper than average. July is considered high season in many destinations, but hotel rooms in Sydney and New York are actually cheaper than average in this month.
In Asia however, hotel rates in popular destinations were found to be fairly consistent throughout the year, with few major discounts. For example, in Hong Kong the biggest discount found was 11% in May or June.
Bangkok was found to be cheapest in June and October, Singapore in May, Taipei in July and September, Kuala Lumpur in October, and Hanoi in August and December. Seoul was cheapest in January and Tokyo in September.
“For many travellers, price is the most important factor in deciding when and where to go. This data can help travelers get the most out of their money,” said John Brown, chief operating officer of Agoda.com.
The study looked at data for 2014, but the timing of annual holidays such as Chinese New Year and Ramadan, as well as other major events would impact the figures.
I think mid-March is a great time to visit some European destinations , if you are lucky enough there is a week when everything's blooming and you can capture for example magnolias and pink blossoms. However I do not recommend visiting Vienna for example in January,even that beautiful city looks depressing then.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the great advice Epepa! You are indeed one of the globe-trotter.
DeleteI had only just recently heard about this site after writing a post on the best sites for booking flights so I will think about using this if I travel to Asia.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sheri for visiting us! Where will be your next destination?
DeleteWe have lately grown a passion for travelling and we have struggled a lot to get cost effective flights and rooms. May be choosing months is also one of the important factors, you have some great information and analysis, thanks for sharing! Bookmarked!
ReplyDeleteThank you guys! And am so glad this post is a huge help for you :)
DeleteAs a non-parent, I deliberately travel when kids are in school. Off-peak travel means fewer crowds and better deals. Europe in February is less expensive and no crowds at all!!
ReplyDeleteOh that's cool! So February is the best for lovers and honeymooners to visit Europe :) Thank you Jennifer!
DeleteHi there, Blair! These are some nice tips, but I think with the ongoing promo fares from CebuPac and Airasia and the burgeoning number of budget hotels, Southeast Asia is a "cheap" place to travel to all year round.
ReplyDeleteHello Dear,
DeleteYeah I also frequently visit their sites and their promo fares are so crazy! So low and cheap, that are also cool especially for those who are expect travelers on low-budget. Sometimes super cheap flights makes me think twice too, because it means getting away with other services that are necessary too. No more rebooking which is sucks.
This is perfect. Thank you. Its so hard to google and get a proper answer. I love saving money
ReplyDeleteSaving money is also my lifestyle!
DeleteWe booked Bangkok in June for that very reason, we found super inexpensive tickets! We're looking at Vietnam or Bali for December, so this is super helpful!
ReplyDeleteHello Star,
DeleteHow's you trips from Bali or Vietnam? Did you guys go?
We prefer travelling when it is off season, this has the double benefit of lesser crowds and cheaper flights and accomodation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with that, and you'll have a more opportunity to visit the sites and capture proper photos with less distractions.
DeleteOoh. This is informative. I don't have actual figures to show it, but in the Philippines the best time to travel is from the months of June to November, excluding the holidays of course. The caveat is that it's also the rainy season, hence the cheap rates for accommodations and tours. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree. It is much cheaper in the Philippines during rainy season. You just have to brace yourself for many adventures you'll face.
DeleteSo interesting to learn, because sometimes when you're picking a destination for a gateway you don't know how much you're going to pay for it. I found it interesting and rewarding especially when you have the travel bug!
ReplyDeleteThat's right. Knowing the lean and peak season of every destinations you like saves you time, money and effort on scheduling your trips.
DeleteI love to travel and these days im in search of budget travel plans. thanks for the post. It helped me a lot.
ReplyDeleteyou are always welcome, and keep on visiting my blog!
DeleteThis is interesting to know about! I am from NYC and I wouldn't have guessed that July would be the cheapest month. But I usually don't consider this when I travel since I don't have a choice about when to take my vacation!
ReplyDeleteHello dear,
DeleteThank you for visiting! Where is your next destination?
Very informative:)
ReplyDeleteThe Agoda website has always been helpful in my opinion. When it comes to destinations in July I find the accomodations in Europe way too pricey. I prefer doing the trips during March & April. Thanks for highlighting this. It was quite informative.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lance for sharing Agoda. I agree Agoda works well too!
DeleteThanks for sharing this great piece of information! Travel would be cheaper if we consider the seasonal factors!
ReplyDeleteHello Ana,
DeleteYes and constant research on more options especially there are more and more means to travel cheaply.
Quite an informational post. Destinations across Southeast Asia are definitely at their cheapest during June-July-August due to the monsoon season. Now that I am a budget traveler, price is the factor for me.
ReplyDeleteThank you Tamshuk! Hey where is your next destination?
DeleteThis is a very useful article. It can get tiring trying to figure out when is the best period to go to different places. It helps a lot knowing in which period you are likely to find discounts. Thanks for sharing this
ReplyDeleteYou are always welcome Andra. Keep on visiting my blog for more travel tips!
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