If you’re heading out of town, you’ll most likely be looking for somewhere to stay while you’re visiting. If family and friends aren’t in the area or can’t put you up, renting a place on a temporary basis, such as a hotel, is your next best option. Luckily, your phone can help you with that. These 10 apps are the current best in the Play Store when it comes to helping you find a room while you’re out seeing the sights.
HotelTonight: Book amazing deals at great hotels
This is currently the top hotel hunting app in the Play Store, and it’s not hard to see why. A slick and intuitive user interface sits between you and a great selection of deals on hotel rooms for anywhere around the world. You won’t even have to read full reviews on hotels if you don’t want to; this app features three quick reasons the site editors love a particular hotel for each entry.
Hotels.com: Book Hotel Rooms & Find Vacation Deals
Hotels.com has a long history as one of the top hotel finding sites in the biz, and its Editors’ Choice-honored app is no slouch. You’ll find a plethora of searching, sorting and filtering options, along with the great deals that the site is known for. There’s also a Secret Prices feature that can offer even better deals through the app at select hotels.
Booking.com Travel Deals
Booking.com has been around since 1996, and its simple app is obviously, like the previous entrants on this list, Google Play Editors’ Choice material. Thanks to its long history, Booking.com can offer you variety that others, aside from hotel search aggregation sites, just can’t touch. There are over 1.5 million properties to choose from, and hundreds of millions of verified reviews to help you pick the right one.
TripAdvisor Hotels Flights Restaurants Attractions
While the other apps on this list so far can get you flights and other accommodations alongside your hotel room, this app focuses on it. TripAdvisor is designed to be a one-stop shop for travel planning and booking, and you’ll be able to get transportation, a place to stay, restaurants and more all in one app. In fact, in some cases, you can even save by bundling these things together. You can also check out local attractions, and tons of user reviews for all of the bookable things you’ll find.
KAYAK Flights, Hotels & Cars
KAYAK is not a travel site unto itself, but is rather a search aggregator. Aside from certain exclusive deals, you’ll find all the accommodations and travel arrangements that other sites and apps offer in one place. This means you can easily juxtapose offers and arrangements instead of jumping from site to site playing with filters and getting your search set up just right.
Airbnb
Airbnb, the last Editors’ Choice award app on this list, has made quite a splash in its industry and in the tech world, and even stirred up some controversy around the globe. The salient point of the app is a pretty simple one; this is for people who want a more personal experience, want to pay less, or both. You’ll be booking not hotel rooms, but private rooms in private residences, often involving shared space with the owners. If you want an authentic local experience, this is the app you want. You can even get a big listing and split the bill up with others you’re staying in it with.
Priceline Hotel Deals, Rental Cars & Flights
This app may not have an Editors’ Choice award, but it does have over 20 years of deals, connections and refinements packed into an easy package. As if being the frontend for a site that’s been in the business for 21 years isn’t enough, this app packs in every single one of the famed features found in the site, including the ability to name your own price and find rooms in that price range. With that feature and the wide selection, this is a no brainer for globetrotters on a budget. It should be noted, however, than unlike in the commercials, using this app will not summon Star Trek alumni and Priceline Negoatiator William Shatner.
Orbitz – Hotels, Flights & Package Deals
Orbitz is a more traditional bundle travel app, with the main differentiating factor being that you can earn rewards. Booking in the app will net you 5%, and you can get more cash back in other ways. Because life can be chaotic, this app offers special considerations for last-minute bookings, and you can cancel for free.
Travelocity Hotels & Flights
Travelocity, preferred travel service of the famous Roaming Gnome, boasts last-minute bookings and free cancellation, even on bundles. You can get attraction tickets, restaurant reservations, cars, rooms, flights and more in this app, and you can even get a discount with a special code for your first purchase in the app. This one also lets you share your travel arrangements and itinerary, making it easy for loved ones and colleagues to keep track of you.
Hotel Hideaway
The last entry on our list doesn’t get you into a real hotel, but rather any number of virtual ones, where you can hang out and chat with other guests. Since travel can be filled with boring downtimes like layovers, long flights and downtime at the hotel, having a game on hand to relax with can’t hurt. You can customize your very own hotel room and avatar, giving others a glimpse into your mind at a glance. As a caveat, this is an online game and will use up your data allotment, so exercise caution unless you’ve either brought your unlimited plan with you or managed to find a good prepaid one wherever you’ve landed. Likewise, it won’t work when you’re offline, so if you plan to play this on a redeye, you’ll have to spring for in-flight Wi-Fi.
