If you fancy a weekend away, here are some cheap hotel deals for March.
With Spring finally on its way, many of us have started thinking about booking a summer holiday. However, if you fancy a break sooner than that a weekend away might be on the cards. But is it possible to stay in a four star hotel without spending very much money?
Hotels
Although many of us like to take advantage of the facilities provided by four and five star hotels, with rack rates often starting at £100+ they can be extremely expensive. However, the good news is you'll often find the big hotels have special deals at weekends to fill up those empty rooms when business travellers leave. What's more, if these packages include breakfast and dinner they can be surprisingly good value.
I had a look to see how cheaply I could book a room in an Edinburgh hotel, for the weekend of 17/18 March:
Firstly, the Holiday Inn, has a Leisure Saver offer on -- I found you could book a double room with breakfast for two at one of its Edinburgh hotels for £49/room per night.
Alternatively, if you fancied longer away you could choose its Dinner Experience package: book two nights at one of its hotels and two people can have dinner, bed and breakfast for £99/room per night. Plus, you'll also get a free, Dermalogica "Perfect Fit Kit" of specially formulated body products, worth £16.75.
What's more, you can currently book this package at its Edinburgh North hotel for just £89.50/night at the moment.
Note: The Dinner Experience promotion is listed as ending on 11 March, but I gave them a ring and was told that selected hotels will be carrying on the promotion after this date.
Marriott hotels currently have a Winterwarmer deluxe offer, where you can book a deluxe double room with breakfast for £90/night, plus you'll be given a £50 voucher, which can be spent in the bar or restaurant.
And although the Ramada hotel would charge £150+/night for one night's accommodation on 17 March, stay for two nights (17/18 March) on a Leisure Break deal and you would pay just £64.50/night for a double room with breakfast -- what's more this price includes dinner on the first night, too.
Spa breaks
Alternatively, if you fancy a weekend away relaxing in a spa hotel, Lastminute.com has Spa Escape package at Whittlebury Hall in Northamptonshire. The offer includes dinner, bed and breakfast for two people at the hotel, plus full use of its leisure facilities for £130.
Hotels with up to 75% off
Additionally, it has a number of what it calls Top Secret hotels -- four and five star hotels which offer low rates, saving up to 75% of their normal rate. However, you don't find out the hotel's name until you've booked -- you simply get a description of where it is and what it offers.
I did a quick search for rooms in London, over the 17/18 March and found I could book a double room at a four star hotel with pool, close to the Square Mile for £59/night.
And finally, if you're not too fussy about where you stay, a number of the travel aggregators have special hotel deals. For instance, you can currently book a double room at a four star hotel on March 17 in Cheltenham with Laterooms, for £58/night, including breakfast, or a three star hotel for as little as £35/night.
Other good travel sites worth checking out include Expedia, eBookers and Opodo. However, it's worth noting that it can sometimes be cheaper to book directly with the hotel -- indeed, Holiday Inn guarantees to have the best price for its rooms on the internet. And of course, I happened to pick the Mothering Sunday weekend for my searches -- you may well find cheaper deals at less popular times.
So don't rule out hotels for cheap weekends away -- and good luck with the trip!