Have you made mistakes in the past when trying to book a hotel room? Have you ended up with a sub-par room or paid too much? Staying at a lousy hotel can destroy your vacation. You don’t have the budget for luxurious accommodations, though. For advice to find a good hotel for a price that’s right, this article can help.
You can find good deals on hotel rooms using online travel sites. If you are a member of a particular hotel’s loyalty program, remember to include that information when you are checking on rates. Some organizations like AAA and AARP offer lodging discounts for a variety of hotel chains.
Make sure you check out online review websites prior to making a reservation for a hotel. This gives you first-hand accounts of people’s experiences in each hotel. Consider what they say to help you make your decision.
Consider the benefits of any organization memberships you have. Many clubs, groups and organizations are able to get members discounted hotel rates. These discounts are often neglected; however, they can save you upwards of ten percent. This is a good discount that only gets better the longer you stay in a hotel. After a week has gone by it will add up to a free night almost!
Online travel websites can offer you a great deal on hotels with lots of choices, all on the same website. Are you a member of a certain hotel’s membership program? If so, make sure you put this information into the travel site. Additionally, there may be other price breaks for you through various organizations, like AAA or other exclusive clubs.
You can get better deals on hotel rooms if you book several weeks or months ahead. If you chose to book a month or even two ahead of your arrival date, you can get great discounts. Even some elite chains will offer discounts as much as half off.
When leaving your hotel room, keep any electronics you have secure by putting them in the room’s safe. Place your iPad, GPS and other small electronics in the safe when you are not in your room.
If you’re taking your pet with you, do these things in advance. Be sure that this hotel will be friendly to pets. Also, bring a lot of plastic sacks like ones from the grocery store so you can get your pet’s messes cleaned up. Be kind to other hotel guests by requesting a room that is as far away from other guests as possible, so they won’t be disturbed by any noise your pet may make.
Check the organizations that you’re a member of. Some of these organizations will offer you discounts on hotel prices. People don’t always remember to check out these discounts, which can often be 10% and higher. If your stay will be for multiple nights, these discounts can save you lots of money. Within a week’s time, you are basically getting a free night’s stay.
If you belong to AAA, see what kinds of discounts the hotel offers. Many people are surprised to see hotel discounts included with their auto club membership. It’s possible you could save 5 percent or higher on hotels across the United States. This can add up in time!
Figuring out which hotel you want to book isn’t an easy process. You should look at the price, but you should also look at the location that is most convenient for what you want to do. You may want free WiFi access, a convenient location, free long distance or a nice pool or gym. Look for a hotel that gives you a lot of the things you are looking for.
Always remember to pack running clothes and any thing else you need for exercising while on your trip. If you want to jog early in the morning, don your gear and then go for it. Running not only provides you with great exercise, but it also helps you better learn the city in which you are residing.
Use online hotel search tools. Some websites are designed to help you find the best deals. They can also provide you with the average rate for a room at a particular hotel, so you can see if your offer is really a good deal. 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 go out to travel quite a bit, it’s good to get signed up for a hotel’s loyalty program. They offer rewards to guests who book the same hotel chain frequently. You can earn things like free upgrades, complimentary late check-out times and free stays if you accrue enough loyalty points.
Checking online is the best way to find a good price and get the information that you need about hotels. You might not learn from the person on the phone that you can actually get great discounts over the Internet, instead. It is your responsibility to find these discounts. Check out websites such as Jetsetter, RueLaLaTravel, and SniqueAway.
The cost of your hotel room largely depends on the dates on which you plan to stay there. Hotels give rooms a price based on what’s available. If possible, try to book your room 24 hours or less in advance. This will get you the very best rate on your hotel room. This is because the hotel will want to book rooms that are currently empty.
Inspect the room before unpacking. Is it tidy and sanitary? Do the plumbing fixtures function properly? Make sure you have the linens, bath supplies and towels that you will need. Call the front desk if you find any issues; they can either fix the problem or give you a different room.
Consider joining a membership program if you travel often. This allows you to earn points each time you book a room. You can use these points to purchase perks in the future.
You should always start planning any serious trip months or weeks ahead of time. This will help you book early and get the best prices. You can get some great discounts if your trip is booked several months into the future. You may even be able to cut the price down by half!
You can get great hotel discounts by becoming a member of AAA. Members of AAA get discounts at lots of hotel chains which more than makes up the membership to AAA, plus it is easier to rent a car anywhere you go. In addition, parents may enjoy the benefit of having free car seats provided.
Be sure to follow your fitness regimen while staying in a hotel by packing your workout clothes and any other equipment you may need. When you wake up in the morning, throw on your gear and head out for a morning jog. No matter if you’re on city streets or down some roads, you can easily learn new things about a city doing this.
If you want to ensure happy kids while traveling, call the hotel ahead of time to check that the pools are open and in working order. There is nothing worse than arriving at your destination anxiously looking forward to splashing around in the pool, only to find that it is closed.
Green Hotels
When you first arrive, inspect your hotel room’s bathroom. You probably won’t find any in there. You can leave your bags there while you investigate the remainder of the room for bedbugs. It’s safe for pets and kids too.
You may wish to consider a “green” vacation if the environment is one of your concerns. Luckily, you can choose from quite a few green hotels these days. Many new hotels are certified as green hotels. Many older hotels will still be environmentally aware by utilizing some eco-friendly practices. Your travel agent can help to identify the environmentally friendly hotels.
Always ask about the hotel’s smoking policy if you smoke. Some have smoking rooms. You should try your best to book one of these if they are available. Some hotels charge a hefty penalty if they find any evidence that you were smoking in a non-smoking room, so be sure to adhere to the hotel’s rules with regard to smoking.
Membership programs offered by hotel chains help members who travel a lot get the best rooms during their stay. This allows you to earn points each time you book a room. You can use these points to purchase perks in the future.
Review the pet policy at the hotel. If you fear or are allergic to pets, you might want to avoid pet-friendly hotels. Pet odor lingers. Many hotels charge a fee for staying with a pet, but it might not be a lot. The fee may cover the extra cleaning or it may not, it all depends on the hotel in question.
Don’t call long distance in your hotel room. Make use of the Internet, instead. A lot of hotels offer wi-fi, making it possible for you to use Skype. This will help you converse with those back home without racking up a lofty bill.
Don’t open the bottled water! You are very likely to be tired and thirsty when finally arriving to a hotel. The bottled water inside the mini fridge may tempt you. Hotels know this very well, and that bottled water is exponentially more expensive than it should be. Check out the gym instead; they may have free water. Or better yet, bring a few of your own bottles.
Your children will be happy when you call the hotel to make sure their pool is open and working. You don’t want to get there, only to disappoint your children when you find out the pool is closed.
Do not give in to the temptation to run off with hotel towels or sheets. Housekeeping keeps track of linens. If you really are in love with their linens, see if that hotel is willing to sell them to you.
Start looking in the bathroom when checking for bed bugs in a hotel. You probably won’t find any bedbugs in the bathroom. That is what makes it the best place to start. You can store your luggage there and search the rest of your room for those bedbugs. It’s also a safe spot for kids and pets to sit for a bit too.
You can often save money if you book your flight and hotel at the same time. You may be able to save a lot of money by booking both from the same place. Compare quotes between hotels and airlines.
Ascertain whether or not the hotel you plan to stay at allows smoking. If you are a non-smoker, you will enjoy a non-smoking room more. While you can book a non-smoking room, smoke can infiltrate your room and settle into your clothing. You may find that a smoker has been in your non-smoking room before you and ignored the rules. If you are a non-smoker, be sure to request a non-smoking room in a non-smoking area of the hotel or you can find a hotel that is completely smoke free.
There are some good strategies for getting a free room upgrade. You can be sure of this by being on time to accept your hotel booking. A lot of the times your room may not be ready yet so they’ll give you a deal on a different room that’s better for free.
Now that you are done with this article, you know how to book a great hotel room. When you know where to look, finding deals on hotel reservations is a snap. Just keep the advice of this article in mind.
When booking a room while you’re traveling, look for brochures, maps and other things that can help you. This will give you the opportunity to call for a room, instead of driving around for hours trying to get the best deal.