The headline rate is rarely the real one. Before you book anywhere, scroll to the total: mandatory resort or city fees, service charges and local tourist taxes can add 10–20% that the search result never showed you. A room that looked like a bargain can quietly become the most expensive on the page.
Dynamic pricing means the same room changes price by the hour based on demand. As a rule, midweek and shoulder-season dates are cheaper, and prices for popular destinations tend to climb the closer you get to the date — the opposite of flights. If a property offers a flexible and a non-refundable rate, the gap between them is the price of certainty; only take the cheaper non-refundable rate when your plans genuinely cannot change.
Finally, book direct when you can. Hotels increasingly match or beat the big booking sites for people who join their (free) loyalty programme, and a direct booking makes it far easier to fix problems, request a specific room or ask for a late checkout. The booking sites are a great place to compare — and often the wrong place to actually book.
