Booking a trip at the very last minute can happen by choice or by chance. If it is by choice, then you have probably made the last minute decision to take a quick break from your routine. But, if it is by chance, then you probably have an emergency and last minute bookings can be a stressful affair. You may wonder why anyone would willingly save making their bookings, especially hotel stay, for the last minute.

Points to consider when booking last minute
Before deciding to set off on a whim, you need to take a minute or two to think the situation over. If you are planning to book your hotel room the day before or on the day you leave, here is what you should keep in mind:

• Be flexible
  By leaving bookings to the last minute, you may not get the exact room you want. You may have to settle for something else, especially if you are traveling during the holiday season. This option could be far away from your preferred location or not have the amenities you seek. You should be flexible to adjust as per what you get since you would eventually be benefitting from good pricing on your last minute hotel deal.

• Travel alone
  If you are traveling alone, then seeking last minute hotel deals is absolutely fine. If you do not get what you want, it may be a slight disappointment, but you can adjust by looking around for other rooms. However, if you are traveling with family, it is advisable to make your bookings as soon as possible to avoid the hassle of being stranded with bags and children and no available rooms. You would also want to avoid last minute bookings on a business trip.

• Check business hotels
  If you are making a last minute booking during the holiday season, prices will stay high and rooms will be almost full. At this time, it is wise to check business hotels for deals as these usually run low on occupancy in the holidays and are more likely to offer you a good deal.

Advantages of booking last minute
Now that we know what to keep in mind while seeking a last minute booking, let’s look at the advantages of last minute hotel deals.

• Cheap deals
  The biggest advantage of booking at the last minute is that you get the best rates on rooms that would normally cost much more. This is because hotels would rather slash their prices than risk running at low occupancy. And often, the deals can allow you to get a discount on a room at almost 70 percent off the actual price.

• Book other travelers’ unwanted rooms
  Often travelers have to cancel plans, but they cannot cancel their reservations. Now, you can book these unwanted hotel rooms by purchasing them from the original buyer at a lower cost. One such website that offers this facility is Roomer. The discounts on hotel rooms can go as high as 74 percent on this website. This is a major advantage of waiting to book a hotel deal at the last minute.

• Ability to negotiate
  Negotiating the price of a hotel room might be close to impossible any time of the year. However, if you are booking your stay off-season, this is a definite possibility. Negotiating the price is feasible when you are booking a last minute stay. You could find out the price of the room on an app or a travel website and call up the hotel directly to see if they can better the deal or simply offer you an upgraded room at the same cost. There is no harm in doing so. In fact, if the hotel has low occupancy, it would rather offer you certain stay benefits than risk their rooms going empty.

• The thrill of adventure
  Finally, seeking out last minute hotel deals holds a thrill for a traveler who likes to keep no agenda. The idea that you do not know where you might end up or what fabulous deal you might get is a rush that many travelers enjoy. This kind of thrill brings with it a real sense of adventure. Though, if you are visiting a foreign country, it is always advisable to book the first couple of nights stay in advance and then go with the flow once you get accustomed to your new surroundings.