8 tips for finding a hotel in sold-out destinations this summer

29.05.2024 - 19:23 / thepointsguy.com / Paris Olympics / Henry Harteveldt

It's going to be a busy travel summer.

As TPG reported back in March, flight prices in 2024 are actually slightly lower than they were during the worst period of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that doesn't necessarily indicate decreased demand. In fact, we've already seen record travel numbers: On the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, the Transportation Security Administration reported that it screened a record 2.9 million passengers. Airlines have also taken note by increasing capacity and adding more frequent flights to popular destinations, such as Spain and France.

We've seen various flight deals — both for domestic destinations and places abroad — for travel throughout the summer into the shoulder season. Hotel deals, however, remain much more elusive.

One reason may be that hotels cannot simply increase their capacity like airlines or quickly build more hotels in response to demand. For example, it's relatively easy for airlines to add seats to a particular destination, as we've seen with flights to Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

"Demand for travel to Europe has expanded this year, capturing more searches from US travelers than at this time last year," Haley Berg, lead economist at booking portal Hopper, said.

But there is hope. Here are eight tips you can use to find a hotel room this summer in sold-out destinations.

We generally don't recommend using third-party sites to book hotel rooms or flights (since it's more difficult to coordinate with an airline or property if you need to make a change); however, online travel agencies such as Expedia or apps like HotelTonight could potentially yield last-minute reservations and savings.

"Travelers should remember that when you book through these types of third parties, you may not be eligible for hotel loyalty program benefits, and your stay booked through these parties won't count toward earning stay credits or points," Henry Harteveldt, founder of travel industry analytical firm Atmosphere Research, said.

Still, sometimes OTAs could be your best bet when capacity is tight or prices are especially high.

Related: Why you don't earn hotel points when booking through online travel agencies

"Many airlines partner with Booking, Expedia, and others for lodging content. Sometimes, these rates may either be discounted or include bonus airline miles," Harteveldt said. "It may be worth exploring these to see if there are hotels that meet a traveler's needs for location, quality, price and amenities."

Before you book, be sure to read the fine print. Keep in mind that if you use an OTA to book a room for something as high-stakes as the Paris Olympics, you could be without a hotel room if something goes awry. When you use a third-party site, you must go to them