Hotel Secrets Straight From The Travel Experts

You now have figured out where you plan on vacation.You have booked your airplane tickets. The thing you should do is book a hotel room. How can you find a great hotel that fits within your budget? This article has the tips you just how that can happen. The advice provided will help you to choose a great hotel room.

When checking for good prices at hotels, refer to online travel sites like Orbitz and Expedia. Are you a member of a certain hotel’s membership program? If so, make sure you put this information into the travel site. You may also qualify for discounts from other organizations you belong to such as AAA or AARP.

TIP! 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.

You can stash your expensive electronics and jewelry in the hotel safe.

Make use of the room safe to ensure the safety of your electronics when you are not in your room. Place all electronics there along with important documents, such as your passport or plane tickets.

TIP! If you take a lot of electronic gadgets with you on a trip, lock them up in the safe when away from the room. Your iPad, watch, and other smaller, expensive items can be placed into the safe, then you can rest assured at their safety as you head out for a fun-filled day.

Free Local Calls

Take a look into organizations you are part of. Some organizations offer discounts on hotels to their members. People don’t always remember to check out these discounts, which can often be 10% and higher. That can add up to huge savings over multiple nights. This adds up to a night’s stay that is almost free.

TIP! Take a look into organizations you are part of. Some groups provide members with discounts on certain hotels.

There are things to think about when choosing a hotel to stay in. Amenities such as complimentary WiFi, free local calls, free local calls or breakfast, a gym and pool and a convenient restaurant are also important considerations. Try to find a hotel that offers as many of your wish list as is realistic.

When thinking about the type of hotel you would like to stay at, there are plenty of options to consider. Price is one, but a prime location is another. A gym, pool, free breakfast, free wireless Internet, free local calls, and all kinds of other things may be important. Seek out hotels that offer amenities that appeal to you.

TIP! Figuring out which hotel you want to book isn’t an easy process. Your budget comes first, but proximity to attractions is also important.

Take advantage of tools provided online when searching tools.These sites allow you find good deals quickly.

Look for deals online. Many times, the person you book your room with will not tell you that you can get a discount online. It is your responsibility to find these discounts. Look at Jetsetter, RueLaLaTravel or similar websites for discounts.

TIP! Prior to making a hotel reservation, check for deals online. Many times, the reservation specialist won’t tell you of discounts when you call to book your room.

Always look for online deals prior to booking your hotel room. This is why it’s up to you should always do your research well online to find these hidden discounts. Check out websites such as Jetsetter, Jetsetter, and SniqueAway.

For the best hotel rates, plan your trip weeks or months ahead of time. If you book one or two months in advance, you can often receive a discount. You may find yourself saving as much as half off of the room’s typical rates.

TIP! Plan your trip as far in advance as you can to ensure best rates. There are quite a few hotels that will reward booking your room a few months in advance with nice discounts.

Know the hotel’s check-in times. Some people neglect asking what the check-in time is and get to the hotel when their room to be available because they forget to check this critical detail.Call and ask if it is alright for you to arrive before check-in.

If you are an AAA member, check into your membership hotel discount. Your membership in this auto club has just such a discount available to you. You can save 5 percent or even more on hotels around the country. It’s a savings that really adds up over the nights.

TIP! Be sure to consult AAA to help you make excellent plans for your entire vacation. Are you aware that the auto club you belong to may offer you excellent hotel discounts? You can save upwards of 5% on your hotel stays.

Plan your trip in advance as you can to ensure best rates. Many locations offer the best discounts if you are willing to book more than a few months in advance. You might even be able to save up to 50 percent if you book months in advance.

If you enjoy a morning run, try booking a hotel room that’s near the beach or an open park. If you want to jog early in the morning, don your gear and then go for it. 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.

TIP! If you want to get your daily runs in while on vacation, make sure to bring your running gear with you. Jogging around the city before you start your day will add enjoyment to your vacation.

Don’t think that all hotels will welcome your pet.

If you often frequent the same hotel chains, look into their frequent stay membership programs. These are similar to frequent flyer programs, offering points each time you stay at a particular chain. They add up to free nights, discounts at hotel restaurants, show tickets, spa deals and a whole lot more.

TIP! If you tend to return to the same family of hotels for your vacation, consider joining their membership reward programs. Like the programs for frequent flyer, these programs the hotel offer give you points whenever you stay with them.

If you’re a member of the AAA, ask about a hotel discount. You may not know that your membership to the auto club also includes discounts on hotels. You can save more than five percent on some rooms. These savings really add up if you travel often.

If you want to work on saving the environment, a green vacation is something to look into. Luckily, there are a lot of green hotels out there in this day and age. Some of the newer hotels are built in a way that they get certified green. Older hotels can go green by making environmentally friendly choices in energy use. Talk to your travel agent if you prefer to stay at this type of hotel.

TIP! If you are an environmentally conscious traveler, you should look into “green” hotels. The number of “green” hotels is steadily growing.

If you are a daily runner, be sure to bring your running clothes and shoes.

The timing for your booking of a hotel room has much to do with what you pay. Hotels price rooms based on availability. If you can, make your room reservations only a day in advance. This will get you the very best rate on your hotel room. Empty rooms earn no money, so the hotels often slash the prices.

TIP! The price you pay at a hotel often depends on the time frame in which you reserve the room. Availability is one factor that plays a part in cost.

If you go to the same hotel often, find out about the programs they offer to frequent guests. These hotel programs give you rack up points. You can accumulate points that you can redeem for free hotel stays, discounts at restaurants, or other things.

Be sure to avoid hotel transfer fees by asking about them in advance. If the rooms are cheap, the transfer could ruin the deal. Ask the hotel representative ahead of time to make sure you get the most savings.

TIP! Inquire about the price of a transfer before you place a booking. In many situations in which the room’s price is a great deal, the undisclosed price of your transfer can frequently eat up the savings.

Be sure to avoid hotel transfers when booking a room.If you’re getting what appears to be a nice deal on the room, it is especially important that you ask about any hidden fees that might be tacked onto your bill. Asking these things before anything happens will allow you arrive can really increase your overall savings.

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 is nothing worse than having to tell your excited kids they cannot swim.

TIP! If you are traveling with kids, make sure the hotel you book has a working pool. There is nothing worse than having to tell your excited kids they cannot swim.

Get an AAA membership for hotel when you travel. Parents of younger children are likely to enjoy the complimentary car set offered in many locations.

If you are searching a hotel for bed bugs, you should check the bathroom first. This is the place where you are least likely to find them. Stow you suitcases and other items here and then take a good look at the rest of your room. It’s safe for pets and kids too.

TIP! Check in the bathroom first for bed bugs. This is the last room they are likely to be.

Ask if there is smoking or non. If you don’t smoke, you might want to choose a hotel that does not have smoking rooms. Smokers don’t always respect the fact that the room they are not supposed to smoke in.

Know whether or not smoking is allowed in your room. Many have rooms set aside for people who smoke. If that happens to be the case, then you need to ask for that type of room. Otherwise, you might find yourself paying a high fee for smoking in a room that is designated as non-smoking.

TIP! If you smoke, learn the smoking policy of the hotel where you are staying. Many hotels still offer smoking rooms.

Be sure you know what the hotel smoking policy if you smoke. Many hotels still offer smoking guests. Ask to see if you are available. If you don’t, a big penalty can come along with it.

Try to avoid checking out of the hotel ahead of your scheduled checkout time. Your hotel may charge you a fee to do so. When you reserve a room, the management of the hotel removes that room from the market, so if you leave early, the hotel loses some money. To earn back this money they will lose, they charge you an additional departure fee.

TIP! If it’s possible, try not to check out before the departure date you had originally scheduled. Your hotel may charge you a fee to do so.

You should always be aware whether or not the hotel’s policy concerning pets.These hotels might also suffer from odors sinking into the floor and linens have absorbed them. Some hotels charge extra fees for pets, while others charge substantially more. The fee may not be adequate to cover the extra cleaning involved.

Stay away from the bottled water! You are very likely to be tired and thirsty when finally arriving to a hotel. You may get tempted to open a bottle of water that is in the hotel’s mini-fridge. There is a huge mark-up in price because the hotel knows this fact. Sometimes it is possible to get bottled water at no cost in the hotel gym. Plan ahead and bring your own bottled water.

TIP! Leave the bottled water alone in your hotel room! Sure, you’re thirsty and hot. You might feel the urge to untwist the cap on the bottled water sitting in the mini-fridge.

Not all hotel chains do offer these and those that will be able to accommodate you. Talk about these things when you reserve your reservations.

Don’t give into the temptation to take hotel linens home. Housekeeping will generally notice when something like pillows, towels or washcloths are missing, which may lead to the hotel charging you for the missing items. If you really love those linens or pillows, find out if you can purchase them from the hotel.

TIP! Don’t take any of the linens. Housekeeping will notice items are missing and you could get a bill.

Never check out before the departure date unless it’s an emergency. The hotel may charge you a fee for your early departure fee. When you make your reservation, the hotel takes that room off the market; thus, so they lose money if you leave early.

You can get some money saved if you book a flight and hotel at the same time. It is not unusual for travel websites to provide large savings when a hotel is booked along with a rental car or a flight. For best results, do a rate comparison of various carriers and hotels.

TIP! You can save quite a bit on your next vacation when you choose to bundle your hotel room and flight. It is not unusual for travel websites to provide large savings when a hotel is booked along with a rental car or a flight.

Do not take any of the linens with you when you leave.

If you want the best rate for a hotel room, never book during the height of tourist season. Usually, hotels charge their highest rates during these seasons. Try booking a room when it’s harder for hotels to fill rooms, like during the off-season. You chance of getting a discount is much greater.

TIP! In order to pay the lowest rate possible, don’t travel during the peak season. This is the highest time for rates.

You can get some money saved if you book your flight and hotel at the same time. A lot of travel websites provide significant savings for anyone who bundles things together.

Tipping the hotel workers who provide special services such as the doorman, room-service or valet shows that you appreciate the assistance that they provide. For instance, a tip is usually included in the room service bill, but you must tip the maid yourself. If you tip, you’ll be respected by the staff.

TIP! Tipping hotel staff can ensure you have a more pleasant stay. In general, your room service charges take tipping into account, but that’s not normally the case with room cleaning.

You can get a cheaper price on a nice hotel if you book during peak tourist seasons. This is the highest time that hotel rates are at their highest. You can get a much better rate during this time.

If you search Travelocity or Expedia before you book your hotel room, you can find some inexpensive prices. These websites sell lots of hotel rooms, and hotels allow them to offer discounts than cannot be found any other place. For some, you must bid, but others provide you with a price but withhold the name of the hotel until you commit to purchase, so beware.

TIP! You can find the best prices by looking at websites like Travelocity and Expedia. These websites are responsible for the sale of a lot of rooms, making them able to get better discounts.

Try getting an upgrade without spending any money. You might be able to do this by being on time to accept your hotel booking. If your room isn’t clean yet, you may be offered a better room at no additional charge.

If you use a third-party site to book your hotel, identify any hidden fees or surcharges. Usually, the quote you receive do not include charges. Read the fine print carefully so that you know exactly what you will be charged when you book your room.

TIP! Always inquire about any extra charges or hidden fees when you book a hotel room using a third party. Usually, the quote you receive do not include charges.

Rest Areas

Hotel chains may have inconsistent quality in each establishment. If you had a good experience with the chain in one city, that does not guarantee a good experience in another city. Check the hotels individually so you don’t get any surprises.

TIP! Hotel chains may have inconsistent quality in each establishment. Just because you liked one of the hotels you stayed at doesn’t mean the same hotel chain in a different city is just as good.

If you find yourself having to book a hotel while on the road, check out rest areas or gas stations to find tourist books which will have maps, rest areas and gas stations for free tourist books that contain maps of hotels, prices and discount offers. This will help you time and get a deal without visiting a hundred different hotels.

A lot of hotel Internet sites and paper literature use software to make their hotel images look better. For example, the pool may not be exactly as it seems, or a shabby structure nearby might be eliminated from the picture. Take some time and investigate the hotel that you want to book prior to making your reservation.

TIP! Realize that Photoshop is often used by hotels when producing online pictures for public viewing. For instance, that lovely pool may only be the size of a kiddie pool, or a shabby neighborhood may have been brushed out.

Some hotel rooms offer a better views than others. If it isn’t going to cost you an arm and a leg to get a nice view, ask for one. These small features can make your trip more enjoyable without costing you any money. It can’t hurt to ask the hotel for rooms with excellent views.

TIP!

One of the most important things when planning a vacation is your hotel. A bad hotel can ruin your vacation. Make sure that doesn’t happen on your vacation. Follow the advice offered in this article, and book a hotel that has the features that you want at the price that you want to pay.

TIP!