Member Rates at Hotels: Why They're Cheaper and How to Get Them

Anyone comparing hotels is running into the note "Cheaper for members" more and more often. It's not a marketing gimmick -- it's a quirk of how hotels sell rooms. This article explains where member rates come from and what you should keep in mind.

Rate Parity: Why the Public Price Is the Same Everywhere

Many hotels commit to major booking platforms not to undercut their publicly visible price anywhere else. That's why you'll often find the exact same rate for the same room on the hotel's own website and on all the big portals. This so-called public price is the benchmark we use to calculate your savings.

The Exception: Closed User Groups

Prices that only logged-in members can see are not considered public. Hotels are therefore free to set them lower -- and they're happy to do so, because it fills rooms without undermining their official rate. That's exactly the principle 2Travel uses: once you've registered for free, you'll see prices up to 25% below the public hotel rate.

How We Calculate the Savings

Next to every member rate, we show the public price with a strikethrough and the savings as a percentage. We deliberately calculate against what you actually pay: if you pay $133 and save $15, we show 11% -- because that's the real gain relative to what you're spending.

What Member Rates Are Not

• No smoke and mirrors: the room, board, and cancellation terms are identical to the public rate unless stated otherwise.
• No subscription: signing up with 2Travel is free with no commitment.
• No guaranteed discount: for some hotels or dates there's no difference -- in that case we simply show the regular price.

Three Steps to Your Member Rate

• Sign up for free with your name and email address, then confirm your address.
• Search for your destination and dates -- member rates are visible straight away.
• Book, receive your confirmation by email, and track your savings in your account.