Your hotel can be the difference between an ordinary vacation and an extraordinary one. Since it is so expensive, choosing the right hotel is a must. Here is helpful information that can help you get the best value from hotels.
Prior to booking a hotel, refer to TripAdvisor and similar online travel review sites. This gives you first-hand accounts of people’s experiences in each hotel. This can help you choose which hotel to stay at.
Before you make reservations at a particular hotel, check its reviews on websites like TripAdvisor. Websites like TripAdvisor will give you some first-hand accounts of hotel experience from actual customers. The information provided by patrons of the hotel will help you make a good choice of where to stay.
Find great hotel room prices by checking out travel websites like Orbitz and Expedia. Join the loyalty program for any hotel chain that you love and believe you’ll stay with often. Also, as an added bonus, you may get discounts from other companies such as AAA or AARP.
Online travel sites like Expedia or Orbitz can help you get the best price for rooms at the hotel you would like to stay at. If you are a member of the hotel’s loyalty program, don’t forget to add that information as you check rates. You can also get additional discounts from any organization you are apart of, such as the AAA or the AARP.
Take advantage of the safe you have in your room, especially if you have electronics with you. Place your iPad, GPS and other small electronics in the safe when you are not in your room.
Room service can make your stay more enjoyable. It may cost more, but it’s convenient when you don’t feel like leaving.
Use online hotel search tools. These kinds of websites allow you to locate great deals fast. They can provide you with an idea of the average rate charged by each hotel, so you will have a good idea as to whether or not the deal you are being offered is good. They might even offer some decent entertainment venues that you should experience while you’re in the local area.
Take a look into organizations you are part of. You may be able to receive discounts on hotel through these organizations. People don’t always remember to check out these discounts, which can often be 10% and higher. If your stay will be for multiple nights, these discounts can save you lots of money. This adds up to a night’s stay that is almost free.
Upon arriving at your hotel, check your room before you unpack. Is it tidy and sanitary? Is everything in the bathroom working as it should? Do you have the blankets, pillows and towels you need? If you notice a problem, be sure to inform the front desk right away to have these problems resolved.
Check out your room ahead of unpacking. Is it without mildew and mold? Do the plumbing fixtures function properly? Do you need extra linens or towels? If you notice a problem, be sure to inform the front desk right away to have these problems resolved.
Find out the exact time for check-in and check-out. Some people neglect asking what the check-in time is and get to the hotel when their room is still not ready. Call and ask if you think you’ll be early.
Plan your trip as far in advance as possible. Quite a few locations will give discounts if you choose to book a room a month or more in advance. You may even be able to cut the price down by half!
To benefit from the best prices at hotels, start planning your trips several weeks or even months in advance. A lot of hotel locations offer discounts for reservations a month or more in advance. Doing this could save you up to 50 percent off your room, and this holds true with the more elite brands as well.
Don’t make assumptions about pet policies of hotels. Call them ahead of time to see if they are even if the website they’re on says yes. Verify exactly what is meant by “pet-friendly” since certain breeds and pets over a certain size may not be allowed.
You don’t want to assume that the hotel you will be staying in is considered pet friendly. Call the hotel in advance to ensure the hotel is pet friendly. Ask what pet-friendly means at the establishment. There may be some restrictions.
If you are a daily runner, make sure you pack exercise clothes and a GPS watch. When you wake up and feel like a jog, simply toss on your gear and head out. Running down city streets or country roads can give you a fresh view of the place you are visiting.
Be sure to consult AAA to help you make excellent plans for your entire vacation. You could also get a surprise that you have an auto club membership that gives you hotel discounts. You can save 5 percent or even more on hotels around the country. The more nights you stay, the more you will save.
Hotel Chain
To keep your running regimen up while you are traveling, pack your GPS watch and plenty of running clothes. Get up early and dress for a jog in the early morning. Even if you have to run down roads or the streets in the city, you can learn a lot more about the city when you get finished.
Do you travel on a periodic basis and use the same hotel chain? If so, check out the loyalty programs provided by that hotel. They provide benefits to travelers who regularly stay in the same hotel chain. You can get a free upgrade, restaurant gift certificates or even a free stay!
If you are always staying at the same chain, find out about the programs they offer to frequent guests. These are similar to frequent flyer programs. They allow you to accrue points during your hotel stay. These points can be traded in for restaurant discounts, tickets to shows, free nights at the hotel, and much more.
If you tend to return to the same family of hotels for your vacation, consider joining their membership reward programs. Just like frequent flyer mile programs, these hotel programs offer you points for your stay. You might earn free stays and discounts, show tickets, or other things.
Get a AAA membership to facilitate the process of booking a hotel when you travel. Members of AAA receive many travel benefits including reduced hotel rates and lower car rental rates. It is definitely worth looking into.
How much your hotel room will cost depends largely on the time you book. Hotels price rooms based on availability. If at all possible, do not book your room more than one day in advance. This can net you a great deal. Empty rooms don’t earn a hotel any money, so they are willing to slash the price.
Don’t make long distance calls on your hotel phone. Use your cell phone or the Internet. Skype connections that are accessed through Wi-Fi are offered by many hotels. This is much cheaper than paying for a bunch of long distance calls from your hotel room.
Call ahead of arrival to see if the pool is open to keep the family happy. 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.
If you are traveling with kids, make sure the hotel you book has a working pool. Imagine arriving at your destination looking forward to a dip in the pool, only to discover that you can’t use it.
Check in the bathroom first for bed bugs. This is the place least likely to have bedbugs. This is the best place to put your bags while you look around. It’s also a safe spot for kids and pets to sit for a bit too.
Is your room non-smoking or not? If you are a non-smoker, you may not want to stay in a smoking room. Although certain hotels that allow smoking will provide guests with non-smoking rooms, smoke will still be in the air. Sometimes a smoker will get a non smoking room and still smoke in it. By choosing a hotel that does not allow smoking, you can completely avoid the smell of cigarettes.
Do you smoke? If so, it is important that you are aware of a hotel’s smoking policy in advance. Certain hotels provide rooms that are specifically for people who smoke. If this is the case, then you shouldn’t be shy when asking for this type of room. 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.
Always find out the pet policy at any hotel you stay at. If you fear pets or have allergies it would be best if you make reservations at hotels that have a strict no pets policy. The hotels may have the smell of pet odors on the linens and floor. Some hotels may charge you extra for pets, and some may not charge at all, or the fees are lower. It might not be adequate to the cost of cleaning demands.
If you are worried about your hygiene, you might want to not use the hotel’s bedspread. Your sheets should be fresh and clean but the bedspread is not washed after each guest. As a result, the bedspread will likely contain all kinds of germs and bacteria. Remove the comforter from the bed.
Be aware that you can’t normally check-in early at your hotel. Therefore, don’t show up hours in advance, or you may be sitting around waiting for a while. 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. Check with the front desk if you arrive early, but do not be angry if they can’t get you in early.
Make sure you know your rights if any hotel ever tries to “walk” you. When hotels overbook rooms, the one you reserved may not be available. This means that you’re going to have to go somewhere else. This is inconvenient, and try to avoid it if possible. If you must go elsewhere, make sure transportation is paid and you get a better room than you originally booked.
If you have a young child, ask for a crib when you call to make your reservation. Some hotels may not have one, so you want to know this upfront. Also, you may get charged extra for these types of things. Talk about these things when you make your reservations.
Just a small amount of preparation makes your trip much easier. More preparation, even easier. You have to know when booking is right and where to go. Therefore, remember what you have learned here and you will find the perfect hotel for your needs.
Avoid sleeping under the bedspread. While the staff may have washed the sheets prior to your stay, the comforter is not always washed. This can make it full of bacteria, germs, and other unknown elements. Therefore, as soon as you walk into your room, take the bedspread off the bed.
