Vacations are the best, but the daunting bill from your hotel stay is...not the best. Knowing how to get cheap hotels can be a valuable tool for keeping your vacations on budget, and it's doable for any traveler so long as you do the legwork. So if you're curious how to get cheap hotel rooms without resorting to bribing the bellhop, read on:

1. Use Groupon Getaways

Yeah, yeah, we're biased. But if you want to learn how to get cheap hotel rates, the easiest thing to do is to browse the deals on Groupon Getaways. Groupon partners with select hotels from around the U.S. and Canada to offer "flash deals" at prices below their normal rates.

An added bonus is that many of these hotels are top-quality properties, often rated up to 4- and 5-stars. You may also find cheap packages for international vacations that bundle airfare and hotel together.

Shop Groupon Getaways deals here.

2. Always check for coupons

It's not impossible that you could find a promo code or a coupon for the website you were about to buy a room from at full price anyway! Simply search "[hotel chain] + coupon" to see if any such discounts exists. You could also check Groupon's travel coupons page, which has featured discounts for Hilton, America's Best Value Inn, Motel 6, Priceline, and Hotels.com.

See travel-related coupons here.

3. Look for "top-secret hotel" deals

Sometimes hotels want to offer a deal, but for one reason or another, they don't want to promote their name as being associated with that deal. Enter "top-secret hotel" deals, where the name, location, and any identifying traits of the hotel are withheld. While this can feel like a grab bag, top-secret deals can often get you a great rate at an excellent property.

Shop Groupon top-secret hotel deals here.

4. Find an all-inclusive package

Your first instinct when you see an all-inclusive hotel rate is that is doesn't seem to be that great of a deal. But remember: all-inclusive rates include not just the room rate, but also many of your meals and your drinks. It might also include specific activities, particularly watersports—check the offer carefully to see just how much value you can get out of a specific deal.

Shop deals on beach vacation here.

5. Book longer stays for lower rates

This is pretty simple: a hotel is more than likely to cut you a discount if you stay longer. So if you're going on a weeklong vacation, try to spend it at the same property, and see if the hotel will offer you a weekly rate rather than a nightly one.

6. Stay on weekdays instead of weekends

If you're studying how to get cheap hotels, one thing you learn quickly is to try to do your vacationing on the weekdays. Since weekends are often more in demand, hotel rates are higher. Stick to weekdays, and you're more likely to get a good rate. (Bonus tip: try to vacation in your destination's off-season as well, or at least a few weeks before the heart of tourist season.)

7. Sleep in a van...a really cool van

We've been trying to show you how to get cheap hotel rates, but perhaps the best ways to do this is to not stay in a hotel at all. Consider the rentals from Escape Campervan. These bed-equipped vans are a fantastic way to explore the scenery of the Western United States and not have to pay an arm and a leg for a hotel.

See our Escape Campervan deal.

8. Choose a hotel that isn't downtown

One of the savviest ways to get a cheap car rental is not rent from an airport location. Similarily, one of the best ways to get a cheap hotel room is to avoid a city's downtown or any high-tourist areas. Sure, you might have to drive a little bit more, but often times the savings are worth the longer commute.

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