You certainly want to feel taken advantage of when booking a hotel room. Whether you are paying too much or the place is just lousy, a bad experience leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Avoid these problems altogether by heeding the advice presented here.
Online travel sites like Orbitz and Expedia can help you find the lowest rates on hotel rooms. Join the loyalty program for any hotel chain that you love and believe you’ll stay with often. You can also get additional discounts from any organization you are apart of, such as the AAA or the AARP.
Check online hotel reviews before booking your stay. This gives you valuable information about the recent experiences of people at each hotel. What former guests have to say about their experiences at the hotels you’re thinking of booking can ensure you in coming to the right decision.
When thinking about the type of hotel you would like to stay at, there are plenty of options to consider. Price is always important, of course, but you might also want to find a hotel near a certain attraction or business. You may want free WiFi access, a convenient location, free long distance or a nice pool or gym. Seek to locate a hotel that provides lots of attractive amenities.
Consider ordering room service when the urge strikes for a special meal without needing to go out. While it may cost a little extra, it will be worth it because you can stay in your room and take care of the cravings you’re having.
Prior to making a hotel reservation, do some research online in order to discover the best deals. A lot of the time, when you book a room with someone, they’ll tell you there aren’t any online discounts. You have to look for the discounts. Use popular websites such as Jetsetter, SniqueAway, or RueLalaTravel.
Take advantage of tools provided online hotel searching tools. These websites can help you get good deals.
Prior to emptying out your suitcase, carefully look over your room. Is the room clean and free from mildew or mold? Do the sink, shower and toilet work properly? Does your room feature the linens and towels you require? If you have any questions or notice any problems with the room, immediately call the front desk and report them so that they may be handled. You may also asked to be transferred to a new room if the problem is serious, such as mold or mildew.
Check your room ahead of unpacking. Is your room clean and free from mildew free? Are you given the linens and towels? If you notice a problem, call the front desk that instant so they can address them or move you to another room.
Know when you are able to check in and get your room. Some people end up waiting for their room to be available because they forget to check this critical detail. If you will be arriving early, call and ask if this is okay.
Be aware of the check-in time. Some people end up waiting for their room is still not ready. Call the front desk to find out if you think you’ll be early.
Don’t assume a hotel is pet-friendly. Even if a web listing says a hotel is pet friendly, call the hotel to verify. Be sure you know what pet-friendly means because there could be specific restrictions on sizes or certain breeds of dogs.
There are three different things you have to 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.
Are you a member of the AAA? If so, find out about membership discounts at hotels. Your membership may entitle you to hotel discounts. You may be able to save upwards of five percent at hotels nationwide. These savings really add up.
Book massages 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, so make your reservation early and book by name where possible.
If you book accommodations often, hotel loyalty programs are good to participate in. Loyalty programs provide frequent guests benefits for booking with them on a regular basis. You might receive an upgrade at no cost or be allowed to check out later than others with your points.
If you are a daily runner, be sure to bring your running clothes and shoes.
Do you care about your environment? If so, a “green” hotel may be for you. Fortunately, there are many green hotels available nowadays. Many newer hotels are environmentally friendly. Older hotels may choose to take “green” standards seriously, which is a great thing. Ask your booking agent about green hotels.
It may be wise to join a hotel loyalty programs that your favorite hotels offer.They offer rewards to guests who regularly stay in the same hotel chain frequently. You might earn a free upgrade, free stays, or other great perks.
The price for any give hotel room is going to affected by how early you book the room. Rooms in hotels are often priced based on their availability. If possible, try to book your room 24 hours or less in advance. A late booking when the hotel is slow often results in a bargain. Hotels don’t like to have vacancies so they often provide better prices.
If you stay at the same chain of hotels often, find out about the programs they offer to frequent guests. These programs usually work by letting you points for each stay. They can amount to show tickets, discounts at hotel restaurants, show tickets, spa deals and a whole lot more.
To keep from having an unwanted major expense on your hotel bill, ask about the cost of hotel transfers before booking them. Hidden transfer costs can really make a room not worth it. You can increase the amount you save by simply finding this information out in advance.
If you are worried about the environment, then you may be interested in taking a “green” vacation. There are several green hotels that feature green amenities. Some newer hotels were built with green standards in mind. Many older hotels will still be environmentally aware by utilizing some eco-friendly measures in place. Talk to a travel agent in order to find hotels that are eco-friendly.
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 point you can redeem for vacation freebies for you and your family.
Be sure to avoid hotel transfers when booking a room.If the room is the bargain, the transfer could ruin the deal. Inquiring about this in advance will mean more savings for you.
Become a AAA member if you want to make arranging hotel accommodations a bit simpler. AAA members not only get discounts at many hotel chains, it will also make it much easier to rent a car. In addition, parents may enjoy the benefit of having free car seats provided.
Join the hotel’s membership program if you travel frequently. These programs allow you to collect points that can translate into some major perks when you’re vacationing.
When traveling with children, check with the hotel ahead of time to ascertain that the pool is usable. Nothing is more frustrating than to have kids nagging you about swimming, only to find that the pool is closed.
It is extremely frustrating for you check in to your room with the kids screaming “pool” only to discover that there are none.
Find out if the hotel you want is smoking or non-smoking. If you do not smoke, you might not want to go to a hotel with smoking rooms. However, even with non-smoking rooms, there’s no telling if the guy next door is smoking. In addition, some smokers will rent out non-smoking rooms and smoke in them. To be sure you don’t absorb cigarette smoke, think about staying at a nonsmoking hotel.
Start looking in the hotel bathroom if you need to make sure there are no bed bugs. This is the place least likely to find bedbugs. It is a safe spot for your pets and kids to stay.
Know that you may not be able to check-in early at some hotels. Unless you’re okay with waiting for your room to be ready, plan your timing wisely. The rooms can’t be readied and cleaned until the prior guests are gone, so this means that check-in time is usually around 2 p.m. or 3 p.m. If you can’t avoid being early, ask the front desk to make an exception, but be prepared if they can’t accommodate you.
You should be aware whether or not the hotel’s policy concerning pets. These hotels sometimes have odors because the floor and linens have absorbed them. Some hotels are pet-friendly and don’t charge for it, and the charge is not much in some places. The fee might be too low to cover the extra cleaning that needs to be done.
If needed, always ask about the availability of a crib or roll-away at the time you reserve the room. Not every hotel is going to come with cribs or rollaways. Certain hotels will even charge a fee for these things. Let the hotel know what you need to avoid anything that you will turn in a bad surprise.
Be aware of your options in the event that a hotel attempts to “walk” you. This means that you have to stay at a different hotel. If you do choose to move, then make sure you are getting a room that is still worth the value that you have already paid.
It you’re able to, try not to check out until it’s time for you to depart. An early departure charge may be added to your bill if you leave sooner. Whenever you reserve a room, it isn’t available to anyone else and the hotel will lose money if you cancel. They charge a fee for early departure to help compensate for the lost revenue.
Do not open the bottled water! After checking in you may be thirsty and thirsty. You can be tempted to casually open that bottle of water calling to you from the mini fridge. Hotels are well aware of this and will charge more for bottled water. Check out the gym and see if they offer it for free. A better option to simply bring a few of your own bottles.
If you are concerned about germs, you might want to take the bedspread off of the bed. While sheets and linens are always washed, the topmost bedspread may not be, depending on the hotel policy. This means they may be a hotbed of germs. Just get that blanket off of the bed.
The advice you have read here will be very helpful in finding a great hotel. When you learn up front what to look out for, you’ll be far more likely to stay in a nice hotel with no troubles. You want to be able to relax and enjoy yourself at your hotel room.
There are some good strategies for getting a free room upgrade. Arrive right at your check-in time. If the room you are booked for has not been cleaned yet, you may be offered a better room at no additional charge.
