Heading to Salem in October means...

A lot of tough luck, really!

Turns out that for us fear finders out there, Salem, Mass in October books up about ten months ahead of time!

I know everything will be jammed with crowds in Salem, and Chris will hate that but we're going for Salem Horror Fest so I can meet a childhood hero and see Wolfman's Got Nards- a doc based on the canonization of my fave childhood movie, Monster Squad.

The flights to and fro were cheap enough (for most but not cheap enough for me!) and I figured we would wait on booking a hotel because you tend to get screwed the earlier you book! (Case: I booked an LA hotel for $179 because is looked DOPE and then when it came to a day before check in I saw the price went down almost $70! AND it wasn't that dope.) But now I may be rethinking that because of how fast I hear the festival is booking! Whoops.

I usually check out Hotels.com, of course, because I find good deals AND because I've got 9 of 10 bookings on my account and so my second night in Salem should be free BUT I just recently learned about another hotel deal app from a fellow blogger that I'd like to check out; HotelTonight.

So, let's compare, shall we?

HotelTonight: It is cool, but it is just what it sounds like- a very last second booking site. So I can find deals for tonight, but the deals aren't a'plenty for booking ahead. It's cashing in on the last minute cancellations and empty rooms, which I love! (However, I'm finding that it's a bit of a panic right now trying to find a room to stay in. Chris is not the fly by the seat of his pants kind of guy and since he's indulging me in going on this trip, I feel I should at least have it booked!)
Eyeball those prices- WHAT? Site promises -$235 hotels on average? 

One of the main issues with this specific hunt is that there are ZERO hotel locations open in Boston Proper, for which I was looking. They're all in the outskirts, which, for someone planning to Uber the whole trip, isn't as convenient because it's spending money on top of money. Also their pop ups seem full of bologna. If you just ignore what it's trying to tell you about other people you'll be fine.
:(

So, this app seems cool and I will def keep it around BUT mayhaps not for this particular tourist trap.

Hotels.com: Typical stuff- Boston hotels start at their advertised special of Marriott for a low, low price of $399 a night. I'm not seeing a lot of actual deals on this one that are worth a damn. May keep it as a last minute attempt, but again, for this trip, I will most likely pass despite it being my tenth night. We'll see.

Airbnb: This seems to be the best bet, even though most of the homes are out of Boston proper. But luckily they are close enough to walk to buses and trains and what not, so spending $60 to be out of the direct area is better than paying $150 at a hotel in the same area of Dorchester or Lynn. Plus, the homes are Victorian in a lot of neighborhoods, which is bad ass, and run the risk of old crotchety Irish ghosts who have forgotten everything but the grudges! (Irish Alzheimer's joke)
This is our likely candidate, which is LESS panicky and more affordable than waiting on a hotel to open up. Plus, I actually trust Airbnb to clean their sheets.
Update: Booked!
And they have a doggo!


All in all, if you're planning a hefty weekender like this, it's best to plan ahead. For things like Salem, MA in October it's not always feasible to wait because things will book without you and you may be stuck paying that $399 a night price. Best advice- do your homework here. If you know it's something that an entire tri-county area will be a part of then don't expect much in the realm of last minute deals because there may not be anything offered. In general, sure, by all means improv it. Go with the flow. But for something major in the holiday way in a touristy destination already- PLAN!

As always, be kind! Look out for one another and follow me in Insta

Comments

  1. I remember the spooky stories from my childhood and I . always wished to see that place once with my own eyes. But I totally agree, planning a trip even if its "just" a weekend trip is something essential. Pity to hear about your bad experience in LA, this is really a shame when such things happen. I made in general very good experiences with airbnb in Europa and the US. For bigger cities like New York or Washington I prefer to stay in Hotels. But - as you say - best way tp plan already quite longterm beforehand.

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  2. It was really nice to read your post. thanks for sharing such an amazing article

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  3. I didn’t know about Horror Fest, I would love to do that. If I were you, I’d book in advance but then I’m a planner, but I know how you feel when you see a price drop after you have booked. Try free cancellation, that’s what I do. Not used HotelTonight before, though is that just for US or Worldwide?

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    1. I'm not sure if it's fully worldwide or just a u.s. thing where I can look worldwide but I just looked up last minute places to stay in Dublin and everything was fine

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  4. A horror fest sounds like fun! I can imagine that the place is already pretty muc booked up! Planning ahead is key, although sometimes I decide things at the very last minute and the sites you've listed above are all very useful. I use a lot AirBnB and Booking.com, I don't see it listed here, ut give it a try, you may find really good deals there :)

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  5. Learnt about the horror fest for the first time. Think it would be a good idea to head to Salem in October after reading this post! I agree, accommodations can be tricky and its hard to say whether its better to book in advance or wait for the last minute deal especially when going to a place for a fest! We would echo your thoughts as Arbnb being the best bet. We are currently living in one for last few months as we slow travel the Himalayas!

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  6. Not tried HotelTonight yet but it looks pretty good. Especially for getting those deals. I use booking dot com and sometimes AirBnb, mostly for my travels in Latin America. Thanks for sharing, I will try your method of trip planning in the near future.

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  7. Horror Fest! Never heard of it but it sounds like something I'd love to explore. However, it seems like it needs to be planned for in advance because it's going to be super expensive to book it last minute. I usually end up using airbnb as well, when my trip is unplanned and I need something inexpensive last minute. Not sure if Expedia is popular with you guys? I get pretty good deals on accommodation on that website too sometimes.

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    1. I haven't heard of horror fest however it does looks interesting especially for Halloween season getaway. I usually book my hotel via Expedia (which is convenient for me). I haven't tried airbnb because I'm concern about security and safety.

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