How to rebook a hotel for a lower price
Book the new one first. Cancel the old one second.

The six steps

1. 1

   Write down the exact deadline, with its time zone

   Note the date, the time, and whose time it is. Booking.com's own guide to cancelling says the deadline is usually calculated in the hotel's local time zone, not yours. A hotel nine hours ahead of you can have a deadline that passes in your afternoon. If the confirmation gives a date with no time, plan around the earliest reading, the start of that day in hotel time, until the site tells you otherwise.

2. 2

   Check that the new rate is the same stay

   Same hotel, same dates, same number of guests, and the same room: type, bed and view. Many cheaper listings don't name the room at all, which is why the same hotel can show different prices. Check the meal plan too. A rate without breakfast is cheaper for a reason.

3. 3

   Compare totals, not headlines

   Go to the checkout page of the new rate and read the total for the whole stay with taxes and fees, then compare it with the total on your confirmation. A lower nightly price that adds a resort fee or leaves taxes for later can end up costing more. Use the same currency for both. If you are giving up something real by switching, such as loyalty points or a member perk from booking direct, count that too.

4. 4

   Read the new rate's cancellation terms

   If the new rate is also free to cancel, you can repeat all this if the price falls again. If it is non-refundable, switching locks you in: a later drop won't help, and your plans can't change for free. Sometimes that trade is worth it. Decide on purpose. Our refundable vs non-refundable guide has the math.

5. 5

   Book the new rate, and wait for the confirmation

   Book while the rate is live, and don't touch the old booking until the new confirmation email has arrived with the dates and room you expect. For a short time you hold two bookings. That is the point: you are never left with none.

6. 6

   Cancel the old booking before the deadline, and keep the proof

   Cancel where you booked: Booking.com's guide, for example, says to log in to your account, find the reservation and look for the cancel or modify options. Save the cancellation email, and watch your card until any charge or hold from the old booking is gone. If something looks wrong, contact the site with the cancellation confirmation in hand.

How big a drop is worth a rebook?

That is your call, but here is the line our booking watch uses: a listed rate at least 5% lower than what you paid, and at least $5 a night lower (or about that in your currency), seen on two daily checks in a row. One low reading can be noise, so it waits for a second day. Below that, the time and the room risk of a switch can outweigh the difference.

Prices do move after you book, in both directions; whether they drop closer to the date depends on the hotel and the dates. The hard part is noticing a drop while you can still cancel.

Rebooking a hotel: common questions