Booking a hotel room can overwhelm you; there are just too many choices. Research, therefore, is essential. Begin by outlining your price range and a few different requirements you have for your ideal hotel room. Put these tips to use, and you can have the best hotel stay ever.
When booking a hotel, you need to establish what you need and what you would ideally like from your stay. Price is one, but a prime location is another. Amenities that help you choose a hotel are free breakfast, free Wi-Fi, exercise room, pool, and a restaurant on the premises. Look for a hotel that provides you with the amenities that are a priority to you.
Use the closet safe to protect your electronics. You can put your iPad, GPS watch, and other small, costly items into the safe, and then head out for the day with peace of mind about their security.
Make use of the various hotel search websites on the Internet. You will typically find websites that provide deals on certain hotel chains. Hotel search websites also let you see the regular rates of hotels, so you can compare and see whether a supposed deal is really a good one. You can also use them to explore the area around the hotel for recreation.
Look at organizations you’re part of for discounts. Many of them offer hotel discounts to members. People often forget about these discounts, which can be 10% or more. When you’re staying for more than one night, this can add up to a decent savings. After a week has gone by it will add up to a free night almost!
Always look for online deals before booking a hotel room. 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 these discounts. Look at Jetsetter, Enrovia and Hotels.com.
Search online tools for hotels. Any of those types of sites will help you get a great discount. They can provide you with an idea of the average rate charged by each hotel, so you will have a good idea as to whether or not the deal you are being offered is good. Also, hotel search websites can assist you in determining where to vacation and what to do there.
Prior to emptying out your suitcase, carefully look over your room. It should be free of any mildew or mold. Do the plumbing fixtures function properly? Are you given the linens and towels that you’re going to need? This quick check can keep you from discovering a problem later, after you have unpacked and all other good rooms are taken. Tell the front desk immediately.
When can you check in? If you show up too early, you may find yourself sitting around the lobby, waiting for your room to be ready. If you might be arriving before the check-in time, ask the hotel whether it’s okay to come.
Know when check-in time is. If you don’t know when you can check in, you may find your room is not ready when you arrive at your hotel. Call the hotel if you are early and find out if your room is ready.
Think about these three things if you plan to bring a pet with you during your hotel stay. Make sure the hotel is actually pet-friendly. Make sure you bring along plenty of plastic bags to dispose of any pet waste. If you can arrange a corner room, there will be less likelihood of your pet disturbing other guests.
There are some things you have to do before taking your pet on a trip. Make sure it’s a pet-friendly hotel. Also, bring a lot of plastic sacks like ones from the grocery store so you can get your pet’s messes cleaned up. When making your reservation, ask for a room at the end of the hall to spare other guests your pet noise.
If you stay at the same chain of hotels often, look into their membership programs for frequent guests. These are similar to frequent flyer programs, offering points each time you stay at a particular chain. These points can quickly add up to many perks such as a free night, discounts at the hotel restaurants, spa deals and much, much more.
If you wish to include amenities such as massage while staying at a hotel, be sure to make your reservations in advance. The best practitioners go fast, so make your reservation early and book by name where possible.
Environmentally Friendly
The timing of your room booking often determines the price you pay. Availability sets pricing. If you can, make your room reservations only a day in advance. In this way, you will get good rates. The hotel will earn no money at all if the room is empty, which gives you a much better bargaining position.
Going green is a growing trend so it is no surprise that hotels are going green as well. Luckily, you can choose from quite a few green hotels these days. Many newer hotels are environmentally friendly. Older hotels can go green by making environmentally friendly choices in energy use. Speak with a travel agent to see if they can help you pick out hotels that care about the environment.
Be sure to avoid hotel transfer fees by asking about them in advance. Hidden transfer costs can really make a room not worth it. Asking about this beforehand will help to maximize your savings.
What you will be charged for a room, depends on when it’s booked. Rooms prices are based on their availability. If at all possible, do not book your room more than one 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.
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. By joining a membership program, you earn points during every visit. These points can add up to free items over time.
Before you decide to book, always find out if there are any hotel transfer fees so you won’t be surprised on your bill. Hidden transfer costs can really make a room not worth it. You should inquire about this before booking the hotel room.
When you travel, go through AAA to find hotel accommodations easier.` Your AAA membership will pay for itself right away in hotel and car rental discounts and availability. Parents with young children will appreciate the complimentary car set offered in some locations.
If you do a great deal of traveling, consider joining hotel chain loyalty programs. The more points you get, the more free stays you can use for vacations.
Don’t make long distance calls on your hotel phone. Use 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 people back home by using this instead of making expensive long distance calls from your hotel phone.
If you are searching a hotel for bed bugs, you should check the bathroom first. This is usually one of the few places you won’t see any. This makes it an ideal spot to put your luggage as you check out the rest of your room for bedbugs. Kids and pets can stay there as well.
If you wish to have happy kids while you’re on the road, be sure you call a hotel to see if they have a working pool at the time. It can be extremely frustrating if you arrive at your hotel only to find out the pool is shut down for maintenance.
Check out the hotel’s pet policy. If you fear pets or have allergies it would be best if you make reservations at hotels that have a strict no pets policy. The smells tend to stick around. Some hotels are pet-friendly and don’t charge for it, while other hotels will add a hefty fee for keeping a pet. Depending on what hotel you choose, the fee charged might or might not cover any extra cleaning required.
Determine what the policy on smoking is if you smoke. Some have rooms for smokers. If you smoke, you should make a specific reservation for this type of room. 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.
Remember, that early check-ins are a rarity in most hotels. You need to plan appropriately to avoid waiting in the lobby all day. Hotels usually need to get the room cleaned and ready before you check in. Check with the front desk if you arrive early, but do not be angry if they can’t get you in early.
You should always be aware whether or not the hotel allows pets. If you’re terrified pets or are allergic to them, it may be best to make reservations at hotels that have a strict no pets policy. Hotel floors and linens can glean unpleasant odors from pets. You may get charged extra for having a pet, but a lot of places don’t charge all that much. It might not cover deep cleaning.
As shown above, there are many ways to ensure you get the right hotel room at a price that fits your budget. Therefore, the next time you are planning a trip, do some research and apply what you learned here. Your reward will be a comfortable yet affordable stay, which, in turn, will you make you a happy person.
If a crib or a rollaway bed is necessary for your stay, let your booking agent know. Some hotels do not provide these things, and the ones that do usually have limited quantities. They may charge extra for this. Talk about your needs when you reserve a spot so you don’t get surprised with something you won’t like.