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PSA: My old way of booking hostels was costing me a fortune
Back in 2015, I would only book hostels through the big booking sites, thinking that was the only way. I paid about $35 a night for a bed in Prague that way. Now, I go straight to the hostel's own website and email them to ask for a direct booking discount. I started doing this after a hostel owner in Lisbon told me they hate the fees from the big sites. Last trip, I got a room in Berlin for 22 euros a night by booking direct, saving over 50 bucks for a 4-night stay. Anyone else cut out the middleman and have a go-to hostel that always gives a good direct rate?
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perez.christopher1mo agoMost Upvoted
Do you ever get pushback from hostels when you ask for a direct discount, like they say the online price is final? I'm trying this in Asia next month and worry some places just won't bother.
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brookewood1mo ago
Maybe it's just me but @perez.christopher I've had the opposite happen. A few places in Thailand actually gave a better rate for paying cash in person, since they avoid the booking site fees. It depends on how busy they are, but some owners are totally open to it if you ask nicely.
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