You certainly want to avoid being taken advantage of when booking a hotel you’ve selected. A horrible hotel experience, whether because of the price or the actual hotel, can ruin the entire trip for everyone involved. Avoid these problems altogether by heeding the advice presented here.
Before booking your hotel room, look to online review sites for in depth reviews from recent travelers. Websites like TripAdvisor will give you some first-hand accounts of hotel experience from actual customers. These reviews can help you decide which hotel you should select.
Check online hotel reviews prior to booking a room.This will give you know what others’ experiences have been like. What people say will help you make a wise decision.
Make sure you put your valuables inside the safe in your hotel room. You can put your iPad, GPS watch, and other small, costly items into the safe, and then head out for the day with peace of mind about their security.
Know when check-in time in advance.Some people end up waiting for their room is still not ready. Call and ask if it is alright for you to arrive before check-in.
Figuring out which hotel you want to book isn’t an easy process. Price is always a big factor, but you also need a hotel that’s geographically proximate to your target destinations. Amenities that help you choose a hotel are free breakfast, free Wi-Fi, exercise room, pool, and a restaurant on the premises. You want to secure a room at a hotel that provides the things you desire.
Plan your trip in advance as you can to ensure best rates. Many hotels offer the best discounts if you are willing to book a month or two ahead of time. You can expect savings up to 50 percent if you book months in advance.
Utilize the Internet when searching for a hotel. Use these websites to your advantage! Being able to comparison shop helps you find the best value, while getting the amenities that are important to you. They might even offer some decent entertainment venues that you should experience while you’re in the local area.
If you belong to AAA, it may qualify you for a hotel discount. You would be surprised to learn that your membership to the auto club also includes discounts on hotels.You may be able to save five percent or more on certain hotels. This can add up over several nights.
For the best hotel rates, plan your trip weeks or months ahead of time. You can get some great discounts if your trip is booked several months into the future. With elite brands, this can translate into savings of up to 50 percent.
If you enjoy a morning run, make sure you pack exercise clothes and a GPS watch.
Do you travel on a periodic basis? If so, consider joining your hotel’s loyalty program. There are some great benefits offered to clients who often book the same chain. These loyalty programs allow you to earn free upgrades, late check outs and even free stays.
Loyalty Program
If you often stay at the same hotel chain, check to see if they offer membership to frequent stay programs. These programs usually work by letting you rack up points. Use them for discounts, entertainment tickets and other things.
It is wise to look into loyalty program if you travel frequently. They offer rewards to guests who book the same hotel chain. You can get a free upgrade, later check-out options and even free nights once you accumulate enough loyalty program points.
Find out about hotel transfer costs prior to booking a room to avoid hefty fees. If you are getting a very low price on the room, it is especially important that you ask about any hidden fees that might be tacked onto your bill. You should inquire about this before booking the hotel room.
If you are an environmentally conscious traveler, you can chose a “green” vacation.The great thing is there are plenty of “green” hotels is steadily growing.Some new hotels are certified green. Some older inns just select one or more of several eco-friendly strategies to show they care. Talk to your travel agent in order to find green hotels for your needs.
Get an AAA membership for hotel perks when you travel. AAA members not only get discounts at many hotel chains, it will also make it much easier to rent a car. You might even get a free car seat if you have kids.
The timing for your booking of a hotel room is determined by when you pay. Rooms prices are often priced based on their availability. This will usually ensure that you to get a great price on a hotel room.
Be careful not to make long distance phone calls on the hotel phone. Utilize the Internet, instead. You’ll often find hotels have free Wi-Fi, which allows for Skype calling long distance numbers for free. This will help you converse with those back home without racking up a lofty bill.
Be sure to avoid hotel transfers when booking a room.If the rooms are cheap, these types of hidden charges can sometimes surface. Asking about this ahead of time helps you maximize your overall savings.
Check with the hotel to make sure the pools are ready to go if you are traveling with children. It can be extremely frustrating if you arrive at your hotel only to find out the pool is shut down for maintenance.
Get a AAA membership to facilitate the process of booking a hotel perks when you travel. Parents of younger children will appreciate the complimentary car seat provided in some locations.
Make sure to ask up front if the hotel allows smoking or does not. If you are not a smoker, you might want to choose a hotel that does not have smoking rooms. You could still get a non-smoking room, but smoke can flow through the air and settle on your clothes. Also, people may rent a non-smoking room and smoke in it. Too avoid exposure to the smell of cigarette smoke, it may be best to stay at a non-smoking hotel.
Distance Calls
You should always be aware whether or not the hotel allows pets. People who are allergic to pets obviously want to avoid pet-friendly hotels. These hotels could have weird odors because of smells getting into the linens and the floor. Extra fees are sometimes imposed by hotels for guests who bring pets, but sometimes the fee is not too high. The fee might be too low to cover the extra cleaning costs.
Try to avoid long distance calls from your hotel rooms. Many hotels will give you complimentary Skype connections via Wi-Fi. You can stay connected with work or family without the high cost of making expensive long distance calls from your room.
Remember, that early check-ins are a rarity in most hotels. If you are going to arrive early, plan on doing something to fill your time. Hotels need this time to clean and prepare your room. If you can’t avoid being early, ask the front desk to make an exception, but be prepared if they can’t accommodate you.
There aren’t many things that are as frustrating as going to your excited kids they cannot swim.
If you require extra amenities like a roll away bed, you want to mention this while making your reservation. Not all hotel chains do offer these and those that will often have a very limited supply. They may charge extra for this. Let the hotel know what you need to avoid anything that you will turn in a bad surprise.
Check if a hotel is non-smoking or smoking. If you do not smoke, look for a hotel that doesn’t have smoking rooms. Smokers also sometimes smoke in rooms that the room they are not supposed to smoke in.
Do not check out prior to your agreed upon departure date if you can avoid it. If you do, then you could be charged an extra departure fee for early checkout. Whenever you reserve a room, it isn’t available to anyone else and the hotel will lose money if you cancel. That’s why they will charge you a fee for early departure.
Never actually check out before the departure unless it is absolutely necessary. The hotel could impose a fee if you an early departure fee. When you make your reservation, the hotel takes that room off the market; thus, so they lose money if you leave early.
If you are worried about your hygiene, you might want to not use the hotel’s bedspread. While sheets and linens are always washed, the topmost bedspread may not be, depending on the hotel policy. As a result, the bedspread will likely contain all kinds of germs and bacteria. Pull it off for peace of mind.
You can often save money if you book a flight and hotel at the same time. A lot of travel online sites feature serious savings for people who reserve a hotel and a rental car or flight from them.
Make sure you know your rights if any hotel ever tries to “walk” you. There may be times when a hotel overbooks, leaving with no room. That means the hotel will send you to another establishment, or “walk” you. Avoid this if you can, but if you must go someplace else, make sure the room you get is comparable to the one you booked, and you are paid to travel there.
You can get a decent room rate if you book during the off season. Rates are at this time. You will have a better chance of getting a good rate.
Whatever you do, don’t open the bottled water. After traveling and checking in, you might be feeling tired and/or thirsty. You may get tempted to open a bottle of water that is in the hotel’s mini-fridge. Hotels are aware of this; therefore, their bottled water prices are very expensive. You might be able to get free bottled water in the hotel gym. If possible, bring your own bottled water.
Try getting an upgrade without spending any money. You can do this by checking in exactly at the time when you are supposed to check in. Often your room has not yet been cleaned, so the front desk may offer an upgraded room for no charge.
Don’t steal the hotel linens when you leave, no matter how tempting and comfortable they are. If you do take any items, the housekeeping staff is sure to notice, and you may receive a bill from the hotel. If you truly love them, ask the hotel about buying them.
Using the advice shared here will help you make decisions that land you a good hotel. Looking out for yourself and choosing a good room based on the advice provided is going to help you fare better. If you are traveling and stop for rest, you don’t want to be confronted with a lot of hassles.
If you need to book a room while driving, check rest areas, gas stations and tourist centers for complimentary tourists books which contain hotel prices, maps and great discounts. This will give you the opportunity to call for a room, instead of driving around for hours trying to get the best deal.
