The 4 Best Hotel Booking Sites in 2025 (+How to Find the Best Hotel Deals)

2. Airbnb

• Highlight: Best site for booking long-term accommodation/flats/studios/rooms

I find Airbnb is the best choice if you are looking for a place where you have your own kitchen, or if you are going on a longer trip (30 days), as you get discounted rates if you stay in an Airbnb for 30 days or more.

Airbnb is also great for a short stay, let’s say, if you want the comforts of staying in a place which is more like a “home” and less like a hotel. Some Airbnb hosts also invite you for lunch or dinner, so it’s great to get to know the local culture more.

I recommend staying at places with lots of high quality reviews of the accommodation and host. Airbnb also has a “superhost” feature for hosts that are selected based on having provided high quality hospitality to guests, including high ratings, quick response rates, and reliability.

Accommodation Types:

• Apartments
• Studio
• Rooms

Refund & Cancellation Policy:

The refund and cancellation policy differs from host to host, so make sure to check what the policy is for your preferred booking.

Usually, you can cancel your booking with a full refund if you cancel your booking within 48 hours of making the booking, but it is best to check for each host for their policies.

Deals & Discounts:

The only discount you can get on Airbnb is if you book the place for long-stays (30 days or more). Generally, there is no discount for short stays.

In addition, you can negotiate the price for long-term stays with the host. You can message the host and ask if they are open to negotiate the price of the accommodation for long-term stays (1 months or more).

In this case, don’t go to reserve the place, but just go to “message host” and send a message with your proposed date and time.

Airbnbs are generally way overpriced in comparison to local prices, and negotiating the price for long-term stays have worked really well for me. You may have to send a message to a couple of hosts, as not all of them may agree, but one person is bound to agree.

Accommodation & Host Reviews:

Each accommodation has reviews by previous travellers, so it is worth checking it out and only go for a place that has good reviews.

The best is to stay at places that are run by Superhosts as those accommodations are run by hosts that are the most reliable and responsive.

Other Amenities:

Apart from accommodation, AirBnB also has “Experiences” that include activities such as cooking classes, food tours, sightseeing tours, pub crawl, and language exchange. When you are travelling to a new place, you can check Airbnb Experiences, and see what they have in the local area.

I have done a cooking class in Nepal through the Airbnb Experience, and it was pretty great. The host of the activity usually also tells you a lot about local culture, so it is a nice way to learn about the context and culture of a new place.

✅ Check Prices and Availability on Airbnb

3. HostelWorld

• Highlight: Best site for booking hostels and budget accommodation

HostelWorld is the best site for booking hostels and cheap hotels around the world including Europe, Asia, and North America.

Hostels are a great place to meet new people, but if you don’t want to stay in a dorm, most hostels also have private rooms. Booking a private room in a hostel is the best option if you want some privacy but also have the option to meet new people.

HostelWorld also runs fun trips around the world under its “Roamies” trips. They are for people aged 18-35 and usually last for a couple of days. It’s a great way to haven fun while also exploring a new place with a guide.

What’s best about HostelWorld is that once you make the booking, it lets you connect with fellow travellers who will also be staying at the hostel during your stay. It’s best for those travelling solo, as you can make friends even before you arrive at your destination.

Accommodation Types:

• Hostels
• Hotels
• Bed & Breakfast

Booking & Cancellation Policy:

Usually, you pay around 10% deposit, then pay the remaining balance at the property. Some properties have non-refundable deposit, so check for each hotel/hostel their own policies regarding refunds and cancellations.

Hotel Reviews:

To find the best hostels and cheap hotels, check the reviews on facilities, cleanliness, staff, location, security, and value for money.

Other Amenities:

Group tours (Roamies), and helps you to find travel buddies (connecting with travellers who will stay in the same hostel).

✅ Check Prices and Availability on HostelWorld

4. Agoda

• Highlight: Best site for booking hotels in Asia

Agoda has hotels all around the world, but I have found it works the best in Asia. Some hotels in Asia are not available on booking.com but only on Agoda, so usually, I would only book a hotel on Agoda if it is not available on Booking.com.

Both Agoda and Booking.com work the same, I just prefer Booking.com, so I only book on Agoda if that’s the only possibility. You can also compare prices on the websites and see which has better prices.

Similarly to Booking.com, you can also filter hotels on Agoda for various filters, such as property type, pool, rating, room amenities, and more.

Accommodation Types:

• Hotels
• Apartments

Refund & Cancellation Policy:

Some hotels offer free cancellation, but better to check for each hotel for their own policies.

Deals & Discounts:

Agoda usually runs some promo codes where you can get discounts between 8-30% off for selected hotels.

Hotel Reviews:

Just like other hotel booking sites, Agoda also has a section for reviews for each hotel on facilities, cleanliness, staff, location, security, room quality, and value for money. Check these out before making a booking and go for one that has high ratings.

Other Amenities:

Apart from accommodation, you can also book airport transfers through Agoda.

✅ Check Prices and Availability on Agoda

How to Find the Best Hotel Deals

Join Loyalty Programs

My favourite website is Booking.com for booking hotels and you can save between 10-20% with the Genius loyalty program. The more bookings you make, the higher level you get in their loyalty program, and the more discounts you get.

Contact the Hotel Directly (price match)

Contacting the hotel directly can work well as most hotels do price matching. If you spot some discounted deals online, you can call the hotel and ask if they can match the same price.

Show Up at the Hotel (works mainly in Asia)

Showing up at the hotel and negotiating the price is common in Asia, so I don’t recommend it in every country/region. Showing up without a prior booking works great in Asia for budget accommodation, but if you want to stay at a high-end, luxury hotel, then it is still best to pre-book.

For budget accommodations in Asia, it works pretty well to just show up without any prior booking, and negotiate for the price in person.

FAQs: Best Hotel Booking Sites

What are the most reliable hotel booking sites?

After years of travelling, I have found that the most reliable hotel booking sites are Booking.com, Airbnb, HostelWorld, and Agoda. They work great all around the world, and you can check the reviews by previous travellers to make sure the hotel lives up to its description.

What is the best site for cheap hotels?

The best site to find cheap hotels are HostelWorld and Booking.com.

HostelWorld caters mostly to hostels, although you can also find hotels on its website. On Booking.com, you can filter for cheap hotels and find the best accommodation that fits your budget.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I recommend suing Booking.com for booking accommodation worldwide as they have pretty much all available hotels listed on their site, and you can find different types of properties for various budgets, including budget, mid-range and luxury hotels.

If you are looking for hostels, I recommend using HostelWorld. Not only because it has a large selection of hostels, but because they also let you connect with fellow travellers prior to arrival, so it is great to make new friends.

For long-stays (1 month+), I recommend using Airbnb as they offer discounted rates for long stays. In addition, you can also message the host prior to booking, and negotiate the price. I love Airbnb as they also run experiences that are great to get to know the local culture – I have done a cooking class in Kathmandu and it was great!

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