Making vacation arrangements often involves a significant amount of work. In addition to choosing a destination you must also make travel arrangements as well as arrange for a place to stay. Making a bad choice will have a negative effect on your trip. This article will guide you with tips on how to select an excellent hotel.
Before booking your hotel room, look to online review sites for in depth reviews from recent travelers. This lets you know what others’ experiences have been like. What people say about a hotel can help you figure out where you should be staying.
When checking for good prices at hotels, refer to online travel sites like Orbitz and Expedia. When making hotel reservations, be sure to include information regarding hotel loyalty programs in which you may hold membership. You might also have other discounts from a membership in the AARP or AAA.
Compare prices at websites like Orbitz and Expedia to ensure that you receive the best available rate. If you are a member of a loyalty program, use that info when checking rates. Don’t neglect to check for other discounts in which you may qualify, including AAA and AARP.
If you want a meal at night, it is much more comfortable to enjoy room service. Although you’ll probably pay more, it is worth being able to comfortably dine in the room while in pajamas.
Use the closet safe to protect your electronics. Putting these items in the safe ensures that you can go out and have fun, not worrying about what you’ve left in the room.
When you get to your hotel room, look over the room before unpacking. Is the room clean? Do you see any mold or mildew? Are the showers, sinks, toilets, etc. properly functioning? Are linens and towels in ample supply? If any issues are immediately prevalent, call the front desk that instant so they can address them or move you to another room.
Take a look into organizations you are part of. Some of them may provide discounts on hotel stays. People don’t always remember to check out these discounts, which can often be 10% and higher. That can add up to huge savings over multiple nights. For a week of vacation time that adds up to an extra day!
Make certain you know when your check-in time is. If you show up too early, you may find yourself sitting around the lobby, waiting for your room to be ready. Call the hotel if you are early and find out if your room is ready.
When making a hotel selection, you should consider many things. Of course you want to consider price, but you should also consider the hotel’s location. Amenities that help you choose a hotel are free breakfast, free Wi-Fi, exercise room, pool, and a restaurant on the premises. Try locating a tip that checks off as much of your wish list as is realistic.
There are three different things you should do in advance if you’re going to be traveling with a pet. First, you’ll need to find out if a hotel is even pet-friendly. In addition, you will need numerous plastic bags and cleaning supplies so that you can make sure you clean up any messes your pet makes. You should also see if you can get a room near the end part of the hallway to make sure other guests don’t have to put up with pet noise.
Make use of the various hotel search websites on the Internet. Travel websites are very helpful when seeking the best deals. They also can show you the average hotel rates, letting you see whether the deal is good or bad. They can also give you information on nearby attractions, too.
Hotel Discounts
Part of trip planning is knowing what time check-in is at your hotel. You don’t want to arrive early only to find out your room isn’t ready yet. If you will be arriving early, call and ask if this is okay.
If you have a AAA membership, look into hotel discounts included. Are you aware that the auto club you belong to may offer you excellent hotel discounts? You can save up to an additional five percent at certain hotels throughout the country. This can add up in time!
If you want to find the absolute rock bottom hotel prices, plan your trips weeks or months ahead of time. If you book one or two months in advance, you can often receive a discount. You might only pay half price for premium hotels.
There are membership programs that hotels offer for those that stay frequently at their chains. Similar to how you earn points from frequent flyer programs, hotels offer you similar rewards for your stay. These points can be used to earn free nights, discounts and more.
To ensure that you and your special someone get the right couples massage during your stay, book your appointment as early ahead of time as you can. Many of the top masseuses out there are booked far ahead of time.
The timing of your room booking often determines the price you pay. Availability is one factor that plays a part in cost. When possible, you can often get a good price if you book a room at the very last minute. Doing so will ensure you get the best possible price on a hotel room. The hotel is not going to make any money on a room that is unoccupied, which is why the reduce the price.
Do you travel a lot? Consider using a hotel loyalty program. These are exceptional benefits reserved for customers who frequently use a particular chain of hotels. These loyalty programs allow you to earn free upgrades, late check outs and even free stays.
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. A transfer can sometimes come with a substantial hidden cost. Inquiring in advance will mean more savings for you.
When you book has a huge impact on your final bill. 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 usually ensure that you receive the best available price. Empty rooms don’t make money, so hotels slash prices to fill the building.
If you do a great deal of traveling, consider joining hotel chain loyalty programs. This allows you to earn points each time you book a room. You can use these points to purchase perks in the future.
Discuss what a hotel transfer will cost you prior to actually booking anything. You don’t want to ruin the deal you are getting on your room by paying for an expensive transfer. Inquiring about this in advance will maximize any savings.
If you’re traveling with kids, be sure that you check on the pools to ensure they’re open and in service. It is extremely frustrating for you and your children to arrive at a hotel expecting a pool and/or other activities only to discover that there are none.
Being a AAA member has many advantages when it comes to booking a hotel room. AAA members can receive great hotel discounts as well as locate a rental car much more easily. If you are a parent of a young child, you may even be provided with a free car seat.
If you are going to inspect if your hotel room has bed bugs, then start looking in the bathroom. You probably won’t find any bedbugs in the bathroom. That means that the bathroom is a great place to keep your bags while you check the rest of your accommodations for bedbugs. Not to mention a great place for your children and pets too.
Don’t call long distance in your hotel room. If you don’t have a cell phone or the Internet, buy a calling card to keep with you during your trip. The hotel may even offer Skype calls via Wi-Fi. This can be a much cheaper option than calling from a hotel room and getting hit with lots of fees.
Ask if your possible hotel reservation is either smoking or non. If you are a non-smoker, you might want to stay at a non-smoking hotel. You may be able to get a non smoking rooms still, but you can get smoke in the air which will stick to you. In addition, some smokers will rent out non-smoking rooms and smoke in them. To avoid cigarette odors entirely, opt for a non-smoking hotel.
If you are traveling with children, be sure the hotels you book have clean swimming pools that are up and running. Nothing is quite as frustrating as arriving at a hotel with children clamoring to jump in the pool only to find that it is closed.
Avoid allowing hotel accomodations to ruin your vacation. Research well and create a solid plan. You will have better options when you know how to find the best accommodations. Every single part of your vacation should be fun, including the hotel. Keep the advice of this article in mind the next time you sit down to plan your travel.
If you smoke, it is important to know what the hotel’s smoking policy is before you book your room. There are sometimes rooms designated for people who smoke. If this applies to the hotel of your choice, request that type of room specifically. You may be charged hefty fees if there is evidence that you have smoked in a that is designated as non-smoking.
