Have you ever heard people talk about having an awesome vacation, but they say they stayed in a horrible hotel room? The hotel in which you stay makes a big difference in how much you enjoy your vacation. You need a hotel that fits within your budget and has the facilities that you are looking for. The below article contains helpful advice on how to pick the best hotel room.
Be sure to read online review websites prior to booking a hotel. These websites have reviews and comments from people who have recent experience with their stay. Their opinions can help you decide whether or not a certain hotel is the right one for you.
Prior to booking a hotel, refer to TripAdvisor and similar online travel review sites. Websites like TripAdvisor will give you some first-hand accounts of hotel experience from actual customers. Factor former guests’ reviews into your final decision.
Look for a closet safe in your hotel room, and use it for any expensive electronics you may have brought with you. Putting your valuable jewelry and electronic items in the hotel safe allows you to feel secure as you enjoy your vacation.
Check out online travel websites in order to discover the best deals on hotels. Examples include Orbitz and Expedia. Always remember to give your loyalty program information to the clerk when you book your room or search for prices. Some organizations like AAA and AARP offer lodging discounts for a variety of hotel chains.
If you belong to any organizations, check with them for travel deals. Many of these places will give you cheaper hotel prices. People frequently forget these discounts are available, and they can be 10 percent or more. This can result in significant savings, especially for longer stays. After a week has gone by it will add up to a free night almost!
Consider ordering room service if you want a special meal without needing to go out. This will cost you a little extra, but the convenience it provides is worth it.
When booking a hotel, you need to establish what you need and what you would ideally like from your stay. Of course price is a big deal, but a hotel close to where you are head is a big consideration. Amenities such as complimentary WiFi, free local calls, complimentary breakfast, a gym and pool and a convenient restaurant are also important considerations. Shop around for a hotel that has the features that are most important to you.
Put your electronics into the room’s safe. Place all electronics there along with important documents, such as your passport or plane tickets.
Checking online is the best way to find a good price and get the information that you need about hotels. Often, the person booking your room won’t tell you about discounts available online. This is why it’s up to you to search for these discounts. Check out websites such as Jetsetter, RueLaLaTravel, and SniqueAway.
When making a hotel selection, you should consider many things. You must consider price of course, and you might want to be close to a specific location within the city you’re staying. Amenities like free WiFi, fitness facilities, a pool and free meals may also be important considerations. Look for a hotel that gives you a lot of the things you are looking for.
Check out your room ahead of unpacking. Is the room clean and devoid of issues like mildew and mold? Are the toilet, shower and sink functioning properly? Are there enough linens and towels? If you notice a problem, be sure to inform the front desk right away to have these problems resolved.
Make use of the various hotel search websites on the Internet. Use these websites to your advantage! Not only will they show the best deals, but they’ll also include extra information about the rooms, floor plans, and even reviews from other customers. You can also find out about local amenities and things offered by the hotels.
Taking a pet on a trip requires some extra responsibility. Be sure that the hotel really does allow pets. In addition, you will need numerous plastic bags and cleaning supplies so that you can make sure you clean up any messes your pet makes. Reserving a room near the end of a hallway will keep other guests from being disturbed by your pet.
In order to get the best hotel deals, always plan your trips weeks ahead of schedule, or even a few months. You can get some great discounts if your trip is booked several months into the future. This way, you can save as much as 50 percent even with the most elite brands.
If you’re a member of the AAA, you should see what your hotel membership discount will be. Your membership in this auto club has just such a discount available to you. There are discounts at hotels around the country of 5 percent or more. Those discounts add up to great savings, especially if you will be having an extended stay.
If you stay at the same chain of hotels often, look into their membership programs for frequent guests. Similar to how you earn points from frequent flyer programs, hotels offer you similar rewards for your stay. They can amount to show tickets, free nights, spa deals, hotel restaurants discounts and much more.
If you are concerned about the environment, you may want to take a “green” vacation. There are plenty of “green” hotels that take the environment into consideration. Some new buildings are certified as green. Many older hotels are environmentally aware and have eco-friendly measures in place. Ask around for hotels that are friendly to the environment.
How much you pay for a hotel room depends on when you book your room. Availability dictates the prices of hotel rooms. Try to always book your hotel room only a day in advance. In this way, you will get good rates. Empty rooms earn no money, so the hotels often slash the prices.
Make sure you know hotel transfer costs prior to booking a hotel room in order to avoid a large unexpected cost. A transfer can sometimes come with a substantial hidden cost. You can increase the amount you save by simply finding this information out in advance.
Being a AAA member has many advantages when it comes to booking a hotel room. The AAA membership fee is well worth the discounts offered by many chains, and renting a car will also be easier. It is definitely worth looking into.
If you do a great deal of traveling, consider joining hotel chain loyalty programs. These points can translate into some major perks when you’re vacationing.
Distance Calls
If you are bringing your kids along for the trip, then it’s a good idea to call a hotel in advance and make sure they have working pools. 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.
Never use the hotel phone for long distance calls. Look to the Internet, instead. A lot of hotels offer wi-fi, making it possible for you to use Skype. This is much cheaper than paying for a bunch of long distance calls from your hotel room.
If you are going to inspect if your hotel room has bed bugs, then start looking in the bathroom. Bedbugs usually won’t stay here. It makes a safe place to keep your luggage when looking for bedbugs elsewhere in the room. It can be a temporary haven for children and pets.
Check with the hotel to make sure the pools are ready to go if you are traveling with children. It is extremely frustrating for you and your children to arrive at a hotel expecting a pool and/or other activities only to discover that there are none.
Think about whether or not you are going to be staying at a smoking or nonsmoking hotel. If you don’t smoke, you may wish to avoid those that have smoking rooms. However, even with non-smoking rooms, there’s no telling if the guy next door is smoking. Sometimes, smokers rent non-smoking rooms and smoke in them. Too avoid exposure to the smell of cigarette smoke, it may be best to stay at a non-smoking hotel.
Check in the bathroom first for bed bugs. This is where bedbugs are least likely to be. This makes it an ideal spot to put your luggage as you check out the rest of your room for bedbugs. It can be a temporary haven for children and pets.
Always ask about the hotel’s smoking policy if you smoke. A lot of hotels have rooms designated for smokers. So be sure to request one of these rooms. A few hotels will charge you in the event that they discover you’ve been smoking in their rooms where it’s prohibited, so abide by the smoking rules.
Is your room non-smoking or not? If you’re someone who doesn’t like cigarette smoke, you may want to find a different hotel. You could still get a non-smoking room, but smoke can flow through the air and settle on your clothes. It is not unheard of for those who smoke to stay in non-smoking rooms and proceed to smoke. If you just can’t stand the smell of stale smoke, look for a hotel that doesn’t allow it at all.
In most cases, checking into a hotel room ahead of schedule isn’t possible. Plan your time accordingly unless you want to wait in the lobby for hours. Hotels need to get a room cleaned up before you get to check into it. If you can’t avoid being early, ask the front desk to make an exception, but be prepared if they can’t accommodate you.
Always ask about the hotel’s smoking policy if you smoke. Some have rooms for smokers. So if you are a smoker, be sure to ask for one of those rooms. Some hotels charge large penalties if they find that smoking occured in a room not designated for it, so make sure you follow the hotel’s smoking rules.
For hygienic reasons, it might be best to avoid the provided bedspread in your room. The bedspread is one item that does not usually get washed between bookings. For this reason, there’s no telling what might be on that bedspread. Remove the blanket and sleep in peace.
You can find great accomodations, even on a budget, if you know how to look. Thanks to this article, you are now aware of excellent tips on how to select an incredible hotel. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get quality. Keep all the advice you’ve learned here in mind to find a good, affordable hotel.
Stay away from the bottled water! Sure, you might be a little thirsty after checking into your new room. You may get tempted to open a bottle of water that is in the hotel’s mini-fridge. Hotels are aware of this and have hiked up the price of that tempting bottled water significantly. Some hotels give free bottles of water to their guest in their gyms. Or, just bring some of your own from home.
