Score big hotel deals with same-day booking

In the old days, a last-minute hotel reservation meant
stopping in and asking if there’s room at the inn. Or, you could call every place in town to see who had space. Now there are apps that actually specialize in finding those last-minute deals.

Hipmunk just launched its Tonight Only feature. That gets you up to 60 percent off hotel rooms that you can book the same day you check in.

This is similar to an app that’s been around for a while, Hotel Tonight. These guys show three hotel options every day that are discounted from the regular rates.

Priceline.com has its own version called Express Deals. It looks for same-day deals that are up to 45 percent off. You don’t have to bid… but it is opaque, meaning you won’t know the name of the hotel until after you pay.

At Booking.com, you can look for and book hotel rooms on the same day using your iPhone or iPad.

And if you’re traveling abroad, check out Blinkbooking.com, which specializes in last-minute deals on boutique hotels in Europe.

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