Book a Hotel Last Minute to save: Hotel Tonight App Review

In 2014, I want to be more spontaneous. That’s going to mean flying by the seat of my pants and leaving some decisions to the last minute. Sometimes that means spending a little more – but with the right apps, it can actually mean the opposite.

Hotel Tonight is one of many travel apps, but sticks out because of the great user experience it provides.

How does it work?

Upon opening the app, Hotel Tonight automatically detects where you are to offer hotel deals starting TODAY in your area. As the name suggests, it only works for checkins of the current day. This is part of the fun and spontaneity.

You choose a stay length between 1-5 nights to refine your listing. It’ll give you options on everything from “Charming” to “Basic” to “Luxe”. It even names the hotels that you’re looking at (with user reviews, pics, maps, and amenities).

You will notice that there are relatively few hotels to choose from, and here’s why:

Hotels compete to appear on the app, and only those that meet our standards – and offer the day’s best value – make the cut.

When you’re happy with the choice, click the big “BOOK NOW” button, fill in your info, trace the shape of the app’s logo, and you are booked in.

Do you save money?

In my experience, definitely. They even show you the actual booking price next to their current pricing. I’ve gotten discounts of more than 50% on a 5 star experience, and $20 off of a budget experience.

Why use it instead of something like Hotwire?

For me sites like Hotwire are good for advanced planning. But when you need a deal that day, Hotel Tonight corners the market. Additionally, you know where you’re booking and what hotel you are committing to prior to paying. For some people, the mystery of Hotwire is a bit too much of a leap. Hotel Tonight keeps things spontaneous in an easy-to-use package.