You don’t want to avoid being taken advantage of when booking a hotel. Whether you’re charged too much money or the place isn’t what you expected, you will have a bad time if you don’t have good information about this. The following information will help you avoid these issues.
Prior to booking a hotel, refer to TripAdvisor and similar online travel review sites. These websites have reviews and comments from people who have recent experience with their stay. Factor former guests’ reviews into your final decision.
Consider ordering room service when the urge strikes for a late-night snack with your special meal without needing to go out. While it may cost more, it is worth it if you can stay in your comfortable room as you satisfy your cravings.
Consider the benefits of any organization memberships you have. Do they offer hotel discounts? A lot of people don’t use these discounts, and you may save 10% or even more. This can result in significant savings, especially for longer stays. That’s almost an extra free night throughout an entire week.
You should put any expensive electronics and jewelry in the safe and go about your day without worry.
Inspect the room before unpacking. Is it without mildew and mold? Do the sink, shower and toilet work properly? Do you have enough towels and linens? This quick check can keep you from discovering a problem later, after you have unpacked and all other good rooms are taken. Tell the front desk immediately.
Know the hotel’s check-in times. Some people end up waiting for their room is still not ready. Call and ask if it is alright for you to arrive before check-in.
Plan your trip as far in advance as you can to ensure best rates. If you chose to book a month or even two ahead of your arrival date, you can get great discounts. This can save you as much as 40 percent off of the cost of your hotel.
Plan your trip in advance as you can to ensure best rates. Many hotels offer discounts if you are willing to book more than a month or two ahead of time. You may find yourself saving as much as half off of the price down by half!
Never assume that all hotels are pet-friendly. Even if the website says they are pet-friendly, always call in advance to verify. In addition, get specifics with regard to the pet policy, because only particular breeds or sizes of pets may be permitted at the hotel.
Do not make the assumption that each hotel welcomes pets.
Take your GPS watch with you on vacation and some running clothes. Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean you should skip on your daily running regimen. If you want to jog early in the morning, don your gear and then go for it. No matter if you’re on city streets or down some roads, you can easily learn new things about a city doing this.
Book your appointment as early as possible. The best professionals are often in high demand, so planning early is the best way to create a good experience.
If you travel often, consider signing up for a loyalty program with your favorite hotel chain. This type of program provides discounts and benefits for frequent visitors. There are many rewards given when you accumulate loyalty points such as free stays, free upgrades and later than usual check out times.
It is wise to join a hotel loyalty programs that your favorite hotels offer. They provide benefits for those who stays at a hotel. You can get a free upgrade, later check-out options and even free nights once you accumulate enough loyalty program points.
Remember that hotel chains often provide loyalty programs offering excellent discounts. These hotel programs give you points for each stay. You can exchange these points for discounts and freebies at the hotel and its restaurant. You may also be able to use them on local amenities.
If you want to work on saving the environment, you can chose a “green” vacation. There are many hotels around. Some newer hotels are certified green. Some older inns just select one or more of several eco-friendly so they can show they care. Talk with a travel agent in order to find the best green hotels.
Do you care about your environment? If so, a “green” hotel may be for you. There are several green hotels around. Some of the newer hotels were built with green standards in mind. Also, older hotels often make several changes to become eco-friendly. Ask around for hotels that are friendly to the environment.
The cost of your room booking often determines the dates on which you plan to stay there. Rooms prices are priced based on availability. This will net you receive the best available price.
The cost of your hotel room largely depends on the dates on which you plan to stay there. The price is subject to the laws of supply and demand like any other product. If it’s possible, your room should be booked around a day in advance or more. You may find the best prices this way. Hotels don’t like to have vacancies so they often provide better prices.
Join a membership program if you frequently stay there on business trips. These points that can translate into some major perks when you’re vacationing.
Sign up as an AAA member to make hotel arrangements easier when you are traveling. Your AAA membership will pay for itself right away in hotel and car rental discounts and availability. Some places provide free car seats too.
Get an AAA membership to facilitate the process of booking a hotel perks when you travel. Parents with young children will appreciate the car seat that’s provided for free in a lot of locations.
Find out if the hotel you’re staying at has a functioning pool for the kids. It can prove rather frustrating when you check in to your room with the kids screaming “pool” only to find out it’s closed.
Check to see if a hotel you’re looking to stay at is non-smoking or smoking. If you do not smoke, you might want to stay away from hotels that offer smoking rooms. Smokers also sometimes smoke in rooms that you are renting is a non-smoking room.
Make sure to ask up front if the hotel you’ll be staying in allows smoking or does not. If you’re not a smoker, a smoking room may be unappealing. Even if you stipulate that your room should be non-smoking, second hand smoke can still enter your room. Sometimes a smoker will get a non smoking room and still smoke in it. If you don’t want to smell like cigarettes, consider staying at a hotel that’s non-smoking.
Don’t get that bottled water you’ll find in your hotel room. You will likely to be tired and thirsty when you check in.You can be tempted to casually open that bottle of water beckoning on the mini-fridge. Hotels take advantage of this and will charge you a hefty fee for that already exorbitantly priced bottled water. Check the hotel gym instead; they offer it for free. A better idea is to bring your own bottles.
Know what the pet policy is before you book. If you fear pets or have allergies it may be best to make reservations at hotels which do not have a pet-friendly policy. These hotels might also suffer from odors sinking into the floor and bed linens. Some hotels may charge you extra for pets, and some may not charge at all, or the fees are lower. The fee might be too low to cover the extra cleaning costs.
Do not give in to the linens with you when you leave.
You should understand that early check-ins to hotels are not usually possible. If you are going to arrive early, plan on doing something to fill your time. The hotel must clean each room prior to the next visitor taking it. If you do arrive early, ask the desk clerk if it’s possible to check in early, but don’t necessarily expect it.
You can often save money saved if you book a flight and hotel at the same time. A lot of travel online sites feature serious savings for people who bundles things together.
If you’re going to need special sleeping arrangements at a hotel, such as a roll- away or baby bed, specify this as you make reservations. Not every hotel will have these items available, and the ones that do only have limited quantities. They may charge extra for this. Make your needs known at the time you place your reservation so that you do not have any unpleasant surprises.
You can get a decent room rate if you book during peak tourist seasons. Rates are always highest at their peak then. You chance of getting a much better price.
For hygienic purposes, you may want to avoid using the bedspread that the hotel provides. While the staff may have washed the sheets prior to your stay, the comforter is not always washed. This means they may be a hotbed of germs. Just take that blanket off the bed.
If you want to avoid a distasteful hotel stay, use the advice you have read here. 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. When you are traveling, a hotel should be a restful place, not a source of unhappiness.
Do not drink the bottled water that is offered in the rooms. Sure, you’re thirsty and hot. The bottled water inside the mini fridge may tempt you. Hotels are counting on this, and they jack up the price of the water accordingly. You might be able to get free bottled water in the hotel gym. You could also bring your own bottled water.
