My wife and I travelled to Germany in 2001, 2002 and 2003 at Christmas and found very reasonable hotel prices. For example, the Marriot that we stayed at in Munich was 95 Euro in 2003. But now that same hotel will be about 250 Euro. I have searched using Expedia, Hotels.com and the hotels' home web sites and all of the prices are 2 to 4 times higher than in 2003. Add the currency exchange for the dollar and this will be a very expensive vacation this year. Does anyone know why the hotels are so much more expensive? Should I wait to book the hotels? I always booked my previous trips in Sept and got the low prices.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19232 posts
Does anyone know why the hotels are so much more expensive? Yes, "because people like you are willing to pay it."
The traditional German hotel in the Munich suburbs, where I stayed at Christmas, 2002, was €69 for a 2 bed room then, is €74 today.
I generally stay outside of large towns, in towns with only traditional German accommodations. If you avoid Marriots, you save a bundle. Find the accommodations on the town websites. They generally show everything, not just the high price, high profit listings.
Posted by
West Coast, California, USA
485 posts
I try to stay away from chain hotels like Holiday Inn, Hilton, Marriott, etc... when I'm in Europe, opting instead for the smaller, family-run pensions and inns. The atmosphere is more authentic to the region, the food and accommodations usually wonderful, and the price much cheaper.
On a side note: I enjoy watching Samantha Brown's 'Passport to Europe', but she always chooses hotels that are large 'foo foo' hotels and SO expensive. That's why I like watching RS's series... he seems to prefer smaller inns. Just my opinion.
Posted by
Northern California
118 posts
Hi Robert,
I sympathize completely! I tend to agree with the other posters that locally owned hotels are a more reliable budget option.
However, if you're really committed to staying at one of the larger chains, there ARE some good deals popping up every now and then. Try selecting dates within a couple of weeks from now and see if the prices are any better. If it looks like these places are dropping their rates at the last minute, it could be worth waiting until closer to your trip (if you're willing to run the risk of being left high and dry...).
And I'm sure you already do this, but remember to join your favorite chain's rewards program to work toward a free night every now and then. Most reward points can be redeemed at non-U.S. properties.
Good luck!
Posted by
Frankfurt, Germany
9140 posts
Try using www.hrs.com. You can then choose hotels that are in your budget range, your preferred neighborhood, your amenities that you like, and check availability immediately. HRS also has many hotels that are not chains, including B&B's. I have seen many, many, beautiful charming places on this website. If you find something you like, you can always go to the hotel website itself to see if the price is cheaper. I have not found this to be so, but it is always worth a look.
Posted by
Des Moines, IA
2193 posts
I can’t answer your question regarding high rates for Christmas time at the Marriott or other American-style accommodations, but I’ll offer Hotel Uhland in Munich as an alternative you may wish to check out. It’s a highly-rated, mid-class hotel with rates starting at around €85 per night for a double. I’ve stayed here…great hotel. I believe they’re closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas day and may have higher rates on other dates in December…check their website. Another option that a Helpline member recently offered is Wombat’s Hostel…also highly rated on tripadvisor, cheap, and clean. Go to their website for details. Rick's recommendations are typically trustworthy. Are you just visiting Munich?
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19232 posts
THE BEST WAY to get accommodations, far and away, if you are skilled enough to do it (sometimes requires German language skills), is to use the town websites. I have done extensive research on this subject and I have repeatedly found that, in urban areas, where hotels have to be competitive, for any hotel I have found on my own and compared the rates for a booking website, the prices have been very close. Most times the booking website is the same or a few Euros higher, rarely are the booking websites less. Sometimes the hotel offers specials, like weekend discounts, that the booking websites don't offer. However, the booking websites often claim to offer big discounts over rates I can't find. Sometimes the booking website will be more expensive and try to hide the fact by removing breakfast from the offer and then adding it back at a very high price.
Where the booking websites don't offer satisfactory services is in small towns and small, intimate B&Bs (Privatzimmer). It's not that they are too expensive for their offerings, they just don't offer the most economical places. For my just completed trip through Bavaria and Austria, I stayed 10 nights in small towns (7 nights in Privatzimmer, 3 in Gaststaetten, restaurants with rooms). I spent $351. Using the booking websites mentioned above, I would have spent $557-$566 (about 60% more). In most cases, the accommodations would not have been as favorably located as what I found.
By the way, I never stay in Hostels, and I have no idea of what you mean by a "low-rated budget hotel". If you mean like a Formula One, OK, but as for family-run B&Bs, there is nothing low-rated about them. Family-run B&Bs might not have room service, but I don't need that, and the experience there is so much more culturally rich.