You know where you are headed. Your flight has been reserved. Now, you need to make a hotel reservation. What is the best way to find a good hotel that is not too pricy? This is the article for you. These tips will help you to make an excellent choice.
Put your electronics into the room’s safe. Place your iPad, GPS and other small electronics in the safe when you are not in your room.
Prior to booking a hotel, refer to TripAdvisor and similar online travel review sites. Reviews allow you to read about recent experiences at a hotel. You can make a wise choice when you know what others think about a hotel.
Take a look into organizations you are part of. Some of them may provide discounts on hotel stays. The discounts could be 10% or even higher! This can result in significant savings, especially for longer stays. Over the course of a week it’s nearly a free night!
Consider ordering room service if you want a special meal without needing to go out. This service comes at a premium, but you can stay comfortable in your room while enjoying you eats.
Use online hotel search tools. 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. They also can show you the average hotel rates, letting you see whether the deal is good or bad. They also help you decide the dates for your vacation and the activities you’ll want to partake of.
When you get to your hotel room, look over the room before unpacking. Your room should definitely be neat and should not have any odd smells, suspicious stains or mildew. Does the plumbing work right? Do you have all the towels and linens you need? If you spot any problems, make the front desk aware immediately so they can take care of it or move you to a room that meets your needs.
Don’t book a hotel room without looking for online deals. In a lot of cases, the person booking your room isn’t going to tell you about online discounts. It is your responsibility to find any available discounts. Check out websites such as Jetsetter, RueLaLaTravel, and SniqueAway.
There are some things you have to do before taking your pet on a trip. Check to see if the hotel actually permits pets. Additionally, bring along a few plastic bags suitable for cleaning up after your animal. If you can arrange a corner room, there will be less likelihood of your pet disturbing other guests.
Don’t unpack upon arrival without checking your hotel room first. Make sure the room is entirely clean and free from any mildew or mold. Do the toilet, sink and shower work properly? Are you given the linens and towels that you’re going to need? 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.
If you want a nice massage for you and your loved one, book that as early as possible. Most of the time, the most reputable masseuses will be booked, so plan early in order to have the most enjoyable experience.
Never assume that all hotels are pet-friendly. Call ahead to their service desk and make sure, even if their website listing says they are. Ask about their pet policy. Many hotels have restrictions on the breed and size of pet allowed on the premises.
If you belong to AAA, see what kinds of discounts the hotel offers. You may not know that your membership to the auto club includes discounts on hotels. You can save upwards of 5% on your hotel stays. Those discounts add up to great savings, especially if you will be having an extended stay.
If you’re interested in the massage services of a hotel you intend to stay at, reserve your appointment ahead of time. Experience a truly special moment with a top masseur or masseuse by asking for your appointment well in advance.
If you are a runner, be sure to bring your running clothes and shoes. When you wake up in the morning, throw on your gear and head out for a morning jog. Running in a city allows you to see things other travelers miss.
Bring your running clothes with you on your trip. In this way, you can simply suit up and enjoy your workout as usual while on the road. Whether you are running on roads or city streets, you will gain more knowledge about the city you are visiting while you run.
Do you travel a lot? Consider using a hotel loyalty program. They have benefits for those who frequently stay at a hotel. You might receive an upgrade at no cost or be allowed to check out later than others with your points.
If you travel often, consider signing up for a loyalty program with your favorite hotel chain. They offer benefits to people that stay at the same chain quite often. It is possible to earn perks such as free stays, extended check out times and other upgrades.
Membership Programs
If you stay in a particular hotel chain, ask about their membership program. These hotel programs give you points for each stay. With enough points you can get free rooms in the future. They may also offer discounts for shows, restaurants and other things.
If you often frequent the same hotel chains, look into their frequent stay membership programs. Many hotels offer membership programs that allow you to earn points for each of your stays. These points add up to restaurant discounts, free nights, tickets to a show, spa treatments, and more.
Choose a green vacation if you care for the environment. These are much more common today than they were in the past. Many newer hotels are environmentally friendly. Some of the older hotels do implement green practices to be sure they are eco-friendly. Request the help of the travel agent in identifying hotels that are environmentally friendly.
People who care about the environment may be more comfortable staying in a hotel that is eco-friendly. Fortunately, there are many green hotels available nowadays. Newer hotels are often certified green and designed and built using green standards. Also, older hotels often make several changes to become eco-friendly. Ask your travel agent to help you identify environmentally friendly hotels.
Consider joining a membership program if you travel often. This allows you to get more points with each stay that you can convert into free rooms and other benefits on your next family vacation.
The timing of your room booking often determines the price you pay. The prices are based partly on availability. If you can, make your room reservations only a day in advance. You can often get the best price if you do it this way. Hotels don’t earn money on empty rooms, so they are often willing to reduce the price.
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. Many car rental agencies add perks, such as a child car seat at no charge, for AAA members.
In order to avoid any surprise charges, inquire about hotel transfers prior to booking. If the rooms are cheap, the transfer could ruin the deal. Asking about this beforehand will help to maximize your savings.
Don’t make long distance calls on your hotel phone. Rather, use a web tool. A lot of hotels offer Skype connections over Wi-Fi. You can stay connected with friends, family and business colleagues this way, rather than making expensive long distance calls.
To get optimal value from a hotel stay, especially if you find yourself traveling a lot for your business, sign up for membership programs such as those offered by Marriott or Choice Hotels. You will build up points with that hotel for added benefits. It works a lot like frequent flier miles do for airlines.
If you are traveling with children, be sure the hotels you book have clean swimming pools that are up and running. There aren’t many things that are as frustrating as going to your hotel with kids that really want to swim only to see that it has been closed.
Being a member of AAA makes travel very easy. If you do a lot of traveling, the AAA membership can pay for itself, and you can also get deals on rental cars. They even throw in free car seats at most locations if you’re a parent.
Don’t drink the water! You may feel a bit parched shortly after checking in. You might feel the urge to untwist the cap on the bottled water sitting in the mini-fridge. Hotels are well aware of this, and the bottled water they provide is far more costly than it is elsewhere. Some hotels offer free bottles of water in their gyms. Or, just bring some of your own from home.
The bathroom is the first place to go when checking for bed bugs in your hotel room. This is where you are least likely to find bedbugs. That means your luggage will be safe there while you check out the other areas of the room. It is also the safest place for children and pets, too.
Don’t decide you need new linens as you are sitting in your hotel room. As soft and luxurious as they are, the housekeepers will likely notice that things are missing, and you might get a bill from the hotel for them. It is sometimes possible to buy linens or pillows from the hotel if you want them so badly.
A great hotel is a huge part of the vacation experience. If a hotel is terrible, it can make your trip go bad. Don’t allow this to get in your way. Use the tips in the article to help you find the right hotel with the amenities that you want.
Save money by booking your flight and hotel together. Check travel websites to see if you qualify for these savings. To get the most from this service, compare rates of several different hotels and airlines.