A Procrastinator’s Paradise: Insights into Booking Hotel Rooms Last Minute

When is the best time to book hotels?

This is one of the biggest mysteries when traveling. No matter when you are traveling, it always feels like a gamble. Should you be planning in advance, or is it better to wait until the last minute?

To shed some light on when the best times are for booking hotels, TravelPass Group looked at data from more than 1,200 cities (with more than 100 bookings) and over 1.3 million hotel room bookings by travelers since Jan 1, 2017.

The infographic below shows data from major U.S. cities on average nightly rates based on the number of days the hotel room was booked before checking in. Is it better to plan ahead or procrastinate? Here’s what was found:

Overall data:

– On average, guests save $58 (or 31%) per night by booking less than three days in advance versus booking 30 or more days before their trip.

– Nearly 25 percent of people plan ahead and make sure they have a hotel reservation more than 30 days before they want to check-in.

– A larger group, 40 percent, make reservations within a four to 29-day window of checking in.

BETTER TO PROCRASTINATE — Cities with savings when booking last minute compared to booking in advance 30+ days:

– Pompano Beach, FL (48%)

– Anchorage, AK (45%)

– Ocean City, MD (43%)

– Scottsdale, AZ (36%)

– San Antonio, TX (35%)

– Chesapeake, VA (27%)

BETTER TO PLAN AHEAD — Cities with savings when booking in advance 30+ days compared to booking last minute:

– McLean, TX (30%)

– Clermont, FL (25%)

– Manning, SC (24%)

– Mesquite, NV (14%)

– Chatsworth, CA (11%)

– Rocky Hill, CT (10%)

A Procrastinator’s Guide by TravelPass Group

Photo of the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas by Scott Webb on Unsplash

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A Procrastinator’s Paradise: Insights into Booking Hotel Rooms Last Minute

When is the best time to book hotels?