Most people have stayed at a bad hotels in the past. It can be a costly and unforgettable mistake that no one really wants to repeat.
Check with the organizations that you are a member with. Some organizations will receive discounts for different reasons from different hotels. Discounts of 10% or more are often available, and people sometimes forget that they are eligible to claim them. They can save you plenty of money, especially for prolonged stays. This can also net you a free hotel night.
Consider taking advantage of room service during your stay. While you’re likely to pay a little more, it will be worth it because you can stay in your room and take care of the cravings you’re having.
The Internet is a great place to research hotels. These websites will help you find good deals quickly. They can also show you what the hotel’s average rates typically are, allowing you to see whether you are actually getting a good deal or not. In addition, these tools can help you determine the best time to go on vacation and the things that you can do there.
There are things you should consider when choosing a hotel. You may want free WiFi access, large pool, free long distance or a nice pool or gym. Try to find a tip that offers as much of your wish list as is realistic.
Make sure that you know the check-in time for the hotel that you book. If you show up too early, you may find yourself sitting around the lobby, waiting for your room to be ready. If you can’t help your arrival time being early, you can ask for an early check-in but it might cost a bit extra.
Always look for online deals prior to booking your hotel room. This is why it’s up to you to search for discounts yourself. Check out websites such as Jetsetter, RueLaLaTravel, or RueLaLaTravel.
In order to get the best prices for hotel stays, you will want to plan your trip several weeks or months beforehand. If you book one or two months in advance, you can often receive a discount. You may find yourself saving as much as half off of the room’s typical rates.
Don’t think that all hotels will welcome your pet.
Don’t think every hotel is pet-friendly. You should call ahead to double check, even if it was stated on the website that this is a pet friendly hotel. Make sure they specify what pet-friendly means since there may be certain restrictions on pet sizes and breeds that are allowed on the property.
There are three things you must do in advance if you’re going to be traveling with a pet. Be sure that the hotel will be friendly to pets.Be sure to bring some bags on hand to make pet cleanup easy.
There are three things you must do before bringing your pet along on your vacation. Find out if the hotel will allow pets first. Make sure you have some plastic bags to get rid of pet messes. When you make your reservation, request accommodations near the very end of the floor in order to not disturb other guests.
Book your appointment as early as possible. The best practitioners go fast, and you don’t want to miss out.
AAA members get an extra discount at certain hotel chains. You may be surprised that your auto club membership includes hotel discounts, but it does. You can save upwards of 5% on your hotel stays. These savings can really add up if you travel often.
If you are a daily runner, make sure that your packing list includes lots of running clothes and a GPS watch.
If you are a runner, be sure to bring your running clothes and shoes. Try enjoying an early jog at your new destination. This can be a great way to stay in shape while seeing some of the local scenery. You’ll get plenty of good exercise and a better understanding of the city around you.
If you often stay at a certain type of hotel, check to see if they have a frequent-stay program. These programs give you rack up points. You can accumulate points that you can redeem for free hotel stays, show tickets, and all types of entertainment.
If you are a person who travels often, it is a good idea to sign up for hotel loyalty programs. There are many benefits you may be able to get. You can score things like complimentary upgrades, later check-out options and even free nights once you accumulate enough loyalty program points.
Be sure you know the cost associated with hotel transfer fees by asking about them in advance. If the rooms are cheap, then an expensive transfer can ruin the whole savings. Asking before you arrive can really increase your savings.
If you are worried about the environment, consider taking a “green” vacation. There are several green hotels around. Newer hotels are sometimes built according to green standards. Older hotels can go green by making environmentally friendly choices in energy use. A good travel agent can help you find hotels that are environmentally friendly.
Try not to make long distance calling in hotel rooms. Many hotels now offer Skype connections on their Wi-Fi.This can be a ton of long distance calls from your hotel room.
The amount you pay for the hotel room is determined by when you book it. Rooms in hotels are often priced based on their availability. If possible, don’t make your reservation more than a day in advance. This can net you a great deal. The hotel will earn no money at all if the room is empty, which gives you a much better bargaining position.
It can prove rather frustrating for you check in to your children to arrive at a hotel expecting a pool and/or other activities only to discover that there are none.
To avoid major expenses on your final hotel bill, be sure to ask the sales representative about the price of hotel transfers first. Particularly when the room price is a big deal, the hidden fee of transfer often can be the difference. You save the most money when you ask about this beforehand.
Start by inspecting the bathroom if you need to make sure there are no bed bugs in a hotel. This is where bedbugs are least likely to find them. It can be a temporary haven for your pets and kids to stay.
To get optimal value from a hotel stay, especially if you find yourself traveling a lot for your business, sign up for membership programs such as those offered by Marriott or Choice Hotels. The more points you get, the more free stays you can use for vacations.
Check to see if your prospective hotel you’re looking to stay at is non-smoking or smoking. If you do not smoke, you may want to avoid hotels that offer smoking rooms. Smokers don’t always respect the fact that the room they are not supposed to smoke in.
Make sure that your family enjoys their stay by calling ahead to ensure the hotel’s swimming pool is working, 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.
You should be aware of the hotel allows pets. These hotels sometimes have odors sinking into the carpet and bed linens. Some hotels charge extra fees for pets, other do not. The fee charged may not be adequate to cover the extra cleaning involved.
Ascertain whether or not the hotel you plan to stay at allows smoking. If you are a non-smoker, you will enjoy a non-smoking room more. While it is possible to book a nonsmoking room, you can still be affected by the smoke from other areas. There are even cases where people are smoking in non-smoking rooms before you arrive. If you just can’t stand the smell of stale smoke, look for a hotel that doesn’t allow it at all.
Not all hotel will be able to accommodate you. Talk about these issues as you make your room.
Determine what the policy on smoking is if you smoke. Most hotels have designated smoking rooms. You should try your best to book one of these if they are available. Some hotels will levy a large fine if they can determine that you smoked in a room where smoking was not allowed, so make sure you understand and follow the hotel’s smoking policy.
Never actually check out earlier than your scheduled departure date unless it’s an emergency. The hotel may charge a fee for your early departure. If you check out too early, that hotel may charge a fee because they couldn’t book that room.
In most cases, checking into a hotel room ahead of schedule isn’t possible. Plan accordingly or you will find yourself waiting a long time to access your room. Hotels usually need to get the room cleaned and ready before you check in. You can inquire about checking in early, but do not expect that you’re going to be able to do it.
You have rights in the event where a hotel attempts to take advantage of you.This will require that you’re going to have to stay at a different hotel. Avoid getting “walked” whenever you can, but if you have to switch hotels, be sure that the deal is better than the place you were trying to get.
For the sake of hygiene, avoid the bedspread provided by the hotel. Most hotels only wash the sheets on the bed; however, the bedspread is normally not washed. Therefore, you don’t really know what is on it. Just remove it from the bed.
Don’t drink the bottled water and open it! You will likely be thirsty when you arrive. You can be tempted to casually open that bottled water calling to you from the mini fridge. Hotels take advantage of guests by charging ridiculous amounts for that already exorbitantly priced bottled water. You might be able to get a bottle of water for free in the hotel gym. It’s better to simply pack your own bottled water.
You can get better hotel rates when you don’t book during peak tourist seasons. Hotel rates are very high during tourist season. Rather, you can better deals booking rooms on off-peak times when hotels are struggling to fill the building. You are more likely to be offered a good rate.
Do not take any of the linens with you when you leave.
All hotel rooms are not created equal when it comes to the view. If prices are the same, ask for a room with a good view. Just having a better view can enhance your enjoyment of your hotel stay. There is no harm in asking if a room with a better view is available.
You may be able to receive an upgrade without paying a dime. You can be sure of this by arriving on time. If your room isn’t clean yet, you may be offered a better room at no additional charge.
Don’t pay the price being advertised. They call this the “rack rate,” which most travelers know not to pay. Hotel staff assume that clients will try to haggle over their room rates. Call them and ask for a better deal. Take the initiative to get a better price. Many travel websites also have significant discounts available.
Rest Stops
To find great deals, check websites like Travelocity or Expedia. Websites like these help hotel business sell a lot of rooms, so they can offer you discounts that are unavailable elsewhere. Some sites need you to bid on a room, while others may withhold the actual price until you commit to buy, so watch out for that.
If you are already traveling but have to book rooms, check out ads at rest stops, gas stations and rest stops with valuable discounts. This will help you call a place and reserve the room that’s right for you.
It is customary to tip the housekeeper when you leave a hotel. While there can be other instances during a hotel stay that do not need a tip, do not ignore the tip for the maid service. You probably were a slob, so be sure to leave something for the maid.
You should always avoid paying the full price posted at a hotel. Contact the hotel to see if there is a promotion currently taking place. You can find deep discounts on travel sites.
It is often possible to obtain the best deal by speaking to the desk clerk. They may not lower the price, but they might give you some extra perks for staying. It doesn’t hurt to ask them if they can do it.
A bad hotel will ruin your vacation. Even the cheapest price can’t make up for a horrible experience. The quickest way to ruin a trip is to stay in a substandard hotel. So finding the right hotel at a price within your budget is a vital part of having a great trip. After narrowing down some good hotels, you can then search out discounts offered.
If you use a third-party site to book your hotel, watch out for surcharges and hidden fees. It is not unusual for quotes not to accurately represent all the charges that you can expect. Be sure you take the time to read all the fine print prior to making a reservation so that you know exactly what you will be charged.