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REVEALED: The cheapest night to book a hotel room in Australia

Sunday and Monday are the most affordable nights to stay at a hotel, while Friday and Saturday are the most expensive

Melissa Woodley
Written by
Melissa Woodley
Travel & News Editor, Time Out Australia
A hotel room with river views
Photograph: Supplied | The Ritz-Carlton Perth | Christopher Cypert
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If your nights are spent endlessly scrolling on Skyscanner or Booking.com in search of the best holiday deals, then take this as your head start. A fresh report has unveiled the cheapest and most expensive days to book a hotel in Australia, along with other interesting travel trends that’ll have you itching to pack your bags.

The latest SiteMinders Hotel Booking Trends report looked at around 115 million accommodation reservations made using Australia’s top 12 hotel booking sources in 2023, including Booking.com, Expedia Group, hotel websites (direct bookings), Airbnb and Hostelworld. 

Overall, the average daily rate for a hotel room in Australia jumped by four per cent in 2023, tallying in at around $300. It’s no surprise that Friday remains the most expensive day to make a hotel booking, averaging at approximately $350 per night. Saturday followed as the second most expensive night, with Thursday a close third. 

On the flip side, Sunday and Monday are tied as the cheapest nights to book a hotel room in Australia, averaging at a daily rate of around $275. Seems like the perfect excuse to extend your next getaway into an extra, extra long weekend. 

The data also revealed that Aussie travellers are getting better at thinking ahead, with the average lead time for a booking leaping from 32 days in 2019 to 37 days in 2023. That means it’s not too late to plan a trip for next month and still score a top-notch stay.

Out of all the holidays booked by Australians in 2023, 84 per cent were domestic, while 16 per cent were international. This is a pretty good trade-off considering that international guests made up 16 per cent of Australian hotel bookings in 2023, doubling the number of international traveller bookings in 2022. 

If you’re looking for some inspo for your next getaway, here are the best luxury hotels to book in Australia right now.

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