Two places to stay can look close in price and end up far apart once you add the fees, the parking and the rides you’ll need from a quieter neighborhood. The cheapest nightly rate is a starting point. The useful number is what the whole stay costs, and what you get for it.
The Linfold may earn a commission when you book through links in this article.
1. Compare the total, not the rate
For each option, write the full price for your dates, including any cleaning, service or resort fees. In the United States, the FTC’s rule on unfair or deceptive fees, in effect since May 12, 2025, requires short-term lodging businesses to show a total price that includes mandatory fees they know about. Government taxes can be shown separately, but they still have to be disclosed before you pay. Check the final screen before you confirm, and if you’re booking elsewhere, look for the same information. The FTC’s questions and answers on the rule explain what it covers.
2. Price the location
Add what it costs to get from the stay to the places you’ll spend time: parking per night, transit fares or rideshares. A stay that’s cheaper per night but two rides away from everything can cost more by the end of the weekend, in money and in time.
3. Read the cancellation and payment terms
Note the free-cancellation deadline, whether you pay now or later, and what happens if plans change after that date. A slightly higher refundable rate can be worth it when your plans aren’t fixed. A nonrefundable rate can make sense when they are. Either way, write the deadline in your calendar.
4. Check the room against the people staying
Look at the layout, bed setup, stairs, kitchen access and anything else your group needs. If accessibility matters, check the specific accessible features listed for the room rather than a general label, and call to confirm details that matter to you. In the United States, hotels’ reservation systems are required under the ADA to identify and describe the accessible features of their rooms in enough detail for a guest to judge whether a room meets their needs (28 CFR 36.302(e)).
5. Read recent reviews for patterns
Sort by most recent and look for concerns that repeat: noise, cleanliness, check-in problems, a listing that doesn’t match the photos. One bad review can be bad luck. The same complaint from several recent guests is information.
6. List what’s included and what costs extra
Breakfast, parking, Wi-Fi, laundry, early check-in, late checkout. Something included at one stay may be a charge at another. If it matters to your trip, put it in the comparison.
A comparison you can copy
The two stays below are fictional, with invented figures for illustration.
| Question | Stay A | Stay B |
|---|---|---|
| Total for two nights, fees included | $380 | $420 |
| Taxes shown before payment | $48 | $53 |
| Getting around | Parking $25 a night, plus about $40 in rides | Walkable; no car needed |
| Cancellation | Nonrefundable | Free until 3 days before |
| Fit for the group | Sofa bed in the living room | Two bedrooms |
| Recent review pattern | Street noise mentioned often | Slow check-in mentioned twice |
| Included | Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi, breakfast |
| Trip total | $518 | $473 |
Stay A has the lower nightly price and the higher trip total. That pattern is common enough to check every time.
A note on booking sites
No single booking platform is always cheapest. Prices and terms for the same room can differ between a platform and the property’s own site. When the difference matters, compare the full price and the cancellation terms on both before you book.
Your next step
Copy the table, fill in your two best options and add the trip total row before you decide. For the rest of the plan, see How to Plan a Long Weekend Without Overplanning It.
Keep reading
