Fancy a 2-night dinner, bed and breakfast deal at a 4-star hotel for as little as £99? Then check out these offers.
The recession has affected us badly, and one area particularly hard hit is the travel and leisure industry.
What's more, with many companies limiting the amount they spend hotels are losing out from business here, too. No wonder hotel bookings are the lowest they've been for years.
It's depressing news. But on the bright side, this does mean some hotels are offering fantastic deals in a bid to fill those empty rooms.
Bed and breakfast with dinner included
While many of the larger hotels are offering huge discounts off their rack rates some have gone one step further. Not only are they offering 2-night stays in double/twin rooms, with a full English breakfast at rock bottom prices, some are including a three course dinner in the hotel restaurant to boot.
With most offering the whole stay for two people for less than £170 this can be fantastic value. And the best bit is many of the hotels offering these deals are swanky 4 star numbers with rack rates of £200+ per night!
So if you fancy having a relaxing hotel break away from it all for a bargain price here's what to do.
Book direct
First up, you can check out the hotel websites themselves to see what special offers they have listed.
For example, both Marriott and Radisson Blu hotels offer a 2-night deal with breakfast each day and dinner on the first evening. What's more, the Marriott deals will also generally allow up to two children under 12 to share your room for free (you will have to pay separately for their meals).
However, with prices starting at £100+ per room, per night, it's not the cheapest way to book.
Instead, it's worth checking out the more competitive travel agents.
2-night dinner, bed and breakfast deals
I searched for 2-night stays in a double room from Friday 20 November - Sunday 22 November. Prices listed are for the whole stay.
Superbreak
With Superbreak, you can currently snap up a 2 night deal at the Britannia Bournemouth hotel, from just £72 per person (£144 in total).
For this two people can enjoy two night's accommodation in a double room, a three-course meal in the restaurant on their evening of arrival, plus a full breakfast each day. And of course they have full use of the hotel's facilities, which include a heated swimming pool and spa bath. Not bad!
Or choose the 4-star De Vere St David Hotel, near beautiful Chester, which boasts full leisure facilities for £74 per person (£148 total).
Alternatively, stay at the 4-star Thistle hotel in Glasgow with its indoor swimming pool, sauna, steam room, spa pool and gym facilities for just £85 per person (£170 in total).
And the 4-star Thistle City Barbican (London) which also has full leisure facilities has a deal for just £119 per person (£238 total).
But for a real bargain you can currently book the 3 star Royal Albion hotel (which overlooks the pier at Brighton) for just £74.50 per person (£149 in total). And that includes breakfast and dinner on both days!
Hotelnet
Hotelnet also offers the 2 night dinner, bed and breakfast deals, with a number of different hotels available.
Searching again for the same dates, I found you could stay at the 4-star Barcelo Basingstoke Country hotel, with its full health club for £69.50 per person - that's just £139 for the whole stay.
Alternatively, the Ramada in Swansea, with its indoor pool was just £64 per person - just £130 in total.
And for a fabulous bargain, you can currently book the 4-star Holiday Inn, Bolton with its full health and fitness club for just £49.50 per person. That's just £99 for the whole stay. Amazing value!
Airport hotels
What's more, if you have a holiday booked and had planned to stay at an airport hotel the night before your flight, a number are also offering the dinner, bed and breakfast deals which could work out much cheaper than booking a single night.
The Manchester Airport Marriott hotel, for example, has the deal for just £75 per person, making the whole stay for two (including breakfast and first night dinner) just £150. When you realise that booking just one night's accommodation at the hotel costs £69+ (not including breakfast!) you can see it's potentially a great deal (provided you can arrive a day earlier).
Plus you may well be able to negotiate a reasonable parking rate to leave your car at the hotel until your return.
So what should you do if you're tempted?
How to book
Decide what you want from your stay
Do you have a location in mind or are you driven by price (after all, if you fancy relaxing in a 4 star hotel does it really matter where it is?). Are the facilities important (swimming pool, spa etc)?
Be flexible
Most of the offers listed either finish at the end of November, or December so check carefully. However, you may find offers are limited in December as hotels tend to become busy with Christmas parties etc. The more flexible you can be the better.
Double check
Check the details thoroughly as a few of the hotels do not include breakfast (just dinner on the first night) which may not be such a bargain. Cross check with the hotels websites themselves so you know exactly what facilities they have.
Book it fast
Finally, as availability is generally limited (let's face it, many of the hotels don't make a great profit at these prices) when you find the deal you want, it's best to book it quickly to avoid disappointment.
So there you have it - how to enjoy a four star hotel break for rock bottom prices!
More: How to have a free holiday |35 things you can get for £5 or less!