The successful of your trip relies on finding the perfect hotel. If you stay in a hotel that is too expensive, you’ll have very little money left over for enjoying the vacation. Use this article to find the best value.
Use websites like Orbitz and Expedia for great prices. If you’re a member of a loyalty program of a hotel, make sure you input that data when checking out rates. Also, you may be eligible for discounts through other organizations to which you may belong, such as AARP or AAA.
When checking for good prices at hotels, refer to online travel sites like Orbitz and Expedia. If you are a member of a particular hotel’s loyalty program, remember to include that information when you are checking on rates. Also, as an added bonus, you may get discounts from other companies such as AAA or AARP.
You want to look at a number of different things when booking a hotel stay. Price is one, but a prime location is another. Internet access, pools, fitness centers and breakfast offered are a few other things to consider. Seek out hotels that offer amenities that appeal to you.
Think about using room service if you want to enjoy late-night dining without needing to leave your hotel room. It may cost more, but it’s convenient when you don’t feel like leaving.
Part of trip planning is knowing what time check-in is at your hotel. If you don’t know you may end up waiting a long time. If you anticipate arriving before check-in time, make a call to the hotel and inquire if you can arrive early.
Make sure you put your valuables inside the safe in your hotel room. You can stash your expensive electronics and jewelry in the safe and go about your day without worry.
If you want to find the absolute rock bottom hotel prices, plan your trips weeks or months ahead of time. Most hotels have serious discounts for early booking customers. You may even be able to cut the price down by half!
A number of factors all need consideration in your hotel reservation process. Of course price is a big deal, but a hotel close to where you are head is a big consideration. Amenities, such as a gym, room service, or free Wi-Fi, might be of importance to you. Seek out hotels that offer amenities that appeal to you.
You don’t want to assume that the hotel you will be staying in is considered pet friendly. Call and ask before you reserve. In addition, get specifics with regard to the pet policy, because only particular breeds or sizes of pets may be permitted at the hotel.
Comparison Shop
If you’re going to be wanting a massage at your hotel, book it well in advance. Usually, the best massage therapists are booked well in advance at top resorts. If you plan early, you will have the best experience possible.
Make use of online tools to find a hotel. There are a lot of websites that have great deals and other useful tools to help you comparison shop to find the right hotel at the right price. Being able to comparison shop helps you find the best value, while getting the amenities that are important to you. Finally, they can help you determine when you’d like to travel and what you’d like to do when you’re there.
If you travel often, consider signing up for a loyalty program with your favorite hotel chain. They provide benefits to anyone who stays at a hotel chain frequently. You will be able to earn stuff like a free upgrade, an allowance to check out late, and even free stays when you get enough points.
Look for deals online. Often, the person booking your room won’t tell you about discounts available online. That’s why it’s always your duty to search the web for better deals whenever you are booking a hotel room. Look at Jetsetter, RueLaLaTravel or similar websites for discounts.
If you often stay at a certain type of hotel, ask about the “frequent stay” program. Many hotels offer membership programs that allow you to earn points for each of your stays. These points can add up to hotel restaurant discounts, spa deals, free nights and much more.
Most hotels are not pet-friendly. Call ahead to their service desk and make sure, even if their website listing says they are. Be sure you know what pet-friendly means because there could be specific restrictions on sizes or certain breeds of dogs.
If you want to work on saving the environment, a green vacation is something to look into. Fortunately, many green hotels exist nowadays. There are plenty of hotels built today with strong environmental standards. Eco-friendly strategies are also now commonly adopted by many older hotels. You can ask a travel agent to pinpoint eco-friendly hotels, thus making sure your vacation doesn’t hurt the environment.
There are some things you have to do before taking your pet on a trip. Find out if the hotel allows pets. Remember to bring bags so that you can pick up your pet’s waste when you travel. See if you can stay in a room toward the end of a hall so your pet does not disturb guests.
Inquire about hotel transfer costs before before booking. Hidden transfer costs can really make a room not worth it. You can increase the amount you save by simply finding this information out in advance.
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 do a great deal of traveling, consider joining hotel chain loyalty programs. You will build up points with that hotel for added benefits. It works a lot like frequent flier miles do for airlines.
If you want to work on saving the environment, a green vacation is something to look into. Luckily, you can choose from quite a few green hotels these days. There are newer hotels that were built to be environmentally friendly. Other older hotels will just provide green options for you. Talk with a travel agent to find green hotels.
You can get great hotel discounts by becoming a member of AAA. AAA members not only get discounts at many hotel chains, it will also make it much easier to rent a car. Those with youngsters will be grateful for the free car seats.
What you will be charged for a room, depends on when it’s booked. The prices are based partly on availability. If possible, book your room no more than 24 hours in advance. A late booking when the hotel is slow often results in a bargain. If the hotel never rents the room they’ll get zero dollars for it, so most of the time they will give you a steep discount on it.
If you are traveling with kids, make sure the hotel you book has a working pool. You don’t want to get there, only to disappoint your children when you find out the pool is closed.
Avoid making long distance calls from the hotel room phone. Make use of the Internet, instead. Most hotels offer Wi-Fi, but you will probably need their password and may have to pay a fee to use this service. You can stay connected with friends, family and business colleagues this way, rather than making expensive long distance calls.
Determine what the policy on smoking is if you smoke. Most hotels have designated smoking rooms. So if you are a smoker, be sure to ask for one of those rooms. If you stay in a room that doesn’t allow smoking and the hotel staff discover evidence of you smoking in this room, then you could be charged a large penalty. Therefore, it is important that you always follow the hotel’s rules when it comes to smoking.
If you are traveling with kids, make sure the hotel you book has a working pool. It can be extremely frustrating if you arrive at your hotel only to find out the pool is shut down for maintenance.
You should understand that early check-ins to hotels are not usually possible. Be sure to plan your arrival with that in mind, or you may be sitting in the lobby area for some time. Hotels need to get a room cleaned up before you get to check into it. You can inquire about checking in early, but do not expect that you’re going to be able to do it.
Always know the hotel smoking policy wherever you stay if you personally smoke. A lot of places have specific rooms just for people who smoke. If that is the case, you should ask for one of those rooms. There are hotels that will charge you quite a bit if they find out that you were lighting up in the room that wasn’t for smoking. This is why you should stick to the rules.
If you are going to use a crib or even a rollaway bed, make sure you mention this at the time your reservation is made. Not every hotel features these options, and the ones that do only have a few. Additionally, there may be an extra fee for these items. Make sure these needs are discussed during the initial reservation so you don’t get any surprises.
You should be aware of the hotel’s policy concerning pets. People who are allergic to pets obviously want to avoid pet-friendly hotels. Also, pet friendly hotels may have lingering odors that have been absorbed by carpeting or linens. Most hotels charge a pet fee; however, sometimes this is negligible. The fee may cover the cleaning, and it may not.
You may wish to use a different blanket than the comforter that is in your hotel room. Although hotels will wash the sheets that lie underneath the bedspread, the bedspread itself is not typically washed. This bedspread is where you would find the bacteria and germs. For your health’s sake, remove the bedspread.
You should understand that early check-ins to hotels are not usually possible. Make sure you plan around your check-in time, or you will be forced to sit in a lobby to wait for your room. Usually, hotels have your room cleaned prior to check-in time. If you do arrive before the normal check-in, you can ask if it’s possible to do so early, but this should not be expected.
Be aware of your rights in the event that a hotel attempts to “walk” you. Hotels sometimes over-book, and this can leave you without a room. In these situations, the hotel may try to book you at another hotel, or “walk” you. Avoid this if possible, but if must go to another hotel, make sure you get a comparable or better room and the travel to there paid for.
As was mentioned earlier, spending too much on a hotel takes money away from other aspects of your trip. Saving money and getting a comfortable room can be accomplished if you do a bit of planning and research. Refer back to this information when you are working on your travel plans.
Don’t be tempted to open bottled water! Sure, you’re thirsty and hot. You might want to open the bottled water they left you. Hotels are well aware of this, and the bottled water they provide is far more costly than it is elsewhere. Some hotels offer complementary bottles of water in their gyms. An even better option is to pack your own bottled water for when you arrive.
