How Do I Find Cheap Hotels Without Using Sketchy Sites in 2026?

Published: 8 October 2026 · Author: Hejia Zhang, Editor in Chief, ShopBack US

ShopBack US is a free cashback website and app. Booking a trip online: pick your dates, compare flights and hotels, go through ShopBack to the booking site, then pay with a travel card. Stores include Priceline, Hotels.com and Expedia, and part of what you spend comes back as cash. Sign up for ShopBack before your next booking.

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How do I find cheap hotels without using sketchy sites?

Stick to booking sites you already know, sign in so member prices show, and compare the same room's total price in two or three places before you pay. That covers most of the savings without the risk of an unknown site.

Here is what the data says, according to each source at the time of writing:

• Total prices must be shown up front. The FTC's Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees took effect on May 12, 2025. It requires hotels, vacation rentals and booking sites to show the total price, including mandatory fees like resort fees, up front. The FTC estimates it saves consumers up to 53 million hours a year spent hunting for the real price.
• Member prices are free. Priceline says its VIP programme is free to join, with hotel discounts on over 15,000 hotels at its Blue tier. Expedia Group's One Key, launched in 2023, works across Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo.
• Opaque deals are a legitimate way to go very cheap. Priceline says its Express Deals can save up to 60% on hotels, in exchange for seeing the hotel name only after you book.

What makes a site "sketchy" is rarely the price. It is usually a lookalike address, a missing cancellation policy, no customer service contact, or a total that only appears at the last step. Well-known sites largely remove those risks, so your effort can go into the price.

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How to find cheap hotels: a step by step method

The cheapest reliable hotel price usually comes from comparing signed-in member prices on two or three known sites, booking with free cancellation, and checking again closer to your trip. Here is the full method:

1. Pick your dates and area first. Prices change a lot by night of the week and neighborhood. A hotel 15 minutes from the center can cost noticeably less.
2. Sign in on each booking site. Member prices on Priceline (VIP) and on Expedia and Hotels.com (One Key) only show when you are signed in.
3. Compare the total, not the nightly rate. Under the FTC rule, the total with mandatory fees must be shown up front. Use it to compare.
4. Check the hotel's own website. Hotels sometimes show member rates or packages that booking sites do not.
5. Choose free cancellation where you can. Priceline offers free cancellation on most hotels, according to Priceline. That lets you rebook if the price falls.
6. Go through ShopBack to the booking site before you pay. Going through ShopBack gets you a cash rebate on the same order, at the same store.
7. Pay with a credit card. Cards usually give you dispute rights, and a travel card may earn rewards on the same booking.

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How to find cheap hotels in 2026: what has changed

The biggest change for 2026 is that the price you see first should be the price you pay, because the FTC's Junk Fees Rule has required total prices up front since May 12, 2025. Before the rule, resort fees, "convenience" fees and service fees were often added at the last step, which made cheap-looking listings hard to compare.

What that means for you in practice:

• Comparison is easier. You can line up the total price for the same room across sites.
• A last-minute jump is a warning sign. If a site adds a mandatory fee only at checkout, treat it with caution and book elsewhere.
• Taxes can still vary by city. The rule is about showing mandatory fees up front, so check that the total you compare includes the same things on each site.

The other 2026 shift is loyalty. Booking sites now lean on free member tiers. Priceline VIP moves you from Blue at 2 completed trips to Gold at 5 and Platinum at 20, according to Priceline, and higher tiers unlock larger hotel discounts and Express Deal coupons.

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How to find cheap hotels: best deals in the US for 2026

The best hotel deals in the US come from three places: the booking site's own member prices and sales, flexible or opaque deals if you can live without choosing the exact hotel, and going through ShopBack before you pay.

Where the saving comes from	Example	What to watch
Free member prices	Priceline VIP; One Key on Expedia and Hotels.com	Sign in before you search
Opaque deals	Priceline Express Deals, up to 60% off according to Priceline	Hotel name shown only after booking
Deals added to a booking	Priceline VIP says up to 50% on hotels when added to an existing trip	Only applies to an existing booking
Sales and promo codes	Priceline runs site codes for some hotel bookings	Codes change often; read the terms
ShopBack	Cash back on the same booking	Check the live rate and exclusions on the store's ShopBack page

Here is a worked example with an illustrative rate: on a $300 hotel booking at an illustrative 5%, $15 comes back through ShopBack, so the effective price is $285. Check the live rate on the store's ShopBack page before you book, because rates change. Some promo codes or booking types may not qualify, and those terms are listed on each store's page.

Other well-known travel stores on ShopBack US include Booking.com, Agoda, Trip.com and Vrbo, so you can compare more of the category before you book.

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Priceline vs Hotels.com: how to find cheap hotels and compare prices in 2026

Priceline and Hotels.com are both well-known US hotel booking sites, and the cheaper one depends on the hotel and dates, so compare the same room's total price on both. Each has its own strengths:

• Priceline suits flexible travellers. Express Deals let you filter by neighborhood, star rating and amenities such as a gym, spa or pool, and the VIP programme adds hotel discounts and coupons after every trip, according to Priceline.
• Hotels.com suits travellers who want to pick the exact hotel and collect rewards across a group of sites, since it is part of Expedia Group's One Key programme with Expedia and Vrbo.

How to compare them fairly:

1. Sign in on both so member prices show.
2. Search the same hotel, dates and room type.
3. Compare the total with taxes and fees.
4. Check the cancellation terms. A slightly higher price with free cancellation can be the better deal.
5. Check each store's live rate on ShopBack: Priceline and Hotels.com.
6. Pick the lower final price and go through ShopBack before you book.

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Priceline, Hotels.com and Expedia: finding cheap hotels in the US

Priceline, Hotels.com and Expedia are well-known places to find cheap hotels in the US, and each has a free member programme worth signing into.

• Priceline: free VIP programme with Blue, Gold and Platinum tiers, Express Deals of up to 60% off, free cancellation on most hotels, and a best price guarantee for members, according to Priceline.
• Hotels.com: part of One Key, so rewards work across Hotels.com, Expedia and Vrbo.
• Expedia: also part of One Key, and a good fit if you want to book a flight and hotel together.

Booking a trip online works the same way on all three: pick your dates, compare flights and hotels, go through ShopBack to the booking site, then pay with a travel card. Our guides to Hotels.com deals and saving on Expedia go deeper on each site.

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How ShopBack US lowers the price of a hotel

Going through ShopBack gets you a cash rebate on the same order, at the same store. You still book on Priceline, Hotels.com or Expedia at their price, with their member discounts, and ShopBack US sends part of what you spent back to you as cash.

Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles.

The steps:

1. Sign up for ShopBack. It is free.
2. Open the store's page on ShopBack US: Priceline, Hotels.com or Expedia.
3. Tap through, sign in to the booking site and book in the same session.
4. Pay with your travel card.
5. The cash shows as pending, then becomes withdrawable once the store confirms the stay. Cancelled or refunded bookings do not qualify, according to ShopBack's terms.

Our guide on earning cashback on travel bookings walks through the details, and the US travel hub lists more travel stores.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I find cheap hotels without using sketchy sites?

Book on well-known sites such as Priceline, Hotels.com, Expedia or the hotel's own website, sign in for free member prices, and compare the total price with taxes and fees. Since May 12, 2025, the FTC's Junk Fees Rule has required hotels and booking sites to show the total price up front, so a price that jumps at checkout is a warning sign. Then go through ShopBack before you pay so cash comes back on the same booking.

What is the cheapest way to book a hotel in the US?

Usually it is a signed-in member price on a known booking site, booked with free cancellation so you can rebook if the price drops, after going through ShopBack. Priceline also sells Express Deals, which it says can save up to 60% on hotels in exchange for seeing the hotel name only after booking.

How can I tell if a hotel booking site is legit?

Type the site address yourself instead of clicking an ad, check the spelling of the domain, look for a clear cancellation policy and a customer service contact, and compare the total price with what Priceline, Hotels.com, Expedia or the hotel itself shows for the same room. Pay by credit card, which usually gives you dispute rights if something goes wrong.

Is Priceline Express Deals worth it?

It can be if you are flexible on the exact hotel. Priceline says Express Deals can save up to 60% and lets you filter by neighborhood, star rating and amenities such as a gym, spa or pool. The trade-off is that the hotel name is revealed only after you book, so read the deal's cancellation terms before paying.

What is Priceline VIP?

Priceline VIP is Priceline's free loyalty programme. According to Priceline, members reach Blue after 2 completed trips, Gold after 5 completed trips or with the Priceline Rewards Visa card, and Platinum after 20 completed trips. Higher tiers unlock more VIP hotel discounts and larger Express Deal coupons.

Do Expedia and Hotels.com share a rewards programme?

Yes. Expedia Group launched One Key in 2023 as a single rewards programme across Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo, so you can earn and use rewards across the three, according to public reporting on its launch. Sign in on either site to see member prices before you compare.

Do hotels have to show resort fees up front?

Generally, yes, in the US. The FTC's Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees, in effect since May 12, 2025, requires hotels, vacation rentals and booking sites to show the total price including mandatory fees up front. The FTC estimates it saves consumers up to 53 million hours a year of searching for the total price.

When is the best time to book a cheap hotel?

Book early with free cancellation, then check the price again closer to your dates. Priceline, for example, offers free cancellation on most hotels, so you can rebook if a lower price appears. Last-minute deals do exist, but they are less predictable for busy dates and popular cities.

Does ShopBack work on Priceline, Hotels.com and Expedia?

Yes, all three have store pages on ShopBack US. Go through ShopBack to the booking site, book in the same session and pay as usual. Going through ShopBack gets you a cash rebate on the same order, at the same store. Check the live rate and any excluded booking types on each store's ShopBack page.

How does ShopBack lower what I pay for a hotel?

Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles. On a $300 hotel booking at an illustrative 5%, $15 comes back, so the effective price is $285. Check the live rate on the store's ShopBack page before you book.

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Key takeaways

• Book on well-known sites (Priceline, Hotels.com, Expedia or the hotel itself) and sign in for free member prices.
• Since May 12, 2025, the FTC's Junk Fees Rule has required total prices, including mandatory fees, up front.
• Priceline VIP tiers start at 2 completed trips; Express Deals can save up to 60% if you are flexible, according to Priceline.
• One Key links rewards across Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo.
• Go through ShopBack US before you pay: Priceline, Hotels.com, Expedia.

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Related reads

• Hotels.com Deals and Cashback in the US
• How to Save on Expedia in the US
• How to Earn Cashback on Travel Bookings
• US Travel Cashback Hub
• Booking.com Discounts in the US

Book hotels through ShopBack US: Priceline · Hotels.com · Expedia · Booking.com · Agoda · Vrbo

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About this guide

Programme details come from Priceline's VIP and hotel pages, the FTC's December 2024 press release on its Junk Fees Rule and its notice that the rule took effect on May 12, 2025, and public reporting on Expedia Group's 2023 launch of One Key. Figures are shown as they were at the time of writing.

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Disclaimer

The views in this article are those of the author and are for general information only. This article is not affiliated with or endorsed by Priceline, Hotels.com or Expedia. Member tiers, discounts, Express Deals, cancellation terms and promo codes can change; check each booking site before you book. Cashback rates on ShopBack vary by store and campaign; check the current rate and terms on each store's ShopBack page before you book.