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Online booking sites allow you to compare the world’s hotels to find the best deal. Whether you like to stay in only the finest establishments, want to rent a flat and immerse yourself in the local scene, or are looking to stick to a budget, there are literally thousands of options out there. You just need to know where to look.
| Agent | Deposit required |
|---|---|
| Hotels.com | Varies depending on property |
| Expedia | No deposit required |
| Wotif | Varies depending on property |
| Booking.com | No deposit required |
| Turu | Total reservation amount required at the time of booking |
| Accor Hotels | Deposit required by some hotels |
| Groupon | Deposit may be required depending on the offer |
| Scoopon | Deposit may be required depending on the offer |
| Hotwire | Total reservation amount required at the time of booking |
| Gezi | Deposit varies depending on the property |
| Roomer | Total reservation amount required at the time of booking |
One of the most important things to consider when you want to find a cheap place to stay is that hotels, hostels, b&bs, guesthouses and holiday rentals will vary greatly in price depending on the time of year, the time of booking and how full they are. That’s why it's important to compare lots of different properties before making a reservation. You might be able to find a bargain on a normally pricier hotel if you book last minute and grab a room that is still unsold.
Renting whole apartments is another way to get more value from your accommodation. Sites like Roomorama or Turu tend to offer self contained accommodation. If you are sharing with a friend it could even be cheaper than a traditional hotel, and you can save extra by using the kitchen.
If you don’t mind shared accommodation, hostel booking sites are definitely a budget way to travel.
Always read the terms and conditions when making a reservation to get the best deal and take advantage of the price match guarantee. While most larger booking engines will offer comparable pricing (and often will advertise the same hotels) extras like taxes, booking fees and other charges can really add up over time. Larger sites such as Expedia, Booking.com and HotelsCombined advertise thousands of hotels at once and allow you to search by price, so you can book a hotel room that is on sale for your dates.
Most larger booking sites will support PayPal payments, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you will be able to use it for all hotels. While the option is there, hotels themselves are often able to opt to accept the payment method or not. If a hotel accepts PayPal, you should see a little PayPal icon on the hotel information when you go to make a reservation.
Booking.com, Expedia, Hotelscombined, Wotif, and Hotels.com all support PayPal payments.
Flight Centre - Holidays
Australia hotels from $169
Ends
Available on select stay dates until 31 March 2022. Destinations include Perth, Sydney, Adelaide, Hunter Valley, Blue Mountains, Rottnest Island and more. Sample rate is for a 3-night getaway at Trinity Beach.
Flight Centre - Holidays
NSW getaways from $229
Ends
Available on select travel dates until 2022 to destinations including Kingscliff, Port Stephens, Coffs Harbour, Blue Mountains and more. Sample rate is for a 2-night escape in Sydney.
Agoda
Up to 30% off Australia hotels + an extra 10% off with code
Ends
Available on stays until 31 December 2022 when you use the code. Destinations include Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Gold Coast, Perth, Sydney and more. T&Cs apply.
Agoda
Extra 10% off worldwide hotels with code
Ends
Available on stays until 31 December 2022 when you use the code. Destinations include New Zealand, Fiji, London, Maldives, Japan, USA and more. T&Cs apply.
Hotels.com
Up to 40% off Sydney hotels
Ends
Available on select stay dates until 30 March 2022.
Hotels.com
Up to 44% off Gold Coast stays
Ends
Plus get free cancellations on select stays until March 2022.
Stayz
Australia stays from $18/night
Available on select travel dates across Sydney, Adelaide, Cairns, Brisbane, Perth and more. Sample rate is for a stay at Melbourne. T&Cs apply.
Wotif
Up to 37% off Australia getaways
Ends
Available on stays until November 2021. Destinations include Gold Coast, Brisbane, Melbourne, Cairns, Adelaide, Townsville, Tasmania, Sydney, Broome and more.
Luxury Escapes
Up to 48% off holiday packages
Ends
Available on select dates until December 2022. Destinations include Adelaide, Gold Coast, Byron Bay, Sydney, Cairns, Canberra, Hunter Valley and more.
HotelsCombined
Brisbane: Extra 2% off Riverside Hotel Southbank getaways
Available on select travel dates. T&Cs and block out dates apply.
HotelsCombined
Extra 2% off Q1 Resort and Spa Gold Coast stays
Available on select travel dates. T&Cs and block out dates apply.
RedBalloon
Extra $10 off Australia getaway packages
Available on select travel dates when you spend a minimum of $300. Destinations include Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Blue Mountains, Cairns, Canberra and more. T&Cs apply.
Groupon
Up to 61% off Australia getaways
Available for travel on select dates to Sydney, Sunshine Coast, Adelaide, Brisbane, Launceston, Newcastle, Noosa Heads, Cairns, NSW and more.
Expedia.com.au
Up to 40% off last-minute domestic escapes
Available on stays within the next 14 days. Destinations include Sydney, Gold Coast, Byron Bay, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Canberra and more. T&Cs apply.
Expedia.com.au
Up to 35% off domestic stays + free cancellations
Available on select travel dates to Broome, Mackay, Launceston, Darwin, Perth, Cairns, Sydney, Gold Coast and more. T&Cs apply.
Hamilton Island
Get 7th night free on stays
Ends
Available on stays until 31 March 2022 on Hamilton Island Holiday Homes. Minimum of 7 nights stay required. T&Cs apply.
RedBalloon
Up to $10 off Hobart activities with code
Available on select dates when you spend a minimum of $300. Activities include winery tours, getaways, high teas, spas, sightseeing cruises, helicopter flights and more. T&Cs apply.
Lastminute.com.au
Up to 43% off domestic getaways
Ends
Available on select dates in 2021, plus get free cancellation with select hotels. Destinations include Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Cairns, Brisbane, Townsville, Adelaide, Canberra and more. T&Cs apply.
Priceline.com
Up to 60% off express deals
Available on select dates in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and more. T&Cs apply
Wotif
Up to 15% off hotels with code
Ends
Available on stays until 30 June 2022 when you spend a minimum of $150. Destinations include Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and more. T&Cs apply.
Stayz
Australia beach holidays from $82/night
Available on select stay dates in Adelaide, Sydney, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Melbourne and more. Sample stay is in Millicent, South Australia. T&Cs apply.
Dusit Hotels
Up to THB฿1,999 hotel credits on suite stays
Ends
Available on stays until 30 November 2021 in Thailand. T&Cs apply.
Dusit Hotels
Up to 15% off stays for members
Ends
Available on stays until 30 November 2021 for Gold members. Plus get a free bottle of wine when you book a minimum of 3 nights. Destinations include Maldives, Egypt, Dubai, Philippines and more. T&Cs apply.
IHG AMEA
Up to 35% off weekend escapes + an extra 10% off members
Ends
Available from Sundays to Thursdays on advance saver rates. Destinations include Sydney, Adelaide, Hobart and more. T&Cs apply
RedBalloon
Get $10 off 2-night Rottnest Island glamping escape for 2
Ends
Available from Sundays to Thursdays when you spend a minimum of $300. Includes return ferry transfers and breakfast. T&Cs apply.
Hotels.com
Earn a free night’s stay
Stay for 10 nights at any hotel worldwide to get a free night. Must be a Hotels.com Rewards member. Membership is free. T&Cs apply.
Hotels.com
Up to 40% off Canberra stays
Ends
Available on select stays until March 2022. Plus free cancellation on select hotels.
Hotels.com
Up to 50% off Brisbane stays
Ends
Available on select stays until September 2022. Sample stay is at Morgan Suite.
Hamilton Island
Up to 10% off Holiday Homes stays
Ends
Available on stays until 31 October 2021 when you book a minimum of 5 nights. T&Cs apply.
Swiss BelHotel
Up to 15% off hotels and resort stays
Ends
Available on stays until 20 December 2021 when you book 7+ days in advance. Destinations include Malaysia, Indonesia and Bahrain. T&Cs apply.
Swiss BelHotel
Up to 35% off Christmas and summer getaways
Ends
Available on select dates from 1 December 2021 - 28 February 2022 across Australia and New Zealand. T&Cs apply.
Swiss BelHotel
Up to 40% off New Zealand and Australia getaways
Ends
Available on stays until 31 March 2022. Destinations include Auckland, Queenstown, Napier and Sydney. T&Cs apply.
YHA - The Youth Hostel Association
Up to 20% off getaways
Ends
Available on stays until 23 December 2021 across England and Wales. T&Cs apply.
YHA - The Youth Hostel Association
Up to 25% off getaways for members
Ends
Available on stays until 23 December 2021. Destinations include London and more. T&Cs apply.
Flight Centre - Holidays
Up to $599 off 5 nights NSW family escape
Ends
Available on stays from 1 March - 31 May 2022 at Mantra Ettalong Beach. T&Cs apply.
Flight Centre - Holidays
Tasmania: Up to $49 off Bruny Island escape
Ends
Available from 1 February - 31 March 2022. Package includes Bruny Island Wilderness cruise. T&Cs apply.
Flight Centre - Holidays
Up to $95 off Hobart escape with food tour
Ends
Available for travel from 1 October - 24 December 2021 and 4 January - 30 June 2022. Includes stay at Movenpick Hotel, breakfast, chocolate hour tastings and Bruny Island Traveller tour. T&Cs apply.
Flight Centre - Holidays
Up to $190 off Kingscliff escape
Ends
Available on stays from 27 January - 31 March 2022 at Peppers Salt Resort & Spa Kingscliff. T&Cs apply.
Flight Centre - Holidays
Up to $476 off Phuket all-inclusive escape
Ends
Available for travel from 1 May - 16 December 2022. Package includes stay at Trident, gourmet meals and snacks, open bar and more. T&Cs apply.
Flight Centre - Holidays
Port Douglas family escape with Low Isles cruise from $1,979
Ends
Available for travel from 1 November - 19 December 2021 and 10 January - 31 March 2022. Includes a stay at Oaks Port Douglas, Wildlife Habitat entry and more. Valid for 2 adults and 2 children sharing. T&Cs apply.
