How To Get The Best Deal On A Hotel Room

Have you ever heard someone mention that their vacation would have been great if only their hotel accommodations had been great, too? The comfort of your accommodations adds a great deal to the enjoyment of your vacation. Therefore, it is crucial that you select the best hotel for your needs and budget. Read on to find some helpful tips.

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. You may also be able to get good discounts due to AAA or AARP membership.

TIP! You can find good deals on hotel rooms using online travel sites. Are you a member of a certain hotel’s membership program? If so, make sure you put this information into the travel site.

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 sites will allow you to see previous guests’ experiences at the hotels you are considering. These reviews can aid you in your decision about whether to book the hotel.

You can enjoy a romantic dinner in your room by calling room service. While it may cost more, it is more convenient to remain in your room while satisfying your hunger.

TIP! Get room service if you don’t want to leave. While you’re likely to pay a little more, it’s worth having the convenience of staying in your room (and in your pajamas) while you wait to satisfy those nocturnal cravings.

Take advantage of the safe you have in your room, especially if you have electronics with you. Your small electronic devices can be left in the safe when you are out, so you will not have to worry about them.

Checking online is the best way to find a good price and get the information that you need about hotels. The hotel representative is unlikely to inform you there are better deals online. That’s why it’s always your duty to search the web for better deals whenever you are booking a hotel room. Check out websites such as Jetsetter, RueLaLaTravel, and SniqueAway.

TIP! Always see if you can find deals online when you’re thinking of getting a hotel room. Hotels don’t usually advertise their lowest rates, so you may have to ask.

Always check the room before you begin to unpack your belongings. Is the room clean? Do the sink, shower and toilet work properly? Do you have an adequate number of towels? If you have any questions or notice any problems with the room, immediately call the front desk and report them so that they may be handled. You may also asked to be transferred to a new room if the problem is serious, such as mold or mildew.

Prior to emptying out your suitcase, carefully look over your room. It should be free of any mildew or mold. Does everything work? Count how many linens and towels you were given and make sure there are enough for everyone traveling with you. If you find obvious problems, notify the front desk right away so the hotel can correct the problems or they can assign a different room.

TIP! Don’t unpack upon arrival without checking your hotel room first. Is it without mildew and mold? Do the plumbing fixtures function properly? Are linens and towels in ample supply? 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.

Know the hotel’s check-in time. If you don’t know when you can check in, you may find your room is not ready when you arrive at your hotel. Therefore, if you anticipate arriving early, call the hotel in advance and see if it is possible to check in early.

If you’re taking your pet with you, do these things in advance. First, ensure that the hotel actually allows pets. Bring along lots of plastic bags for clean ups. Ask for a corner room so that your pets’ noise doesn’t bother anyone else.

TIP! Taking a pet on a trip requires some extra responsibility. Make sure the hotel is actually pet-friendly.

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. You might even be able to save up to 50 percent off at some very exclusive hotels.

If you’re a member of the AAA, you should see what your hotel membership discount will be. It may surprise you that AAA gives hotel discounts, but most of them do. You can save five percent or more on certain hotels. The savings can really add up nightly.

TIP! If you belong to the AAA, see what kinds of discounts the hotel offers. Are you aware that the auto club you belong to may offer you excellent hotel discounts? You may be able to save upwards of five percent at hotels nationwide.

If you wish to include amenities such as massage while staying at a hotel, be sure to make your reservations in advance. The best professionals are often in high demand, so get in while you can.

How much you pay for a hotel room depends on when you book your room. Availability dictates the prices of hotel rooms. Try booking your hotel room within 24 hours of your stay. This will get you a great price on your room. They’ll lower the price to fill the room.

TIP! The timing of your room booking often determines the price you pay. Hotels price rooms based on availability.

One of the best bonuses of a AAA membership is great discounts on booking a hotel. Are you aware that the auto club you belong to may offer you excellent hotel discounts? You may save 5% or even more on nationwide hotels. It really is a savings that adds up over time.

If you must make a hotel transfer, find out about the fees. It is not uncommon to find that greatly discounted bookings may have a hidden cost for the transfer. If you know this upfront, you can save more money.

TIP! Make sure you know hotel transfer costs prior to booking a hotel room in order to avoid a large unexpected cost. Particularly if you are getting a discount, the fee associated with the transfer may be high.

If you are always staying at the same chain, find out about the programs they offer to frequent guests. These hotel programs give you points for each stay. These points add up to restaurant discounts, free nights, tickets to a show, spa treatments, and more.

Sign up as an AAA member to make hotel arrangements easier when you are traveling. Members of AAA receive many travel benefits including reduced hotel rates and lower car rental rates. Those who have small children will be pleased to find car seats available for free.

TIP! Being a member of AAA makes travel very easy. AAA members get good hotel discounts and can also find good car rental rates much more easily.

The amount you pay for the hotel room is determined by when you book it. Rooms are typically priced according to availability. Book your room more the day before you need it if you can. In this way, you will get good rates. A room that’s empty loses money for the hotel; so, they usually cut the price.

Steer clear of long distance calls while in a hotel. Try using the Internet, instead. A lot of hotels offer Skype connections over Wi-Fi. Take advantage of these options to keep in touch with family, friends and coworkers rather than incurring high costs by using the hotel’s phone system.

TIP! Try to avoid long distance calling in hotel rooms. Utilize the Internet, instead.

Maximize your hotel stays with membership programs like the ones that Marriott or Choice Hotels offer. By joining a membership program, you earn points during every visit. These points can add up to free items over time.

Start by inspecting the hotel bathroom if you need to make sure there are no bed bugs. You probably won’t find any in there. This is why you should keep your luggage in there while you go on a search for bedbugs. It’s also safe for pets and kids this way.

TIP! Start by inspecting the hotel bathroom if you need to make sure there are no bed bugs. This is where you won’t find them.

Distance Calls

See if the hotel is non-smoking or smoking. If you’re not a smoker, a smoking room may be unappealing. You could still get a non-smoking room, but smoke can flow through the air and settle on your clothes. Even if a room is designated as nonsmoking, sometimes people smoke in there anyway. To be sure you don’t absorb cigarette smoke, think about staying at a nonsmoking hotel.

TIP! See if the hotel is non-smoking or smoking. If you are a nonsmoker, you may want to avoid hotels that offer smoking rooms.

Don’t make any long distance calls from your hotel room. Try using the Internet, instead. Some hotels now provide Skype via Wi-Fi. This is much cheaper than paying for a bunch of long distance calls from your hotel room.

One should always be aware of the hotel’s policy on pets. People who are allergic to pets obviously want to avoid pet-friendly hotels. Usually, hotels that do allow pets will have a strong odor coming from the linens as well as the carpeting. Depending on the hotel, you may be expected to pay extra for keeping a pet, but it isn’t usually a large sum. The fee may cover totally or partially the cost of the extra cleaning involved.

TIP! Find out how the hotel handles pets. If you are afraid of pets or have allergies to them, you should probably avoid booking at pet friendly hotels.

Figure out if you want a hotel you can or cannot smoke in. If you are not a smoker, you probably want to avoid staying in a smoking room. You may be able to ask for a non-smoking room, however smoke can still travel through the air, settling on your clothing. There are times when smokers end up staying in non-smoking rooms, and smoking in them. Choose a non-smoking hotel to avoid the stench.

It is not always possible to check-in early. Plan accordingly or you will find yourself waiting a long time to access your room. Usually, hotels have your room cleaned prior to check-in time. If you are early, don’t expect miracles.

TIP! In most cases, an early check-in just isn’t possible. Plan for this, or you may risk waiting in the hotel lobby for an hour or more.

If you smoke, be sure you’re aware of what the hotel thinks of smoking where you’re staying. Hotels normally have rooms set aside for smokers. If the hotel has one, ask for this kind of room. 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 will need a crib or rollaway, be sure to specify this fact when you make your reservation. Some hotels do not have these items, and most have limited quantities. Some hotels will include an additional fee if you want to rent these items during your stay. You should discuss this with the hotel agent prior to booking so that you do not have an unexpected charge to your bill.

TIP! If you need a crib, ask for it as you reserve the room. Hotels don’t typically have a lot of these, so be sure to ask in advance.

Review the pet policy at the hotel. If you fear pets or have allergies it may be best to make reservations at hotels that have a strict no pets policy. These hotels may also have an odor due to the smells sinking in the floor and linens. Extra fees are sometimes imposed by hotels for guests who bring pets, but sometimes the fee is not too high. The fee may be for any cleaning that needs to be done.

If you are particular about cleanliness, you probably shouldn’t use the hotel bedspread. The top bedspread usually isn’t cleaned as often as the sheets or blankets underneath. This means they may be a hotbed of germs. Remove the blanket and sleep in peace.

TIP! No matter how clean your hotel seems, never use the hotel bedspread for sleeping. The bedspread is one item that does not usually get washed between bookings.

Checking in early may not be available. You need to plan appropriately to avoid waiting in the lobby all day. Before you can enjoy your room, hotels need to clean the room properly. You can inquire about checking in early, but do not expect that you’re going to be able to do it.

Stay away from the bottled water! When you get checked in you might feel thirsty and a little tired. This could tempt you to open the water that is in the mini-fridge or on the desk. Hotels know this very well, and that bottled water is exponentially more expensive than it should be. You might be able to get a bottle of water for free in the gym. Plan ahead and bring your own bottled water.

TIP! Do not open that bottled water! Sure, you’re thirsty and hot. As a result, that bottle of water on the little fridge may look very good to you.

Don’t drink the bottled water you’ll find in your hotel room. After you check-in you may feel tired and thirsty. You might feel the urge to untwist the cap on the bottled water sitting in the mini-fridge. The hotel knows your cravings and has priced that bottle of water sky high. Sometimes the gym in the hotel will give you free bottled water. Nonetheless, it is better to bring along a water filtration pitcher and reusable water bottle and filter your own water.

Your stay at your desired hotel will be much more enjoyable when you tip appropriately. Your room service is typically already tipped through billing, but the maids aren’t. This keeps the staff happy, which in turn will help you to have a more pleasant stay.

TIP! You hotel stay might be more pleasant if you tip when appropriate. While some services, such as room service, are included in the bill, maid services deserve a tip outside of the bill.

You can get great hotel rooms on a tight budget when you know what it is to look for. This article has provided some helpful tips in the approach to finding the perfect hotel. You don’t have to pay an exorbitant price. Try to remember everything you’ve read in this article and you’ll get a better deal when you’re shopping for a hotel room.

Don’t pay the rate advertised. That is called the “rack rate” and savvy travelers never pay that much. Most hotels expect some haggling. Call the hotel you want to stay at and ask about deals. Be bold. Visit travel websites to enjoy some excellent discount rates.

TIP! Never let a hotel charge you the advertised rates. They call this the “rack rate,” which most travelers know not to pay.