Many people have had unfortunate experiences in a hotel. This can be a costly mistake that should not be made more than once. Fortunately, the below article provides solid advice on how to ensure you book the best possible hotel room at the best possible price.
To get the very best prices for the hotels that you’d like to visit, use travel sites online like Orbitz and Expedia. If you are in a hotel loyalty program, put your information in. You might also have other discounts from a membership in the AARP or AAA.
To help you make a good choice, you should check out hotel review websites like TripAdvisor online. Websites like TripAdvisor will give you some first-hand accounts of hotel experience from actual customers. These reviews can aid you in your decision about whether to book the hotel.
Consider taking advantage of room service when the urge strikes for a late-night snack with your special someone. While it may cost a little extra, it is worth it if you can stay in your comfortable room as you satisfy your cravings.
It’s important to make sure that your valuables are safe during a hotel stay, so make use of the room’s safe. Place all electronics there along with important documents, such as your passport or plane tickets.
Consider your organizational memberships. Many of these places will give you cheaper hotel prices. The discounts could be 10% or even higher! That can add up to huge savings over multiple nights. If you stay for a week, these discounts will almost add up for a free night.
Check in on the organizations you belong to. Some organizations offer discounts on hotels to their members. These discounts are often neglected; however, they can save you upwards of ten percent. This is especially useful if you plan to book a longer stay. This adds up to a night’s stay that is almost free.
Make use of the various hotel search websites on the Internet. These websites will help you find good deals quickly. They will also let you know what people pay on average when they go to that hotel. This lets you figure out if the deal you’re getting is a good one. They might even offer some decent entertainment venues that you should experience while you’re in the local area.
Make use of the various hotel search websites on the Internet. It is possible to find good deals fast when using sites such as these. They can also provide you with the average rate for a room at a particular hotel, so you can see if your offer is really a good deal. Finally, you can also use these to help you learn what there is to do when you get to your destination.
Be sure you inspect the room you are given at check in before you start unpacking. Make sure the room is entirely clean and free from any mildew or mold. Do a quick check to ensure that the shower, sink and toilet are all in proper working order. Are you given the linens and towels that you’re going to need? If you find obvious problems, notify the front desk right away so the hotel can correct the problems or they can assign a different room.
To benefit from the best prices at hotels, start planning your trips several weeks or even months in advance. If you can book early, you may get a huge discount. Doing this could save you up to 50 percent off your room, and this holds true with the more elite brands as well.
Know when you are able to check in and get your room. People sometimes forget when they will be let into their rooms, showing up early only to learn that their room isn’t ready yet. Ask for an early check-in time if absolutely necessary.
Book your appointment as far ahead of time as possible to guarantee you get the perfect couples massage for you and your significant other. The best massage therapists are usually booked up for months ahead of time, and you don’t want to miss out.
Plan your trip in advance for the best rates. Some hotels have a discount if you book your room a month or more ahead of time. Doing this could save you up to 50 percent off your room, and this holds true with the more elite brands as well.
Environmentally Friendly
Taking a pet on a trip requires some extra responsibility. Be sure that this hotel will be friendly to pets. Remember to bring bags so that you can pick up your pet’s waste when you travel. When you go to make the hotel reservation, see if there is room on the end that would prevent the other guests from hearing a noisy pet.
If you care quite a bit about your environment, consider taking a “green” vacation. Green hotels can feature specialized recycling programs, may only use recyclable products and use environmentally friendly cleaning supplies. Some hotels are certified to be green. Older hotels can go green by making environmentally friendly choices in energy use. Your travel agent can help to identify the environmentally friendly hotels.
If you have a AAA membership, it may qualify you for a hotel discount. You may be surprised that your auto club membership includes hotel discounts, but it does. There are discounts at hotels around the country of 5 percent or more. This can add up in time!
What you will be charged for a room, depends on when it’s booked. Hotels price rooms based on availability. If possible, don’t make your reservation more than a day in advance. This is the best way to get the best prices. If the hotel never rents the room they’ll get zero dollars for it, so most of the time they will give you a steep discount on it.
If you are an avid jogger, a GPS watch is a great investment so you can always find your way back to your hotel. Also, don’t forget your exercise clothes! Go for a jog every morning. Running down city streets or country roads can give you a fresh view of the place you are visiting.
To make sure you don’t have an unexpected expense, ask about how much hotel transfers will cost. If the room is the bargain, then an expensive transfer can ruin the whole savings. Asking these things before anything happens will allow you to save more.
Try not to make long distance calls from your hotel room. Make use of the Internet, instead. You can access Skype with the Internet connection at your hotel. Use this type of thing to get with people you know while you’re in your hotel room so you can save quite a bit of money.
Join a membership program if you travel frequently. By joining a membership program, you earn points during every visit. These points can add up to free items over time.
If you are worried about bed bugs, start your inspection in the bathroom. This is where you won’t find them. So, that means it’s the best place to stash your luggage and other belongings as you inspect the remainder of your suite. Kids and pets can safely wait there too.
If you are traveling with kids, make sure the hotel you book has a working pool. It will be a huge disappointment if you arrive at the hotel with the kids ready to swim and they are not able to do so.
Do you smoke? If so, it is important that you are aware of a hotel’s smoking policy in advance. Many hotels have rooms designated for smokers. If this is what you’re looking for, inquire about these rooms. Otherwise, you might find yourself paying a high fee for smoking in a room that is designated as non-smoking.
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. Stow you suitcases and other items here and then take a good look at the rest of your room. Not to mention a great place for your children and pets too.
Be aware of the pet policy of the hotel. If you don’t like pets or are allergic, you want to avoid pet-friendly hotels. The smells tend to stick around. Some hotels add an extra charge for pets, other do not. In fact, the extra charge for pets might not even cover the costs of cleaning; therefore, you should make sure you know all this ahead of time.
Non Smoking
In most cases, checking into a hotel room ahead of schedule isn’t possible. Unless you’re okay with waiting for your room to be ready, plan your timing wisely. The hotel must clean each room prior to the next visitor taking it. If you arrive earlier than your check-in time, you can always ask the front desk and see if they can let you in.
Ask if your possible hotel reservation is either smoking or non. If you aren’t a smoker, then you want to avoid smoking rooms and maybe even smoking hotels in general, but most hotel chains do have smoking and non-smoking rooms. You may be able to get a non smoking rooms still, but you can get smoke in the air which will stick to you. Sometimes, smokers rent and smoke in non-smoking rooms. If you don’t want to stink like a cigarette when you are leaving a non smoking hotel may be a good choice.
If you are going to use a crib or even a rollaway bed, make sure you mention this at the time your reservation is made. Such items usually have a limited amount of such extras. There also may be an added charge for these things. Before making reservations, explain this.
Always read a hotel’s pet policy, whether you are a pet owner or not. If you have pet allergies or the noise from pets bothers you, you might want to avoid these hotels. These hotels sometimes have odors because the carpet and linens have absorbed them. While some hotels charge fees for pets, they don’t always charge a lot. The fee may cover the extra cleaning or it may not, it all depends on the hotel in question.
Avoid using the hotel bedspread. Your sheets should be fresh and clean but the bedspread is not washed after each guest. As a result, the bedspread will likely contain all kinds of germs and bacteria. Just get that blanket off of the bed.
Be aware that it is normally not possible to check into a hotel early. You need to plan appropriately to avoid waiting in the lobby all day. The room must be cleaned and prepared so the next guest can check in. Check with the front desk if you arrive early, but do not be angry if they can’t get you in early.
Leave the bottled water alone in your hotel room! After checking in you may be thirsty and tired. It is tempting to simply grab that refreshing bottle of water conveniently available in the mini-fridge. Hotels are counting on this, and they jack up the price of the water accordingly. Sometimes you can get a free water bottle in the hotel gym. If possible, bring your own bottled water.
No one likes to stay at a lousy hotel. Even a hotel at a cheap price can’t help soothe a horrible experience. The quickest way to ruin a trip is to stay in a substandard hotel. The information you have read here can help you make the right choice. By selecting the right hotel, you are more ensured to have an excellent trip.
Save your money when on the road by making your flight and hotel reservations together as a bundle. Online sites allow for bundles which lead to great discounts. Be sure to compare rates from airline to airline and hotel to hotel to get the very best deals.
