Find the perfect place to stay this summer with Skyscanner’s insider hotel booking tips.
Skyscanner has pricing data for millions of hotels and self-catering providers all over the world. And we don’t gatekeep. Our data science team has crunched the numbers to bring you the latest insider booking hacks.
Here are the top five ways to make your travel budget stretch further and save big on hotels this summer.
- Check out the 10 cheapest summer spots to save on hotels
- Be savvy to the best value summer destinations this year
- Compare your options: self-catering vs hotels
- Consider one of these Skyscanner-recommended hostels
- Learn from Gen Z travellers and get food delivered to your room
1. Check out the cheapest summer spots to save on hotels
Skyscanner can reveal the cheapest destinations for 3, 4 and 5-star hotel stays, so you can find a more affordable hotel this summer. Not only will these insights help you save money, but it also makes travel planning that little bit easier.
| Cheapest 3-star destinations | Cheapest 4-star destinations | Cheapest 5-star destinations | |||
| City | Avg. nightly rate | City | Avg. nightly rate | City | Avg. nightly rate |
| Sharjah | 139 AED | Sharjah | 204 AED | Al-Fujairah | 441 AED |
| Dubai | 190 AED | Al-Fujairah | 204 AED | Ras al Khaimah | 603 AED |
| Abu Dhabi | 246 AED | Abu Dhabi | 251 AED | Abu Dhabi | 640 AED |
| Umm al Qaywayn | 343 AED | Dubai | 302 AED | Dubai | 766 AED |
| No data | No date | Al Ain | 311 AED | Mecca | 868 AED |
2. Be savvy to this summer’s best value destinations for cheaper hotel rates
Being openminded about your travel plans can really help you save money on your next trip. Here are the destinations that’ve seen the biggest price drop compared to summer 2023.
Are any of these cities on your travel bucket list?
| Destination | % price drop since 2023 |
| Umm al Qaywayn | -36% |
| London | -29% |
| Sharjah | -15% |
| Abu Dhabi | -8% |
| Al Ain | -8% |
3. Compare your options: self-catering vs hotels
Comparing your options is the best way to cut costs on accommodation. And we’ve done some of the leg work for you. Based on Skyscanner’s most popular destinations, self-catering wins in London. Whereas hotels are 69% cheaper than self catering in Dubai.
| Popular city | Hotel Avg. nightly rate | Self-catering Avg. nightly rate | Cheapest option (% saving) |
| Dubai | 705 AED | 2,311 AED | Hotel (69% cheaper) |
| London | 844 AED | 534 AED | Self catering (37% cheaper) |
4. Consider one of these Skyscanner-recommended hostels
We know what you’re thinking. But we’re happy to tell you that hostels are no longer exclusively for backpacking students. The new wave of hostels offer aesthetic interiors, high-quality local cuisine and most importantly…fun.
These hostel recommendations have come straight from Skyscanner’s in-house experts:
- Bambuda Lodge, Panama
The Bambuda Lodge has something for every type of traveller. Guests can take a rejuvenating yoga class, enjoy a trek through the jungle, or go snorkelling in the nearby coral reef. And don’t even get us started on the Insta-worthy food; it really does taste as good as it looks.
- Hostel Celica, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Transformed from a military prison to an art hostel, travellers can spend the night in a unique prison cell. Each ‘cell’ is a work of art in itself and they’re designed by artists from all over the world. The hostel also boasts its own art gallery and they host weekly music concerts throughout the summer.
- Firefly Eco Lodge, Bali
A stay at the Firefly Eco Lodge offers a genuinely unique experience. Guests can stay at a locally constructed birds-nest pod or in a tree house that’s surrounded by lush rice fields and dense tropical forests. It’s not for the faint-hearted, though. You’ll need to climb up a steep bamboo ladder to get there- but the spectacular views more than make up for it.
- The Millenials Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
With a superb location in the heart of the city, this capsule hostel is perfect for tech-savvy travellers. The compact rooms are equipped with smart features, including an electric bed that can adjusted to various positions via a smartphone app. Plus, there’s free beer on tap!
- Tropical Temple Resort, Siargao, Philippines
The reception of this hostel goes down as the most aesthetic hostels we’ve ever come across. As the name suggests, travellers can expect to stay in a tropical haven in a boutique resort that blends traditional Filipino design with modern comforts.
- Next House Copenhagen, Denmark
Known for its minimalist Scandi design, Next House Copenhagen has spacious rooms equipped with modern amenities and thoughtful touches like organic toiletries. It’s positioned in the heart of the city centre and boasts a rooftop bar, a yoga studio, a cinema and even sports stadium!
- Los Patios Hostel, Medellin, Colombia
With an onsite Spanish school and salsa academy, this hostel showcases the best of Colombian culture. It’s the perfect choice for travellers seeking a lively and community-oriented experience in the heart of the city’s trendy El Poblado neighbourhood.
- The Nunnery, Melbourne, Australia
This charming and whimsical hostel is set in a converted 19th-century convent. The Nunnery offers a range of accommodations from shared forms to private rooms which are all uniquely decorated with a mix of antique and contemporary furnishings. Located in the coffee-loving Fitzroy neighbourhood, this hostel is an ideal base for exploring the area.
“As someone who’s travelled to nearly 40 countries solo, staying at hostels is one of the best ways to travel both affordably and meet people from all around the world. In fact, many hostels around the world also offer excursions and the same entertainment and fun that you would find even at high luxury hotels.”
TikTok travel influencer Pat @pointspat
5. Learn from Gen Z travellers and get food delivered to your room
We already knew that food is such an important part of travel. 46% of UAE travellers say they’ve visited a destination specifically to go to a particular restaurant
However, we recently discovered that searches for ‘Can I order food to a hotel?’ increased by 44% globally year on year*. So, we dug a little deeper to find out that 1 in 2 18-24 year olds in the UK say they’re likely to use a food delivery service whilst on holiday abroad. However, this drops dramatically to 1 in 10 65+ year olds.
TikTok travel influencer @francisdominiic says “Room service can be expensive and ordering is so much more IN!”, Here are his hotel room delivery etiquette tips…
- Tip your drivers! Even a little amount can go a long way.
- Try something new and break out of your comfort zone. You’re in a new area, don’t be shy to try something local.
- Give your drivers an easy way to meet you. If you have to meet them at the lobby, do so!
* Data source: Mangools Keyword Finder. Looking at Google searches for ‘can I order food to a hotel?’ from Jan to May 2024 vs 2023.
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