Last-minute holiday deals can be a great option for travelers who don’t have time to book in advance and are open to some level of spontaneity. Hotels are often willing to rent rooms out for a lower rate at short notice because they’re not keen on having their space empty. The catch is that you won’t know which hotel you’re getting until after booking and it may not be as nice or as close to your desired location as a more traditional hotel booking.

There are a number of websites and apps dedicated to finding last-minute hotel deals. Hotwire and Hotel Tonight are two examples. Both work by keeping the exact hotel a secret until the booking is complete, which helps to drive down rates while helping hotels avoid having empty spaces.

Emergency Escapes: Finding Last-Minute Hotels in a Pinch

More generalized search sites like Skyscanner also can be useful for finding last-minute deals. By searching on your short-notice dates, you can quickly see what options are available and then narrow down your search by price, review rating, and even free cancellation policies.

If you’re managing business travel, it can be easy to get caught off guard by sudden changes in travel plans, which means scrambling to find a hotel at short notice. However, with Hotel Engine you can save valuable time when you’re booking hotels on behalf of your team by allowing them to book their own accommodations while staying within your company’s budget.