All About Discounted Gold Coast Accommodation

Several online companies eg.. Wotif, now deal exclusively in the accommodation market and their websites provide a valuable service that connects the special offers buyer with the lowest cost Gold Coast accommodation. There is no doubt that some good bargains can be found via these discount websites. .

In the majority of cases the buyer will be quite satisfied with the accommodation provided.  However, the discount market does have some inherent factors that can trap the unwary buyer. The old adage that "you always get what you pay for" is most appropriate in the accommodation market so what are some of the things that the buyer should be aware of before paying their money for discounted   accommodation on the Gold Coast?

The most important thing to remember is that discounted accommodation is always unsold stock .... and there will be a reason why it is unsold. . This article discusses a few of the factors that should be considered when thinking of buying in this market. .

For starters , the discounted accommodation will usually be limited to the short term, such as bookings not later than 28 days in advance . You won't be able to use these discount sites to book your annual vacation 6 months in advance, for high season dates , and still expect to receive discounted rates. That is never going to happen.

All Gold Coast accommodation properties have units that are hard to sell, eg. ground floor and low level apartments without views, back of house units that overlook the adjoining property, absence of air-conditioning or poorly maintained apartments in need of redecorating . The owners still want a return on their investment but it is difficult to rent those apartments to a public paying the full tariff. One solution for the property manager is to reach the   "price above all else" buyer via the discount websites.

The guest paying full tariff always get the best apartments. This encourages them to return the following year and to give word of mouth referrals to family and friends. A discount buyer is not going to be allocated a prime apartment if it means displacing a guest paying the full tariff.

During the low season there will usually be a surplus of empty apartments and discounts are often available on all apartments. Discounts are usually offered in the form of free nights such as "stay 5 pay 4" or "stay 7 pay 5" and have to be booked direct with the front desk.

However, for dates in mid or high season it is quite possible the discount is being offered because of one or more of the reasons discussed above.

By all means continue to shop for the best bargains but do so with eyes wide open and always ask questions before parting with your money.