It is important that you feel well-cared for while staying in a hotel. You want to be comfortable without having to spend a fortune. The following article will teach you how to book a hotel room and get the most out of your stay.
Consider taking advantage of room service when the urge strikes for a late-night snack with your special someone. This will cost you a little extra, but the convenience it provides is worth it.
Prior to booking a hotel, refer to TripAdvisor and similar online travel review sites. These provide you with first-hand information about people’s recent experiences at each hotel. Patron reviews can give you valuable information that will help you make a good choice.
Consider your organizational memberships. Sometimes you can get discounted hotel prices through these organizations. Some discounts can be over ten percent! This can result in significant savings, especially for longer stays. If you stay for a week, these discounts will almost add up for a free night.
Check in on the organizations you belong to. There are times when an organization will give you great deals on the price of hotels. A lot of people don’t use these discounts, and you may save 10% or even more. If your stay will be for multiple nights, these discounts can save you lots of money. This can also net you a free hotel night.
Prior to making a hotel reservation, do some research online in order to discover the best deals. The hotel representative is unlikely to inform you there are better deals online. It is your duty to perform due diligence. Use websites such as Jetsetter, SniqueAway or RueLaLaTravel.
There are tons of online search tools that help customers find satisfactory rates they can’t find elsewhere. They allow you to quickly locate great discounts. Hotel search websites also let you see the regular rates of hotels, so you can compare and see whether a supposed deal is really a good one. Finally, they can help you determine when you’d like to travel and what you’d like to do when you’re there.
Always check the room before you begin to unpack your belongings. Make sure the room is entirely clean and free from any mildew or mold. Does your shower, sink, and toilet work in the right way? Do you have enough towels and linens? If you notice any deficiencies in your room, immediately call the front desk so you can resolve these issues, or if the problems are too severe, move you to another room.
Search for the best deals in hotels online before making reservations. Many times, the reservation specialist won’t tell you of discounts when you call to book your room. This leaves the job of finding discounts entirely up to you. RueLaLaTravel, SniqueAway and Jetsetter are all good Internet sites to check with.
Be aware in advance of the check-in time. Many people show up before check-in time only to find out their room isn’t ready. Call the front desk to find out if it is alright for you to arrive before check-in.
To get a good price when you want a hotel room, get your trips planned quite a few weeks or so in advance. If you can book early, you may get a huge discount. This will allow you to save up to 50 percent even when staying at an elite hotel.
Plan your trip as far in advance as possible. If you book one or two months in advance, you can often receive a discount. You might even be able to save up to 50 percent off at some very exclusive hotels.
There are three things to do ahead of time if you want to bring your pet to a hotel with you. You want to ensure you’ve chosen a pet-friendly hotel. Take some bags to clean after your pet. When you make a reservation you should see if you can stay near the back of the hallway to keep other guests away from your pets when they are making noises.
If you are an AAA member, check into your membership hotel discount. Are you aware that the auto club you belong to may offer you excellent hotel discounts? There are discounts at hotels around the country of 5 percent or more. When you stay for multiple nights, the savings really add up.
If you want to have a massage with your partner on your vacation, make sure that you schedule an appointment with a masseuse as early as possible. Resorts that have masseurs often have very fully booked massage schedules, so it is important to plan ahead.
Do you travel a lot? Consider using a hotel loyalty program. There are some great benefits offered to clients who often book the same chain. You can earn things like free upgrades, complimentary late check-out times and free stays if you accrue enough loyalty points.
If you are a daily runner, make sure you pack exercise clothes and a GPS watch. In this way, you can simply suit up and enjoy your workout as usual while on the road. Running not only provides you with great exercise, but it also helps you better learn the city in which you are residing.
If you care about the environment, then you may be interested in taking a “green” vacation. Luckily, there are a lot of green hotels out there in this day and age. Many new hotels are certified as green hotels. Older hotels might change practices to be more green. Check online or ask a travel agent for help.
Do you travel a lot? Consider using a hotel loyalty program. Loyalty programs provide frequent guests benefits for booking with them on a regular basis. Rewards can include free hotel stays, upgrades and late check-out times if you save up enough points.
Become a AAA member if you want to make arranging hotel accommodations a bit simpler. AAA members are given many discounts and booking privileges on hotel rooms and rental vehicles. Also, if you require a car seat, the rental company may provide you with one if you are a member of AAA.
If you stay at the same hotels all the time, check to see if they have a frequent-stay program. These programs usually work by letting you rack up points. You can accumulate points that you can redeem for free hotel stays, discounts at restaurants, and all types of entertainment.
Try not to make long distance calls from your hotel room. You can use the Internet to make these types of calls. A lot of hotels offer Skype connections over Wi-Fi. This will help you converse with those back home without racking up a lofty bill.
You should always find out how much hotel transfers will cost before you book a room. It is not uncommon to find that greatly discounted bookings may have a hidden cost for the transfer. Ask about this beforehand to save more.
If you are planning on staying in a hotel room with your children, make sure you call the hotel in advance to ensure they provide a working pool or some other fun activities for your children to do. There are few things as frustrating as showing up to a hotel, with your kids chomping at the bit to get in the pool, only to have it closed for repairs.
Join a loyalty program to get deals on your stays. This allows you to get more points with each stay that you can convert into free rooms and other benefits on your next family vacation.
You should be aware whether or not the hotel permits guests to have pets in the rooms. If you’re terrified pets or are allergic to them, it may be best to make reservations at hotels that have a strict no pets policy. Because odors have a tendency to linger on fabrics and rugs, the hotel may have an odor about it. There may be an extra fee to have a pet stay. Depending on what the hotel is like, you might have to pay an extra cleaning fee.
GUests should be aware whether or not the hotel allows pets. It may be best to stay clear of hotels that accept pets if you are afraid of dogs or are allergic to pets. These hotels may also have an odor due to the smells sinking in the floor and linens. Depending on the hotel, you may be expected to pay extra for keeping a pet, but it isn’t usually a large sum. Depending on what the hotel is like, you might have to pay an extra cleaning fee.
If you will have children during your hotel stay that need a crib, you must bring this up when you are booking the room. Some hotels do not provide these things, and the ones that do usually have limited quantities. In addition, there is sometimes an extra charge for these items. Discuss your needs at the time of booking.
If you have to get a rollaway or a crib, you need to let them know when you’re making the reservation. Most hotels will supply these items on request, but they do have a limited supply. They may charge extra for this. Before making reservations, explain this.
Save your money when on the road by making your flight and hotel reservations together as a bundle. Travel booking sites often provide significant discounts for combining your room and flight and perhaps even a rental car. If you want to maximize your possibilities, comparison shop the rates of multiple hotels and airlines.
Know what the industry term “walk” means when booking a room. Sometimes hotels are going to overbook and then your room that you reserved won’t be there. This will require that you have to stay at a different hotel. Avoid this if you can, but if you must go someplace else, make sure the room you get is comparable to the one you booked, and you are paid to travel there.
If you need to reserve a hotel room while you are traveling, you can find some helpful information at welcome centers, gas stations and rest stops with valuable discounts. This way you can just call ahead to book a room instead of driving around looking for a good bargain.
Avoid drinking bottled water from a hotel! When you get checked in you might feel thirsty and a little tired. You might want to open the bottled water they left you. Hotels know this very well, and that bottled water is exponentially more expensive than it should be. You might be able to get bottled water in the hotel gym. Even better, bring along a few of your own bottles.
Tipping for maid service and room service can improve the quality of your trip. Room service will often bill you the tip, but maid service and other services rely upon you giving them a tip directly. If you tip, you’ll be respected by the staff.
If you want to find a hotel that you will really enjoy, you need to know what to look for. If you remember the advice here, your next hotel stay will be much better. There are some great hotels out there, and you just need to find them.
Some rooms come with a view, while others do not. Not all rooms with a good view cost extra, so if you can score a room for the same price with a nice view, then make sure you ask for it when you are booking. These types of things can make staying at a hotel that much better. It doesn’t hurt to ask if a better view is available.