Sooner or later, you’re going to find yourself in need of a decent hotel room. For both business and pleasure, it’s important to understand what you should seek in a good hotel. The great tips in this article will be of great help.
To get a meal later at night order yourself some room service. Although you’ll probably pay more, it is worth being able to comfortably dine in the room while in pajamas.
If you are hungry when you get to your hotel and do not want to leave, consider ordering room service. You will probably pay more for this meal, but for the convenience of having it delivered to your room, it is worth it.
Check in on the organizations you belong to. Some organizations offer discounts on hotels to their members. The discounts could be 10% or even higher! They can save you plenty of money, especially for prolonged stays. If you are staying for a week, you can pay for a whole night’s lodging with these discounts.
When leaving your hotel room, keep any electronics you have secure by putting them in the room’s safe. You can place your small, expensive items such as your iPad in the safe, so you can enjoy your day knowing they are safe and secure.
Check out your room ahead of unpacking. Is it clean? Are all bathroom fixtures in proper working order? Do you have enough towels and linens? If you see that there are problems with your room, let the people at the front desk know right away so they can get things taken care of. Or, they can move you to another room.
To get the best hotel rooms, use a website online that will help with this. These websites can help you get great deals quickly. They can tell you what the average rate at a hotel is, ensuring you know the general pricing. They also can help with figuring out when the ideal time to go on vacation is and what you can do once you are there.
To get a good price when you want a hotel room, get your trips planned quite a few weeks or so in advance. Most hotels have serious discounts for early booking customers. Some of the most popular hotel chains can end up giving you up to 50 percent in savings.
Checking online is the best way to find a good price and get the information that you need about hotels. In a lot of cases, the person booking your room isn’t going to tell you about online discounts. So, it’s up personally to you to go searching for such discounts. Use popular websites such as Jetsetter, SniqueAway, or RueLalaTravel.
Don’t make the assumption that all hotels will welcome your pet. Call the hotel to verify, even if it says so on the website. Also ask exactly what they mean by pet-friendly, as there might be restrictions on certain breeds and sizes of pet that they allow on their premises.
Know the check-in times. If you don’t check, the room may not be ready when you arrive. If you might be arriving before the check-in time, ask the hotel whether it’s okay to come.
If you often stay at the same hotel chain, check to see if they offer membership to frequent stay programs. Similar to frequent flyer programs, hotels have programs that add points on to your account each time you stay with them. These points can add up to hotel restaurant discounts, spa deals, free nights and much more.
Plan your trip as far in advance as possible. A lot of hotel locations offer discounts for reservations a month or more in advance. You can save up to 50 percent, even on elite hotel chains.
If you care quite a bit about your environment, consider taking a “green” vacation. There are several green hotels around. Many new hotels are constructed to meet green standards, earning green certification. Other older hotels will just provide green options for you. Check online or ask a travel agent for help.
Do not assume that each hotel welcomes pets. Call ahead to their service desk and make sure, even if their website listing says they are. Also ask exactly what they mean by pet-friendly, as there might be restrictions on certain breeds and sizes of pet that they allow on their premises.
How much you pay for a hotel room depends on when you book your room. Hotel rooms are priced based on how many are available. If possible, don’t make your reservation more than a day in advance. This gives you the best prices in reserving hotel rooms. The hotel will earn no money at all if the room is empty, which gives you a much better bargaining position.
If you book accommodations often, hotel loyalty programs are good to participate in. They provide rewards to those who stay with them often. There are many rewards given when you accumulate loyalty points such as free stays, free upgrades and later than usual check out times.
Be sure to avoid hotel transfer fees by asking about them in advance. In many situations in which the room’s price is a great deal, the undisclosed price of your transfer can frequently eat up the savings. Asking about this beforehand will help to maximize your savings.
If you often stay at the same hotel chain, check to see if they offer membership to frequent stay programs. Similar to frequent flyer programs, some hotels have programs that give point for each stay. These points can be used to earn free nights, discounts and more.
Try not to make any long-distance calls from your hotel room. Use your cell phone or the Internet. Hotels usually have Wi-Fi, so you can call using Skype. You can stay connected with people back home by using this instead of making expensive long distance calls from your hotel phone.
People who care about the environment may be more comfortable staying in a hotel that is eco-friendly. There are many hotels that feature green amenities. Some newer hotels have been built green and are certified green. Other older hotels will just provide green options for you. Talk with a travel agent to find green hotels.
Call ahead to your hotels to make certain the swimming pools are ready for your kids. There aren’t many things that are as frustrating as going to your hotel with kids that really want to swim only to see that it has been closed.
Hotel Transfer
Is your room non-smoking or not? If you’re not a smoker, you might want to skip a smoking hotel. Even in a non-smoking room, the smoke from other rooms is in the air and might infiltrate your clothing. Sometimes, smokers rent and smoke in non-smoking rooms. If you just can’t stand the smell of stale smoke, look for a hotel that doesn’t allow it at all.
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. Ask about this beforehand to save more.
Always know the hotel smoking policy wherever you stay if you personally smoke. A lot of places have specific rooms just for people who smoke. So if you are a smoker, be sure to ask for one of those rooms. If they find you have smoked in a non-smoking area, they may charge you a fine.
Be careful not to make long distance phone calls on the hotel phone. Use the Internet, instead. Most hotels offer Wi-Fi, but you will probably need their password and may have to pay a fee to use this service. You can stay connected with friends, family and business colleagues this way, rather than making expensive long distance calls.
It is not always possible to check-in early. Plan for this, or you may risk waiting in the hotel lobby for an hour or more. The room has to be cleaned ahead of your check in. If you are early, don’t expect miracles.
Start by inspecting the hotel bathroom if you need to make sure there are no bed bugs. Bedbugs are least likely to live here. Therefore, you can put your luggage here while you look over the remainder of the room. It’s safe for pets and kids too.
If you will have children during your hotel stay that need a crib, you must bring this up when you are booking the room. Most hotels will supply these items on request, but they do have a limited supply. In addition, there is sometimes an extra charge for these items. You should discuss this with the hotel agent prior to booking so that you do not have an unexpected charge to your bill.
Ask if there is smoking allowed in the hotel. If you are a non-smoker, you will enjoy a non-smoking room more. You may be able to ask for a non-smoking room, however smoke can still travel through the air, settling on your clothing. Smokers don’t always respect the fact that the room they are renting is a non-smoking room. By choosing a hotel that does not allow smoking, you can completely avoid the smell of cigarettes.
Don’t check out early, if possible. If you do, then you could be charged an extra departure fee for early checkout. 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. This means that they must compensate for that loss with a fee for early departure.
As you have seen from this article, a lot of people need to stay in hotels. Regardless of why you need to book a room, you should research your decision first. Use the tips you learn here and do a more research at specific hotel sites. Getting the right room can make your travel plans more enjoyable.
You may wish to use a different blanket than the comforter that is in your hotel room. The bedspread usually isn’t washed like the linens are. This might mean the bedspread is carrying bacteria, germs, or bedbugs. Take the bedspread off of the bed.