Black Week
Black Friday travel prices: how to check before you book
Minus 40 per cent in red, right across the photo of the hotel pool. Below it, the old price with a line through it. What you cannot see is what the room cost three weeks ago.
This page contains affiliate links. If you book through them, Picolo earns a commission at no extra cost to you. Our picks are made independently by our editors.
In short: checking Black Friday travel prices
A travel discount is real when the total for the same dates is lower than before the sale began. Note the price a couple of weeks before Black Week, compare the whole stay including fees, and choose free cancellation. Since April 2025, sites aimed at UK customers must show mandatory fees upfront.
Our first choice for a good-value ski week: Trysil Hyttegrend in Norway. Check availability and prices at Trysil Hyttegrend
A fake discount is one calculated from a price almost nobody paid. The price goes up for a while, then comes down again under a big red percentage. On electronics and homeware, Which? found that 92 per cent of the Black Friday deals it checked were available at the same price or cheaper at other times of year (Which?).
Travel is harder to check. A sofa costs the same all week, but a hotel room has a new price for every date, room type and cancellation rule. That is why you need to compare exactly the same thing.
What the rules say about the price you see
The consumer rules in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act took effect on 6 April 2025. Since then, UK-facing sites have had to include mandatory charges, such as booking fees and hotel resort fees, in the price they show first. Which? still found travel firms adding resort fees at checkout weeks after the rules came in (Which?).
The rules deal with hidden fees, not with how a discount is calculated. City taxes paid at the hotel can still be extra. Whether a struck-through price was ever a real price is something you have to check yourself.
Six checks before you book
Note the price two weeks before: Search for your exact dates, number of guests and room type, and take a screenshot of the total. That is the benchmark for the Black Week price.
Compare the whole stay: A low nightly rate can turn expensive once taxes and fees are added. Look at the total for all nights, and remember that city taxes are often paid at the hotel.
Make sure it is the same room: The discount may apply to the smallest room, a room without a window or a rate without breakfast. Match the room type and meals before you compare.
Read the cancellation terms: The lowest price is often non-refundable. If the difference is small, paying a little more for the right to cancel is usually worth it.
Check signed in and signed out: Member prices can look like a sale. Find out whether the discount applies to everyone or only when you are logged in.
Move your dates by a day: If the price is just as low the day before and the day after, it is probably the normal rate rather than a sale.
When the price really is low
Some trips do get cheaper in Black Week. Which? found that 73 per cent of the holiday deals it checked on Black Friday 2023 were cheaper than in December and January.
A good price passes three tests: it is lower than the one you noted, it is for the same room and terms, and it can be cancelled. Then there is little to lose by booking. We are tracking 20 hotels through Black Week in Picolo Price Watch.
Package holiday or hotel only
If you buy flights and a hotel together from one company, it is usually a package holiday, and the Package Travel Regulations give you extra protection if something goes wrong. Book each part separately and they are two different purchases. Compare the package price with the sum of the parts, for the same dates and the same hotel.
Our first choice for a good-value ski week
Trysil Hyttegrend
Trysil Hyttegrend is a cluster of cabins by the river, about four kilometres from the ski centre in Trysil, Norway's largest ski resort. A free ski bus runs to the slopes, and the cabins have kitchens, so you can make breakfast and dinner yourself. The sauna can be booked for a fee. You pay for space and quiet rather than a lift-side address. Bed linen and final cleaning may cost extra, so check the total before you book.
Checking travel prices: frequently asked questions
What is a fake discount?
A fake discount is a reduction calculated from a reference price that almost nobody paid, often because the price was raised shortly before the sale. On holidays and hotel rooms it is hard to spot, because each date and room has its own price. The only reliable test is to compare the sale price with a price you recorded yourself.
How can I tell if a hotel raised its price before Black Friday?
Search for the same dates, room type and number of guests a couple of weeks before Black Week, and screenshot the total. Compare it with the price during the sale. If the sale price is not lower than what you noted, the discount was calculated from a higher price than the one you saw, whatever the percentage says.
Do Black Friday hotel prices include all fees?
On sites aimed at UK customers they should. Since 6 April 2025, mandatory charges such as booking fees and resort fees must be included in the price shown first. City taxes paid at the hotel are often still extra, so check the terms before you compare two prices.
Can I cancel and rebook if the price drops?
Yes, if your room has free cancellation. You can cancel before the deadline and book the same room again at the lower price. Check the deadline and terms in your confirmation first. Non-refundable rates cannot be cancelled for free, so with those the price is final.
Where can I complain about a misleading travel discount?
In the UK, you can report a misleading price to Trading Standards through the Citizens Advice consumer service, which also gives advice on getting your money back. Keep screenshots of the price before and during the sale. They are the best evidence you have if you need to make a complaint.