Accommodation costs can be so prohibitive to family travel. Our family has only recently cottoned on to the perks of Mystery hotel deals, and consequently our travels have become significantly more affordable. Mystery hotels are typically four or five star properties that generally cost 40-50% less than the stated rate at similarly ranked properties at a destination.
The rationale: Upmarket hotels don’t want to damage their brand’s reputation by offering reduced prices to the public. In order to fill rooms they offer them to booking agents on the proviso their hotel is not named publically – hence the mystery.
How they work: The booking site communicates a few details about the hotel to its customers. Customers take a “risk” by booking the hotel, at a seriously reduced price. Once the room is booked, and paid for, the customer is emailed the details of the hotel.
When mystery hotels work best for us:
(1) When we are visiting a small town or small city. Neighborhoods matter when visiting large cities, and when booking a mystery hotel the neighbourhood it is in is also a mystery. When visiting a small town or city we know that a mystery hotel listed as “close to the CBD” will always be near the popular sites and attractions.
(2) On short breaks. We are not going to book a mystery hotel for a long vacation but for quick escapes, or when we need to visit a town for a few days they often provide the most economical accommodation option.
(3) When there is plenty for families to do at the destination town or city. We don’t expect mystery hotels to provide us with entertainment, such as resort activities or kids clubs (although sometimes we find out that they do). Mystery hotels work well when we are planning a busy visit to a town or city and when what we desire from our accommodation is a clean, safe and comfortable place to sleep.
Tips for families thinking booking mystery accommodation:
(1) Do try and work out exactly which hotel is the mystery one. Descriptions of properties on search sites can give some clues as to which hotel it is. Don’t be disappointed however if your hunch is wrong.
(2) Embrace the surprise as part of the fun of the trip.
(3) Read the conditions of purchase, in particular regarding bedding configurations. With two small children we fit comfortably in a hotel room but one with two queen beds, not one with two single beds. Check if you can specify your preferred bedding configuration and whether the hotel is obliged to honour it before you pay.
(4) Often the booking sites will say how many kilometres the hotel is from the CBD centre. If you are going to be on foot, and particularly pushing a stroller it may be sensible to pass on the mystery hotel deal unless it is within a kilometre of the CBD.
Have others had positive or negative experiences with mystery hotel deals? Does anyone have any special tricks for working out exactly what the mystery hotel is? I’d love for you to share your experiences/tips here as a comment.
Bubs on the Move provides tips and advice for parents traveling with small children including attraction and accommodation reviews. I’d love for ya’ll to join us on our adventures by either signing up for the newsletter, joining us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram to receive updates.
Your post gives very useful information on hotel rental. Thanks for providing useful tips.
I had never heard of mystery hotel deals. What a neat idea to save a bit of money on a family vacation! Everyone deserves to take a family getaway every once in a while.