Have you ever regretted your decision to stay in a hotel room that turned out to be a complete dump? This can ruin your entire vacation. The information below will help you find a wonderful hotel room.
There are plenty of websites that offer reviews for local hotels, for example TripAdvisor. Use these websites to review a hotel before you make the actual reservation. These provide you with first-hand information about people’s recent experiences at each hotel. The information provided by patrons of the hotel will help you make a good choice of where to stay.
Use Orbitz and Expedia for great prices. If you have a hotel loyalty program your a part of, put your information in. You may also be able to get good discounts due to AAA and AARP.
Make sure you put your valuables inside the safe in your hotel room. 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.
Take advantage of online when searching for a hotel. You will typically find websites to discover great deals on certain hotel chains.
You want to look at a number of different things when booking a hotel stay. You should look at the price, but you should also look at the location that is most convenient for what you want to do. Amenities that help you choose a hotel are free breakfast, free Wi-Fi, exercise room, pool, and a restaurant on the premises. Try to get yourself a hotel with what you need in it when possible.
Search for hotel deals in hotels online before making reservations.This is why it’s up to you should always do your research well online to find these discounts. Check out websites like SniqueAway, RueLaLaTravel, and SniqueAway.
Prior to emptying out your suitcase, carefully look over your room. Is the room clean? Are the showers, sinks, toilets, etc. properly functioning? Are linens and towels in ample supply? Any problems that you notice should be reported to front desk staff right away. That way, they can be rectified or you can change rooms.
Check out your hotel room prior to unpacking. Is the room mold and mildew free? Are linens and towels that you’re going to need? If you have any problem with the room, notify the front desk right away so the hotel can correct the problems or they can assign a different room.
Know your check-in time in advance. You don’t want to arrive early only to find out your room isn’t ready yet. Call the hotel desk and find out if your room has been prepared if you know that you’ll be arriving early.
Plan your trip in advance as possible.Many hotels offer discounts if you book a few months in advance. You might even be able to save up to 50 percent or more.
Not every hotel allows pets. So call ahead and make sure you understand if there are extra fees or a limited number of rooms available. Also, find out if there are any size or breed restrictions.
There are some things you have to do in advance if you’re going to be traveling with a trip. Be sure that the hotel will be friendly to pets.Be sure to bring some bags on hand to make pet cleanup easy.
If you want a couples massage, book early. Resorts that have masseurs often have very fully booked massage schedules, so it is important to plan ahead.
If you’re a member of the AAA, look into hotel discounts included. You would be surprised where hidden discounts on hotels. You can save up to an additional five percent at certain hotels. This is a savings that can add up in time!
Always see if your AAA membership can get you a discount on the hotel you intend to stay at. It might be surprising to learn that some auto club memberships include hotel discounts. It’s possible you could save 5 percent or higher on hotels across the United States. The savings can really add up nightly.
If you are a daily runner, pack your GPS and running clothes.
Think about going on a “green” vacation. Fortunately, there are many green hotels available nowadays. Some newer hotels have been built green and are certified green. Older hotels can’t always do this, but instead choose to adhere to certain green practices. Ask around for hotels that are friendly to the environment.
If you often frequent the same hotel chains, see if they have frequent stay programs you can become a member of. These hotel programs usually work by letting you rack up points. These points can quickly add up to many perks such as a free night, tickets to shows, spa deals and much, much more.
How much you’re going to pay for your hotel room will depend on when your room is booked. Hotels price their rooms based on how many rooms are available. Try to book a specific room at least 24 hours ahead of time, but it’s even better if you book weeks ahead of schedule. You may find the best prices this way. 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.
Join a loyalty program if you frequently stay there on your stays. These points can be applied toward further travels.
Discuss what a hotel transfer will cost you prior to actually booking anything. Particularly if you are getting a discount, the fee associated with the transfer may be high. You save the most money when you ask about this beforehand.
It can prove rather frustrating when you and your children to arrive at a hotel expecting a pool and/or other activities only to find out it’s closed.
To get the most out of your hotel stays, particularly if you travel a great deal for business, join a membership program such as that offered by Choice Hotels or Marriott. Every stay in a particular hotel chain where you are a member will add points to your total, which can later be used on free rooms or amenities that usually cost you.
Check if a hotel is non-smoking or smoking. If cigarette smoke bothers you, you may want to avoid hotels that offer smoking rooms. Smokers don’t always respect the fact that you are not supposed to smoke in.
Become a member of AAA in order to make your travel arrangements easier. AAA members get good hotel discounts and can also find good car rental rates much more easily. It is definitely worth looking into.
Be sure you know what the hotel smoking policy if you smoke cigarettes. A lot of hotels have specific rooms just for smokers. Ask to see if any of these are a smoker. Some hotels charge large penalties if they find that smoking occured in a room not designated for it, so make sure you understand and follow the hotel’s smoking policy.
Never use the hotel phone for long distance calls. Try using the Internet, instead. Hotels usually have Wi-Fi, so you can call using Skype. Use these types of services to keep in contact with loved ones back home instead of having exorbitant charges added to your bill from the costly phone calls.
Never check out earlier than your scheduled departure date unless it is absolutely necessary. The hotel may charge a fee if you check out early. If you check out too early, that hotel may charge a fee because they couldn’t book that room.
Start looking in the bathroom when checking for bed bugs in a hotel. This is usually one of the few places you won’t see any. That means you can store your luggage here as you inspect. It’s also safer to the pets and kids you may have.
Avoid sleeping under the hotel bedspread.The bedspread usually get washed between bookings. This bedspread is where you would find the comforter has tons of germs and germs. Just remove the bedspread.
If you are a smoker, know the smoking policy for the hotel in which you are staying. Many have designated rooms for smokers. You should try your best to book one of these if they are available. A few hotels will charge you in the event that they discover you’ve been smoking in their rooms where it’s prohibited, so abide by the smoking rules.
Be aware of your rights in the event that a hotel “walks” you. The hotel will attempt to foist you to another hotel. Avoid getting “walked” whenever you can, but if you’re going to a different hotel, make sure you get a comparable or better room and the travel to there paid for.
If it’s possible, try not to check out before the departure date you had originally scheduled. The hotel might charge you a fee for early departure. You reserve a room when you book it, so if you leave early they lose money. So, in leaving early you risk being charged a fee for early departure.
Do not give in to the temptation to run off with you when you check out of the hotel.
Don’t let a hotel take advantage of you. This happens when the room you requested is unavailable because of overbooking on the part of the hotel. This means that you’re going to have to go somewhere else. It’s best to avoid this, but if you can’t, be sure you are going to a better hotel and getting a better room.
You can get better hotel rates when you book during peak tourist seasons. Rates are always highest at their peak then. You are more likely to be offered a discounted rate.
Don’t open the bottled water! You may be very thirsty upon arrival. You may get tempted to open a bottle of water that is in the hotel’s mini-fridge. Hotels know this and charge more for bottled water. Some hotels offer free bottles of water in their gyms. The best idea, however, is to bring your own.
You may be able to receive an upgrade without paying a dime. You have a better chance of this if you arrive right at your expected arrival time. If your room isn’t clean yet, you may be offered a better room at no additional charge.
If you want a lower rate for your hotel, avoid booking during the peak tourist season. Rates are at their peak then. Instead, try booking your rooms in the off season because hotels want to have as many rooms filled as possible. You’re going to have a much higher chance of scoring a deal.
Tipping the hotel staff when appropriate is a bit better. For example, room service usually includes the tip; however, the bill for maid service doesn’t. Tipping whill show you appreciate what they do and you will make your stay.
If you must secure a room when you are driving to a location, visit a rest stop in the state you are going to. Pick up a few tourist brochures which should have hotel information and possibly even discounts. This will allow you to book a room with a phone call instead of traveling from hotel to hotel trying to find a room.
Check online websites such as Expedia or Travelocity to help you find good deals. Some sites need you to bid on a room, while others may give you a price and the star rating but not tell you the name until you decide to buy, so watch out for that.
You may find that tipping at a hotel will make your visit more pleasurable. For instance, a tip is usually included in the room service bill, but you must tip the maid yourself. When you tip you, will get more respect and people will like you more, too.
It is customary to tip your housekeeper when checking out of a hotel. You don’t have to tip everyone during your stay, as the bill usually includes extra charges, but your maid should always be tipped. You probably were a little sloppier than you generally are at home anyway, so please leave the room service maid a little bonus.
You should never pay the price posted at a hotel. They call this the “rack rate,” which savvy travelers know not to pay. Hotel staff assume that clients will try to haggle over their room rates. Just call the hotel desk or service number and inquire about getting a deal. Be courageous. Various travel sites offer deep discounts.
Now that you have read this article, you should have a better idea of how to find a great hotel without having to pay through the nose. Once you know what to look for in a hotel, finding a great one is easy. Keep this information in mind during your search.
Ask the hotel clerk for a better deal. They can’t always lower the price, but they may be able to add a few additional perks to improve your stay. You have no way of knowing if you fail to ask.