How to Nail An Awesome Travel Deal with Agoda's Visa Wednesdays?

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a victim of “mid-week crisis” but for those who are not in the know, it’s basically that sinking mood that gets the best of you in the middle of the week when the much needed weekend seems too far away.

But fret not, we’ve got just the thing to perk up your dreadful and blah Wednesdays. If you’ve recently caught the travel bug, you might want to listen up and mark the upcoming Wednesday in your calendar!

Every Wednesday from now till 4th June 2014, Agoda.com together with Visa is offering you a deal you really can’t and shouldn’t refuse. Exclusively for Malaysia Visa cardholders, you can now gain 12% off on Visa Infinite and Visa Signature cards and 10% off on all other Visa debit and credit cards when you book your holiday. Even if you are planning ahead, don’t panic because this promotion is valid for stays between 2nd April 2014 and 31st December 2014.

1. Early bird deals or last minute offers?

So this is what I did last Wednesday as I was in the midst of planning for an upcoming trip to Penang in July. Now, many of my friends have debated over the best period to book your hotel. I’m sure you have faced the dilemma of whether or not you should book way ahead or leave it to the very last minute. Seeing that my trip is 2 and a half months away, I think it’s sitting on the cusp of last minute. Or perhaps I’ve always been too much of a planner. I honestly believe you can score great discounts and deals with either booking period method – my tip is to constantly monitor the prices and soon enough, you will discover a pattern that will work for you. In this case, I’m just going to categorise my booking as last minute.

I logged on to www.agoda.com/visawedmy and proceeded to key in my destination and travel dates. Make sure you click only on this link or else you won’t be entitled to the discount!

2. Choosing my hotel

I’ve always wanted to stay at the Eastern and Oriental Hotel in Penang and let’s be honest, it will cost an arm and a leg so I’ve never really bothered. Well, until now that is.

3. How to maximise savings and get more discounts?

With a massive sale at Agoda.com and the fabulous Visa Wednesdays deal, I took full advantage of it. Just to give you a rough idea, a studio suite on the Victory Annexe at the E&O that would normally cost RM1, 403.78 was slashed down to a more affordable RM610.34. The trick is to look for hotels that are already on sale so you get further savings. Or, another way to look at it would be to channel the extra savings to a bigger and better room, so you spend a little more but in return you will be staying in a larger place.

On top of that, I checked out with an additional 10% discount with my Visa credit card! Otherwise, I would be paying a total sum of RM708.00 (including tax).

So there you have it, my Agoda.com Visa Wednesdays booking experience was easy breezy, and thanks to a timely deal and huge discount, I booked a studio suite at a luxury heritage hotel.