Hotel Secrets The Big Chains Don’t Want You To Know

It can be overwhelming experience trying to book the right hotel room. Figure out your budget and decide which features you can’t live without. Read these tips on how to enjoy the best possible hotel experience.

You can find a lot of great deals on hotels if you go online and check out some of the travel sites out there. If you are in a hotel loyalty program, put your information in. You can also get additional discounts from any organization you are apart of, such as the AAA or the AARP.

TIP! Use online travel sites, such as Expedia and Orbitz, to find the best prices at the hotels you want to stay at. If you’re a member of a loyalty program of a hotel, make sure you input that data when checking out rates.

Check online hotel reviews before booking your stay. These sites will allow you a customer’s perspective of the hotel you are planning on staying at. What people say with regards to a hotel being considered can ensure you make an informed decision.

Consider taking advantage of room service when the urge strikes for a late-night snack with your special someone. Although you’ll probably pay more, it is worth being able to comfortably dine in the room while in pajamas.

TIP! Consider ordering room service if you want a special meal without needing to go out. Although you will probably have to spend more money to do this, it’s usually worth the cost because you have the luxury of receiving excellent food without having to leave your hotel room.

Consider taking advantage of room service when the urge strikes for a late-night snack with your special meal without needing to go out. While you’re likely to pay a little more, it is worth it if you can stay in your comfortable room as you satisfy your cravings.

If you belong to any organizations, check with them for travel deals. Some groups provide members with discounts on certain hotels. People often forget about these discounts, which can be 10% or more. This can add up to big savings, even more so if you will be staying for many nights. It can add up to equal a free night!

TIP! If you belong to any organizations, find out if they get any discount from certain hotel chains. Some of them may provide discounts on hotel stays.

Use online search tools. These kinds of websites can help you quickly find great deals fast.

Search for the best deals in hotels online before making reservations. Most of the time, people you speak with over the phone won’t mention any discounts possibly available to you. It is your responsibility to scour the Internet for these savings. Use popular websites such as Jetsetter, SniqueAway, or RueLalaTravel.

TIP! Search for the best deals in hotels online before making reservations. Hotels don’t usually advertise their lowest rates, so you may have to ask.

Always look for online deals before booking your hotel room. It is your responsibility to find these savings. Check out websites like SniqueAway, RueLaLaTravel, or RueLaLaTravel.

Be sure to look at your room before unpacking your suitcase. Is it tidy and sanitary? Are the toilet, shower and sink functioning properly? Are all the towels you’ll need present in the room? If you spot any problems, immediately notify the hotel staff so they can fix it or move you to another room.

TIP! When you arrive at your hotel, thoroughly check your room previous to unpacking. Is it free of mildew and mold while being clean? Do the sink, shower and toilet work properly? Are there enough linens and towels? If you notice any problems, report them immediately.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking all hotels will welcome your pet.

Plan your trip as far in advance as possible. If you can book a couple of months early, a lot of locations will give you a steeper discount. You may save 50 percent or more.

TIP! You should always start planning any serious trip months or weeks ahead of time. This will help you book early and get the best prices.

If you have a AAA membership, see what kinds of discounts the hotel offers. You may not know that your membership to the auto club also includes discounts on hotels. You can save 5 percent or even more motels and hotels in the country. It’s a way to save money that can add up over the nights.

Don’t make assumptions about pet policies of hotels. Be sure to call in advance and find out about their policies, regardless of website info. Verify exactly what is meant by “pet-friendly” since certain breeds and pets over a certain size may not be allowed.

TIP! Don’t make assumptions about pet policies of hotels. Put a call into the front desk just to be sure, no matter what it says on their website.

It is wise to join a hotel loyalty programs that your favorite hotels offer. These programs provide perks to those who frequently use a particular chain of hotels. You will be able to earn stuff like a free upgrade, free stays, and complimentary late check out with enough points accrued.

If you plan on taking a family pet with you to a hotel reservation, do three things in advance. Be sure that this hotel will be friendly to pets. Also, bring a lot of plastic sacks like ones from the grocery store so you can get your pet’s messes cleaned up. If you can arrange a corner room, there will be less likelihood of your pet disturbing other guests.

TIP! If you need to have a pet stay with you in your hotel room, do a few things ahead of time. Confirm that pets are allowed in the room you are staying.

Spa Deals

To keep your running regimen up while you are traveling, pack your GPS watch and plenty of running clothes. Go for a run when you wake up in the morning. It’ll let you explore the city in a new way.

TIP! Be sure to follow your fitness regimen while staying in a hotel by packing your workout clothes and any other equipment you may need. This makes it easy for you to wake in the morning and get in a run.

If you often stay at the same hotel chain, see if they have frequent stay programs you can become a member of. These programs give you points for each stay. They add up to free nights, free nights, spa deals, spa deals and a whole lot more.

The price you pay at a hotel often depends on the time frame in which you reserve the room. Availability dictates the prices of hotel rooms. If it’s possible, your room should be booked around a day in advance or more. This will get you the very best rate on your hotel room. The hotel will earn no money at all if the room is empty, which gives you a much better bargaining position.

TIP! The timing for your booking of a hotel room has much to do with what you pay. The price is subject to the laws of supply and demand like any other product.

If you are an environmentally conscious traveler, then you may be interested in taking a “green” vacation. There are a lot of eco-friendly hotels around. There are plenty of hotels that were built today with strong environmental standards. Many older hotels are environmentally aware by utilizing some eco-friendly practices.Talk to your travel agent if you want to find the best green hotels that are eco-friendly.

Before you decide to book, always find out if there are any hotel transfer fees so you won’t be surprised on your bill. Hotel transfer costs can be extremely large, especially in hotels that appear to offer an incredible deal on their room rates. You can increase the amount you save by simply finding this information out in advance.

TIP! If you don’t want to get a big expense on the hotel bill you get, speak to the place about hotel transfers prior to booking things. Particularly when the room price is a big deal, the hidden fee of transfer often can be the difference.

The timing of your hotel room booking often determines the dates on which you plan to stay there. Rooms are typically priced in accordance with availability. This will get you the very best price when it comes to hotel room.

If you wish to get a lot out of a hotel stay, especially if you’re traveling for your business, get a membership program and join it like what the Marriott or Choice Hotels offers. This allows you to earn points each time you book a room. You can use these points to purchase perks in the future.

TIP! Join a loyalty program to get deals on your stays. That way, each time you stay, you accrue points that you can turn into vacation freebies when it’s time to take the family on an adventure.

Don’t call long distance calls from your hotel room. Many hotels now offer Skype connections on their Wi-Fi.You can stay connected with people back home by using this instead of making expensive long distance calls from your room.

A membership in AAA can make booking a hotel easier when you travel. If you do a lot of traveling, the AAA membership can pay for itself, and you can also get deals on rental cars. Parents can also often enjoy a free car seat that comes with some rentals.

TIP! A membership in AAA can make booking a hotel easier when you travel. Members of AAA will get additional hotel discounts up to five percent, but you’ll also get discounts on rental cars as well.

Start by inspecting the bathroom if you need to make sure there are no bed bugs. This is the place where you won’t find them. It is usually a good place for pets or children to wait for a couple minutes as well.

Never use the hotel phone for long distance calls. Rather, use a web tool. Some hotels offer free Wi-Fi, so you can use Skype. You can still call family members, friends, and colleagues from your room without racking up tons of costly charges.

TIP! Never use the hotel phone for long distance calls. Use the Internet, instead.

You should be aware whether or not the hotel’s policy concerning pets. These hotels sometimes have odors sinking into the floor and bed linens. Some hotels have an extra fee for pets, while others charge substantially more. The fee charged may not be adequate to cover the extra cleaning that needs to be done.

If you are traveling with children, be sure the hotels you book have clean swimming pools that are up and running. There are few things as frustrating as showing up to a hotel, with your kids chomping at the bit to get in the pool, only to have it closed for repairs.

TIP! If you are traveling with kids, make sure the hotel you book has a working pool. Imagine arriving at your destination looking forward to a dip in the pool, only to discover that you can’t use it.

Not all hotel will be able to accommodate you. Talk about these things when you reserve your room.

Determine whether or not the hotel you are considering allows smoking or not. If you don’t smoke, you may wish to avoid those that have smoking rooms. The smoke can settle into your clothing and luggage. Sometimes, smokers rent non-smoking rooms because that is all that is available, and then they smoke in them anyway. If you are a non-smoker, be sure to request a non-smoking room in a non-smoking area of the hotel or you can find a hotel that is completely smoke free.

TIP! Figure out if you want a hotel you can or cannot smoke in. If you are a non-smoker, you might want to stay away from hotels that offer smoking rooms.

Never check out before the departure date unless it’s an emergency. The hotel may charge a fee for your early departure. When you make your reservation, the hotel takes that room off the market; thus, if you depart early they will lose money.

Do not check out early. The hotel may charge you a fee for your early departure. The room is not marketed by the hotel and you will have to make up that lost revenue. You may end paying for a day you don’t use the room. They will charge a departure fee so they get back what they lose.

TIP! If you book a room during a heavy occupancy period, don’t be surprised if you have a mandatory stay of a few days or more. An early departure charge may be added to your bill if you leave sooner.

Avoid using the bedspread. The top bedspread usually isn’t washed like the sheets or blankets underneath. It can carry a lot of bacteria and germs. Just make sure you remove this covering from the bed to have peace of mind.

Don’t open that bottles water! When you get checked in you might feel thirsty and a little tired. You might want to open the bottled water they left you. Hotels take advantage of guests by charging ridiculous amounts for bottled water. Sometimes you can get a free water bottle in the hotel gym. What would be best is if you just packed your own bottles.

TIP! Whatever you do, don’t open the bottled water. You may be very thirsty upon arrival.

Don’t take linens as you are sitting in your room!

To get the best rate on your hotel room, never book while the very peak of tourist season is in full swing. Hotels usually know in advance when they expect high occupancy due to the season or events in town so they can help you choose a time when rates and occupancy are lowest. Instead you should try booking a room when it’s not peak season as this is when a hotel wants more visitors. This will give you a better chance of actually getting a discounted rate.

TIP! You can save money by not booking a hotel room during tourist season. That is when you’ll pay the highest rates.

You can often save money if you book a flight and hotel at the same time. Travel websites offer big savings when you book more than one service at the same time.

There are some good strategies for getting a free room upgrade. The best way you can do this is to show up at the hotel exactly at your scheduled check in time. Sometimes, rooms aren’t ready when patrons arrive, and the hotels give them better rooms for no extra charge.

TIP! You may be able to receive an upgrade without being charged for one. You can do this by checking in exactly at your expected arrival time.

Some rooms in a hotel have better views than other rooms. If prices are the same, always go for a room with the best view. A room with a view will make your stay more pleasant. It can’t hurt to inquire about the availability of rooms that have better views.

If you need to book a hotel room while already traveling, check gas stations or rest areas for free pamphlets containing maps of the area and information about local services. This will give you an opportunity to book in advance and get a deal without visiting a hundred different hotels.

TIP! If you’re on the road and need a place to stay, check out rest areas, gas stations and travel centers for guide books that have maps and lists of hotels in the area. You may even find discount coupons! This will give you the opportunity to call for a room, instead of driving around for hours trying to get the best deal.

You can always avoid paying an advertised price posted at a hotel. Contact the hotel and see what kind of specials they are running. You may also locate great discounts by using travel websites out there.

If you tip well, your hotel stay will be more pleasant. For example, tip the housekeeping staff for keeping your room tidy. If you tip, you’ll be respected by the staff.

TIP! To get good service and keep the mood happy all around, tip when the situation calls for it. Remember that room service bills include a tip; however, the person who cleans your room will not receive a tip unless you provide it.

Check online sites like Expedia or Travelocity to help you find great prices. Some may require you to bid, while others may withhold the actual price until you commit to buy, so be aware of that.

Sometimes, certain hotel rooms have a better view than others. If the prices are not changed by the view, ask for a room with a better one. Just having a better view can enhance your enjoyment of your hotel stay. It can’t hurt to inquire about the availability of rooms with excellent views.

TIP! Some rooms have better views than others. If there is not a price difference between rooms, opt for the one with the best view.

You can secure a great hotel room and find a deal all at the same time. Keep these tips and your research handy when you are booking your room. You are likely to have a comfortable stay and pay a price you are happy with.

Book your hotel travel during a special occasion. Hotels will give you some extra stuff if you let them know you’re trying to travel while it’s your birthday. Hotels may provide free champagne, food, or other items. Although, lying about it may not be the best idea.

TIP! Make your hotel reservation during any special occasion. Some hotels may give you something special if your stay is for your birthday or anniversary.