We’ve all had experience with lousy hotels. It’s a costly error that can ruin your trip. Use the following tips to make sure that you get a nice hotel room without having to spend a lot of money.
When checking for good prices at hotels, refer to online travel sites like Orbitz and Expedia. If you have a hotel loyalty program your a part of, be sure you enter this information while looking through rates. You may also be able to get good discounts due to AAA or AARP membership.
Check the organizations that you’re a member of. Many clubs, groups and organizations are able to get members discounted hotel rates. People don’t always remember to check out these discounts, which can often be 10% and higher. This can help you to save some cash, especially if you’re going to be staying for a few nights. Within a week’s time, you are basically getting a free night’s stay.
If you are hungry when you get to your hotel and do not want to leave, consider ordering room service. You will probably pay more for this meal, but for the convenience of having it delivered to your room, it is worth it.
You can use online travel sites to find great hotels. It is possible to find good deals fast when using sites such as these. They can also allow you to look at the average rates of a hotel. In addition, these tools can help you determine the best time to go on vacation and the things that you can do there.
Check in on the organizations you belong to. Some of these organizations will offer you discounts on hotel prices. People often forget about these discounts, which can be 10% or more. That can add up to huge savings over multiple nights. It may equate to one whole free night.
Always look for deals online when reserving a hotel room. In a lot of cases, the person booking your room isn’t going to tell you about online discounts. So, it’s up personally to you to go searching for such discounts. Websites like Orbitz, Travelocity and Hotels.com usually have some great discounts.
There are things to think about when choosing a hotel. Of course price is a big deal, but a hotel close to where you are head is a big consideration. You may want free WiFi access, a convenient location, free long distance or a nice pool or gym. Choose an establishment that offers the amenities you desire.
When you arrive at your hotel, thoroughly inspect your room before unpacking. Is it tidy and sanitary? Are the showers, sinks, toilets, etc. properly functioning? Is the room adequately stocked with towels and linens? If you have any problem with the room, report it immediatlely to have it fixed as soon as possible.
Use online hotel search tools. These kinds of websites allow you to locate great deals fast. They can also allow you to look at the average rates of a hotel. Finally, they can assist you in deciding when to vacation and what to do once you arrive at your destination.
In order to get the best hotel deals, always plan your trips weeks ahead of schedule, or even a few months. A lot of hotel locations offer discounts for reservations a month or more in advance. You might even be able to save up to 50 percent off at some very exclusive hotels.
Prior to emptying out your suitcase, carefully look over your room. Your room should definitely be neat and should not have any odd smells, suspicious stains or mildew. Are the showers, sinks, toilets, etc. properly functioning? 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.
There are three different things you should do in advance if you’re going to be traveling with a pet. First, you’ll need to find out if a hotel is even pet-friendly. Be sure to have plenty of plastic bags on hand to make pet cleanup easy. Ask for a corner room since this can reduce the number of guests disturbed by a noisy pet.
Make certain you know when your check-in time is. Some people neglect asking what the check-in time is and get to the hotel when their room is still not ready. If you will be arriving early, call and ask if this is okay.
If you want a couples massage, book early. Usually, the best massage therapists are booked well in advance at top resorts. If you plan early, you will have the best experience possible.
Don’t make assumptions about pet policies of hotels. Therefore, make sure you call the hotel staff to confirm that they will allow pets. Even if they have a website that states pets are allowed, you should still call to confirm this. A hotel may be pet-friendly, but still has restrictions against certain breeds or animals. Find out ahead of time if your pet is acceptable.
If you belong to the AAA, see what kinds of discounts the hotel offers. AAA members actually receive hotel discounts at specific hotel chains! You can save upwards of 5% on your hotel stays. It’s a savings that really adds up over the nights.
If you plan on taking a family pet with you to a hotel reservation, do three things in advance. Be sure that the hotel really does allow pets. Remember to bring bags so that you can pick up your pet’s waste when you travel. If you can arrange a corner room, there will be less likelihood of your pet disturbing other guests.
If you enjoy a morning run, try booking a hotel room that’s near the beach or an open park. Go for a run when you wake up in the morning. You’ll get plenty of good exercise and a better understanding of the city around you.
If you want to keep up the running regimen you have while traveling you should get your GPS watch packed with some running clothes. If you want to jog early in the morning, don your gear and then go for it. Running down city streets or country roads can give you a fresh view of the place you are visiting.
If you stay at the same hotels all the time, check to see if they have a frequent-stay program. They provide you with points for every stay. You might earn free stays and discounts, show tickets, or other things.
If you are always staying at the same chain, find out about the programs they offer to frequent guests. Similar to frequent flyer programs with an airline company, hotel programs will typically give you points for each visit. Over time, these points can really add up, allowing you to enjoy numerous upgrades, spa visits, restaurant discounts, and even free nights at the hotel.
What you will be charged for a room, depends on when it’s booked. Hotels give rooms a price based on what’s available. When possible, you can often get a good price if you book a room at the very last minute. Doing so will ensure you get the best possible price on a hotel room. Empty rooms don’t make money, so hotels slash prices to fill the building.
If you are worried about the environment, consider taking a “green” vacation. Fortunately, there are many green hotels to choose from today. Green certification is something some of the newly built hotels are quite proud of promoting. Some older inns just select one or more of several eco-friendly strategies to show environmental awareness. Your travel agent can help to identify the environmentally friendly hotels.
Join a loyalty program to get deals on your stays. You will build up points with that hotel for added benefits. It works a lot like frequent flier miles do for airlines.
The timing for your booking of a hotel room has much to do with what you pay. Rooms are priced based on availability. If at all possible, do not book your room more than one day in advance. This will usually ensure that you receive the best available price. The hotel will earn no money at all if the room is empty, which gives you a much better bargaining position.
You can get great hotel discounts by becoming a member of AAA. Not only will AAA members receive discounts for a lot of hotel chains that make it worth getting into, you may also find rental cars more easily than those without the membership. In addition, free car seats are usually provided, which parents are certain to enjoy.
Don’t call long distance in your hotel room. You can use the Internet to make these types of calls. Skype connections that are accessed through Wi-Fi are offered by many hotels. Use this type of thing to get with people you know while you’re in your hotel room so you can save quite a bit of money.
Try to avoid long distance calling in hotel rooms. Look to the Internet, instead. The hotel may even offer Skype calls via Wi-Fi. You will be able to stay in touch with family and friends while you are away without the additional expense of costly phone calls.
When you feel the need to check the room in your hotel for signs of bed bugs, begin in the bathroom. This is probably not where you will find bedbugs. Therefore, you can put your luggage here while you look over the remainder of the room. It can be a temporary haven for children and pets.
No one likes to stay at a lousy hotel. Even getting a complete refund doesn’t erase the trouble of having an unpleasant or uncomfortable stay at a substandard hotel. This could ruin your whole trip. So you should use the above suggestions to help you find the best hotel. You can probably now find a really great deal too!
Make sure to ask up front if the hotel allows smoking or does not. If you are a non-smoker, then you should probably stay away from hotels that allow smoking. 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. To avoid the experience of breathing in smoke during your stay, try to stay in a hotel that doesn’t allow smoking.