Another costly holiday expense is accommodation.  And as luxurious accommodation on the Gold Coast is becoming more the norm than the exception, finding cheap accomodation options is getting more difficult.  That being said, you still have many alternatives you can look at which can dramatically reduce your cost of holiday accommodation.  Here are some ideas for you

• Loyalty Programs – Many hotel chains and booking services have loyalty programs where patronage will be rewarded by discounts on future accommodation.  HotelClub.com has one which we are particularly impressed with.  You can use the rewards earned in this program with any of the hotels they take bookings for.  Now is a good time to use those points to help fund a cheap holiday.  Or if you are not a member, join up today so your holidays today contribute to future holidays.
• Hotel Comparison Services - Use a comparison services to get the best holiday deal, by comparing the rates and current discounts from all the hotels in the area.  With our partners Howzat, we have put such a search engin on our Hotel Reservations page.  Now is the best time to use such services, as the hotels are desperately trying to win your business, and out pricing the competition is one of their ways they are doing this.
• Accommodation Alternatives – You don’t have to stay in a hotel.  On the Gold Coast we have Inns, Backpackers Hostels, Caravan Parks and camping grounds.  There are many cheaper alternatives to 5 star hotels. 

So the point is, you do not have to make your next Gold Coast holiday, all or nothing.  You can tone down some parts of it to ensure you still have your annual break.  And there are so many alternatives to “5 star” on the Gold Coast, that accommodation is a great place where you can cut expense without cutting the quality of your stay.