Websites like HotelTonight have long tried to solve the dilemma of when to book hotel rooms to get the best rates. Online travel agencies like Booking.com and Hopper have added price protection programs for the same reason. And still travelers complain about how hard it is to find a good deal on a hotel. Now a new site, HotelSlash, joins the quest, promising discounted hotel rates to members and a tracking service that monitors reservations for price dips.
“We’re travel hackers at heart,” said Jonathan Weinberg, the chief executive and a co-founder of HotelSlash. He also runs AutoSlash, a platform for rental car deals that will track reservations and tip off travelers to any decrease in prices so that they can cancel — most car rental agencies allow free cancellations — and rebook at the lower rate.
HotelSlash, he added, targets “cost-conscious leisure travelers.”
For the next three months, the site is offering a 90-day free trial, though Mr. Weinberg said it will always offer a limited free-trial period for new users; thereafter, annual membership costs $29.95.
How does it work and what are the benefits of enlisting a rate hawk? The answers follow.
Booking rooms
Users can book hotel rooms through HotelSlash by choosing their destination (either a specific hotel or a city), dates of travel and number of travelers. Unlike other booking sites, HotelSlash sends an email with a link to the results, adding a step to the process. The email shows up within minutes, and the results are robust. Even when I searched for a specific property — the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas — I got its room prices as well as prices for nearby hotels, including a variety of room types and rates, such as prepaid nonrefundable and refundable.
Mr. Weinberg said the discounted prices HotelSlash receives are “controlled user group rates,” an industry term for prices negotiated by membership organizations and businesses such as AAA and Costco.
It’s not for loyalty-point hoarders. The site doesn’t allow users to enter their membership numbers, and though travelers may request points from a hotel directly, there’s no guarantee a property will comply.
“Fewer travelers belong to hotel loyalty programs than have airline loyalty membership, so travelers are more willing to book through a third party,” said Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst and president of the market research and advisory firm Atmosphere Research Group.
To its credit, HotelSlash very…
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