Travel season is back! Things are slowly, but surely started to return to being somewhat "normal" again and some people are ready to hit the road! When it comes to traveling on a budget I have a few tips and tricks up my sleeve to help me save a few dollars, but also have a great time. I feel like now is the perfect time to start sharing these tips, since everyone's getting bit by the Travel bug. Keep reading to find out what my first travel tip is and leave a comment letting me know where you plan on heading this summer. 

I love using Hotwire's Hot Rate option when it comes to picking a place to stay in a budget that works for me. You would simply enter in the information of the place you want to visit and when you want to check in and out, but best of all you can add the star rating you prefer. Once you hit search you'll see both hotels available at the Hot Rate and at the standard rate. When you book at with the Hot Rate, you might not always know exactly which Hotel you will be staying at until the room has been booked, but Hot Wire does give you some sort of idea for the selection of hotels they will choose from for your final booking. For instance, if we searched for a hotel in Philadelphia for Memorial Day Weekend with a 4.0+ rating, it will show you rooms starting at $99 a night in Rittenhouse Square! 

If you want to see what type of hotel you might get, just click the "What hotel will I get?" dropdown arrow and you'll see that it shows hotels from the Hilton, Hyatt, Westin and Intercontinental. (Sidenote: the prices can change quickly, so book fast to get a good price. As I was writing this post, the price jumped from  $99 to $105 within minutes.)

Once you click view details, you'll be able to get a little more information on the amenities, how the price you're getting compares to other websites, read reviews and select your room type. Usually, you'll get the least expensive rate when you allow the hotel to choose your bed type. 
If you plan on booking through Hot Rates, here are a few other things to remember! The rate is non-refundable, so make sure you are all set to go on this trip or prepared to take the L if you can't. If you are traveling with other people and they also booked their room at the same hotel, but through a hotel's website or some other way, you may not be able to get conjoining rooms because the computer may choose a handicap accessible room as the room with the lower rate. However, once you check in, you may be able to work things out depending on how booked up the hotel is. Last, but not least if you download the app you'll save even more with exclusive app only deals! 

Be sure to come back, to check out more travel tips soon and travel safe!