Hotels

Save on Hotels: There are an incredible number of hotel search engines out there all stating that they will save you X amount here or there. Don't waste your time, these are my favourites for getting the best deals. Not one is always the lowest, some have special tie ups with certain hotels, but you should find what you are looking for here. Click the Hotel link at www.expedia.co.uk, www.lastminute.co.uk or www.cheapflights.co.uk and enter dates and destinations to compare room rates. One of the best rate-checkers is www.onlinehotelsdirect.co.uk, which searches more than 9,000 hotels worldwide. There are photo's of rooms and information such as nearby stations. Use the quick search to compare hotels in your chosen city. Alternatively, enter your dates, destination and room requirements in the Availability tickbox. Site features include a Special Offers section for last-minute deals and £10 boots voucher with every booking. www.lowcostbeds.com – an easy to use guide to low-cost hotels. Many last-minute discounts are exclusive to hotel's own website. Try www.hilton.co.uk and www.thistlehotles.com for 11th hour UK deals. Many chains reward loyal guests; sign up at www.marriot.co.uk for Rewards and www.holiday-inn.co.uk for Priority Club. Also exploit partnerships between hotels and airlines or travel sites; Opodo has a deal with Best Western and Marriott has links with BA and KLM. www.holiday-rentals.uk.com and www.travel-rants.com/travel bothfrom the same source but worth a look. House swap: www.couchsurfing.com – Log on to find people to stay with around the world. Get free accommodation and secure your home while you're away by swapping houses for a week. House exchange site www.homelink.org.uk has a database of 13,500 homes in 69 countries. Cheapies: www.camping.uk-directory.com Get all the information you need to plan and choose your camping destination, really usefully if you want to go down this road. www.hostels.com Details user ratings and provides the top 10, real good for finding the cream of the crop in the hostel world. www.lowcostbeds.com User friendly site for sleeping on the cheap. www.bookings.com Save up to 75% on a wide range of hotels worldwide, with no booking fee. Special Needs: www.holidayaccessdirect.com Finding a holiday for people with disabilities or special requirements has never been easier. Flights, sleeping, access, it's all covered here. www.babygoes2.com Multi-award winning site was set up by two working mums. Taking the strain out of family holidays.