How A Hotel Concierge Can Help You Save Money On Vacation

Using a concierge is just one of the ways to stretch your vacation budget.

For more ideas, check out our how to travel on a budget post, filled with ideas like frugal amenities to look for when you book a hotel, money saving tips for food on vacation, and more.

How A Hotel Concierge Can Help You Save Money On Vacation

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Avoiding Overpriced Tourist Restaurants

If you don’t know where to eat, a concierge can help you decide — and help you avoid expensive restaurants that aren’t worth it.

Let the concierge know what type of cuisine you’re in the mood for and what your price range is. He’ll be able to recommend a great place, including budget-friendly options that might not have popped up on your google search.

Because we all know those expensive tourist traps aren’t where the locals are going.

Yes, I love eating at the restaurants I see when I’m scrolling social media. And you should go to some of them. But some aren’t worth your money. A concierge can help you avoid overspending on a bad meal that only looks good on Instagram.

Finding Better Values And Discounts

A concierge and the hotel you’re staying at may have partnerships with local bars, restaurants, and attractions that can save you money on your trip.

If you know where you want to eat or visit, stop by the concierge’s desk to ask if the hotel has a coupon or discount.

When we were in Nashville, we got a coupon for a free moonshine tasting at Ole Smokey Moonshine through our hotel. Since Pete was already planning on doing that, this freebie ended up being an unexpected way to save on our overall trip cost.

Other times, when we’ve checked into a hotel, we’ve been given coupons for free appetizers or discounts at local restaurants, which helped to save money on food on our trips.

Sometimes you can get a discount by showing your hotel key. That’s a way for the attraction or restaurant to thank the hotel for sending customers. And that thank you is passed along to you in the form of savings.

Saving Money On Fitness

You don’t want to stop your fitness routine when you’re on vacation, but paying for a day pass at a local gym can get expensive.

Using a hotel’s gym means you can avoid that cost. But, not every hotel has its own fitness center and some have limited hours.

A concierge may be able to let you know about a neighboring gym or fitness center that allows free access for hotel guests.

If you’re planning on working out offsite, check with the hotel concierge and see what the rules are. You may need to show your room key or need a printed pass from the hotel in order to use the gym.

Preventing Costly Hotel Mistakes

We went to Hilton Head Island for a work trip a couple summers ago. When I tried to log on to the hotel’s WiFi and it wasn’t connecting, I was worried. I needed it so I could work. I mean, that was the whole purpose of us being there.

Pete and I went down to the concierge and, luckily, he was great and was able to solve our connection problem and get us online. That meant I didn’t have to waste any time trying to find and pay for a hotspot and miss important work deadlines.

So, if you have something going wrong at the hotel, ask the concierge. He can help you avoid paying for costly fixes (like, in my case, an unnecessary hotspot). He can also help you much quicker than you can probably help yourself, and we all know, time is money.

Getting Around Without Overspending

When you’re trying to get to an attraction, you might immediately think of booking a ride with a rideshare app. But, rideshares and taxis are usually the most expensive choice and eat up a lot of your travel budget.

A concierge will be able to let you know if it’s cheaper to take public transportation or to walk, which can add up to a ton of savings.

The concierge will also know about road closures, which your GPS might not know about.

When we were in Puerto Rico, we were trying to get to the natural pond at El Yunque Natural Forest. There was a mudslide that closed the direct route, so the office staff alerted us of an updated route and told us only Apple Maps had it. Google maps did not.

Without that tip, we would have been driving around in circles, wasting our time and gas, and maybe never made it to the natural pond.

Getting Free Perks for Special Occasions

If you’re on vacation for an occasion, like a birthday or an anniversary, and you want something special set up in the hotel room, let the concierge know.

We went to Washington, DC for Pete’s dad’s 70th birthday a few years ago, and I mentioned the reason for our trip when I booked the hotel. The staff was so sweet and set up a bottle of wine, water, snacks, and a card for his dad to see when he got to his room.

Pete’s dad actually checked in before us, so he knew we didn’t sneak into his room to set it up. What he didn’t know is we didn’t pay for this. It was a free perk from the hotel, which meant we didn’t have to buy a gift basket or balloons ourselves. Yay for savings.

You can’t expect this type of freebie from the hotel, but if you do get it, it’s a really nice perk.

Saving On Airport Transportation

In the age of rideshare, that’s usually the default choice to get to and from the airport. In fact, when we stayed in San Antonio, we were able to book our rides via the app days in advance. But, it was really expensive.

Some cities don’t have great ride share (like ours!), so you’re better off asking the concierge for help.

The concierge will know if the hotel offers complimentary airport shuttle service. If not, the concierge can suggest taxi services that are reliable and cheaper than rideshare. He may even be able to set your ride up for you so you’re not scrambling at the last minute and paying a rush fee.

Saving on Luggage / Storage Fees

We had an early flight when we went to Texas, which meant we got to our hotel a couple hours before check in. We went straight there and kindly asked if early check in was a possibility. We were told yes, but for a hefty fee (almost the cost of a full night’s stay).

While we were debating paying that, the concierge stopped us and said that we could store our luggage at the hotel for free and go explore the town. It would be there for us when we checked in.

She also said that if we had a late flight after checkout, we could store our bags there as well and pick them up before going to the airport.

We’ve done something similar in Japan and Las Vegas too, and it really does save you a lot of money (because paying to check in early or paying for luggage storage in town is really expensive).

Avoiding Parking Fees (Or Expensive Parking Decisions)

Parking is downtown Wilmington is pretty confusing. There ae public lots, which are cheap, private lots, which are expensive, and then street parking, which is free in some places but not everywhere. It’s a little complicated and parking in the wrong spot can get costly (especially if you get a parking ticket, which is expensive).

Before you drive somewhere, you should stop by and chat with the concierge to see if there are any parking rules or restrictions you should be aware of. The concierge can also let you know about any free parking spots that are close to your destination, eliminating your parking costs completely.