It takes lots of work to plan for a trip. You must choose your destination, your transportation and your hotel accommodations. Making the wrong decision can spoil your vacation. This article will enable you in choosing the right hotel that best suits your needs.
Use travel websites, like Expedia and Priceline to find great hotel deals. If you are a member of the hotel’s loyalty program, don’t forget to add that information as you check rates. You may also be eligible for other discounts through any memberships you have with organizations such as AAA and AARP.
Check for online hotel reviews before making any reservations. These provide you some information about people’s recent experiences at each hotel. What people say about their experiences at the hotels you’re thinking of booking can ensure you make an informed decision.
Room service is great for late meals. While you’re likely to pay a little more, it’s worth having the convenience of staying in your room (and in your pajamas) while you wait to satisfy those nocturnal cravings.
You should put any expensive items to keep them secure.
Be sure to keep your valuables and electronics secure by locking them in your hotel room’s safe. This safe will store your small important items, such as your iPad, iPod, GPS, jewelry, etc. By doing this, you can keep these items secure and enjoy your day without fretting about someone stealing them.
There are things to think about when booking a hotel. You may want free WiFi access, a convenient location, WiFi or a free breakfast buffet. Try to find a hotel that checks off as much of your wish list as possible.
Many factors come into play as you choose a hotel. You must consider price of course, and you might want to be close to a specific location within the city you’re staying. A gym, pool, free breakfast, free wireless Internet, free local calls, and all kinds of other things may be important. Look for a hotel that gives you a lot of the things you are looking for.
Use online hotel search tools for hotels. These kinds of websites will help you to locate great deals quickly.
Don’t book a hotel room without looking for online deals. Lots of times, when you book a room, they don’t tell you about online discounts. That’s why it’s always your duty to search the web for better deals whenever you are booking a hotel room. Websites like Travelocity and Expedia can be a great way to do research on hotels.
Know the check-in time. 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 think you’ll be early.
Know when you are able to check in and get your room. Many people show up before check-in time only to find out their room isn’t ready. Call the front desk to find out if it is alright for you to arrive before check-in.
Plan your trip as far in advance for the best rates. Many locations offer discounts if you book more than a few months in advance. You can expect savings up to 50 percent off at some very exclusive hotels.
If you want to get a low rate at your hotel, start planning early for your vacation. Many locations offer discounts if you are willing to book more than a month or two ahead of time. You may save 50 percent or more.
If you belong to the AAA, it may qualify you for a hotel discount. You may not know that your membership to the auto club also includes discounts on hotels. You can save up to an additional five percent or more motels and hotels in the country. This is a savings that can really adds up over several nights.
There are three things to do ahead of time if you want to bring your pet to a hotel with you. Make sure the hotel is actually pet-friendly. 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. When you make your reservation, request accommodations near the very end of the floor in order to not disturb other guests.
Green Hotels
If you’re going to be wanting a massage at your hotel, book it well in advance. Most of the time, the most reputable masseuses will be booked, so plan early in order to have the most enjoyable experience.
If you care quite a bit about your environment, then you may be interested in taking a “green” vacation. There are several green hotels out there. Some new buildings are certified green. Some hotels simply choose a variety of eco-friendly so they can show they care. Talk to a travel agent if you want to find the best green hotels for your needs.
If you enjoy a morning run, try booking a hotel room that’s near the beach or an open park. You can still enjoy your early morning jog while on vacation if you have your gear and the right room booked. It will give you a perspective that you’ll never get while riding in a car.
Join the hotel’s membership program to get deals on your stays. These points that can translate into some major perks when you’re vacationing.
It is wise to join a hotel loyalty program if you travel frequently. They give people benefits if they go to that chain often. Some of the useful things that you can earn are extra upgrades, free nights, and late check-outs.
Sign up for AAA if you wish to get better hotel arrangements when traveling. Parents with young children will appreciate the free car set offered in some locations.
If you are concerned about the environment, you may want to take a “green” vacation. Many hotels offer environmentally friendly standards today. Some newer hotels have been built green and are certified green. Some older hotels simply choose a variety of eco-friendly practices to be environmentally aware. Talk to your travel agent in order to find the best green hotels for your needs.
Try to avoid long distance calls from your hotel room. Many hotels now offer Skype connections on their Wi-Fi.You can stay connected with work or family without the high cost of a call from the phone in your hotel phone.
The cost of your hotel room largely depends on the dates on which you plan to stay there. Rooms are priced based on availability. If it’s possible, your room should be booked around a day in advance or more. You may find the best prices this way. Empty rooms don’t make money, so hotels slash prices to fill the building.
It is extremely frustrating for you and your room with the kids screaming “pool” only to find out it’s closed.
To make sure you don’t have an unexpected expense, ask about how much hotel transfers will cost. If the room is the bargain, then an expensive transfer can ruin the whole savings. Inquiring about this in advance will maximize any savings.
Check if your prospective hotel you’re looking to stay at is non-smoking or smoking. If you are a non-smoker, you might not want to go to a hotel with smoking rooms. Smokers don’t always respect the fact that you are not supposed to smoke in.
Sign up for AAA if you wish to get better hotel arrangements while you travel. The AAA membership fee is well worth the discounts offered by many chains, and renting a car will also be easier. Parents of younger children are likely to enjoy the free car seat provided in many locations.
You should 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 are pet-friendly and don’t charge for it, other do not. The fee may cover totally or partially the extra cleaning involved.
Don’t call long distance in your hotel room. Using the Internet is a better option. You can access Skype with the Internet connection at your hotel. This saves you a ton of money.
Not all hotel chains do offer these and those that will be able to accommodate you. Talk about these things when you make your room.
Find out if the hotel you’re staying at has a functioning pool for the kids. It will be a huge disappointment if you arrive at the hotel with the kids ready to swim and they are not able to do so.
You have rights if a hotel needs to “walk” you. This means that you’re going to have to stay at a different hotel. Avoid having this happen if you can, but if you have to switch hotels, make sure you get a comparable or better room and the travel to there paid for.
Is your room non-smoking or not? If you are a nonsmoker, you may want to avoid hotels that offer smoking rooms. The smoke flows through the hotel and can stick to you. Sometimes, smokers rent and smoke in non-smoking rooms. Instead of choosing a non-smoking room, you can actually find an entire non-smoking hotel if you really want to avoid nasty, secondhand smoke.
Don’t be tempted to open the bottled water! You will likely be thirsty when finally arriving to a hotel. You may decide to reach for that bottle of water beckoning on the mini-fridge. Hotels are well aware of their guests by charging ridiculous pricess for bottled water. Check the hotel gym instead; they offer it for free. A better option to simply bring a few of your own bottled water.
Whenever possible, do not check out prior to the scheduled date of your departure. Hotels often charge early departure fees. Upon reserving a hotel room, you tie up that room in the hotel. This means that your early departure results in the hotel losing money. Make sure you understand that you might be charged for an early departure.
Don’t take linens home.
You know your rights if a hotel attempts to take advantage of you. When you check-in, you may discover the room you secured isn’t actually available. As a result, hotels will attempt to escort you to another hotel. Avoid having this happen if you can, but if you’re going to a different hotel, be sure that the deal is better than the place you were trying to get.
You can get some money 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.
Bundle your flight and your accommodations for greater savings. It is not unusual for travel websites to provide large savings when a hotel is booked along with a rental car or a flight. Always compare the prices from multiple hotels to make sure you’re getting the best deal.
You can save money by not booking a hotel room rate if you book during the off season. Rates are at this time. You will normally receive a great rate.
If you want an upgrade, use an approach that may snag it for free. You can do this by going at the precise check-in time. Often the room isn’t quite ready at the exact time and the hotel will offer you an upgraded room instead.
You can actually get a room upgrade without paying an upgraded price. You have a better chance of this by being on time to accept your hotel booking. Often the room you have reserved will still be dirty, so they might give you a room upgrade at no extra charge.
Don’t ever pay the advertised prices. Experienced travelers never actually pay the “rack rate”, or advertised rate. As a matter of fact, you can haggle the hotel down in price in most cases. So call ahead, be friendly and inquire about their best deals and perks. Be courageous. You can find great discounts on travel sites.
Rest Areas
It is generally thought that the hotel housekeeper should receive a tip on your final day of lodging. Most other people that work there do not need a tip, but the maid is an exception. Most people don’t realize that it takes a lot of effort to clean hotel rooms and maids aren’t well paid, so please consider tipping them.
If you need to book a room while driving, 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 incredible discounts. This way you’ll be able to call a place and reserve the room that’s right for you.
Watch out for extra charges when booking through a third-party website. Sometimes, your quotes do not include each of the charges. Be sure to read the fine print so that you have a complete understanding of how much you will actually pay.
Some rooms have better views while others do not. If rooms with good views do not cost more, ask for a room with a good view. These are the little things that make your stay better. It can’t hurt to ask the hotel for rooms that have better views.
In this way, your enjoyment of your vacation will not be marred by bad accommodations. Do your homework and make plans appropriately. The more educated you are about finding and reserving great accommodations, the more options you will find. You want and deserve to enjoy every moment of your travel, and your hotel stay is part of that. Keep the advice of this article in mind the next time you sit down to plan your travel.
