
Finding the right hotel can make or break your travel or vacation. A costly hotel room means you can’t afford other “extras” on the trip, for instance. Read on to find out how to find an affordable place to stay with great accommodations.
You can find good deals on hotel rooms using online travel sites. Join the loyalty program for any hotel chain that you love and believe you’ll stay with often. Find out if you can get a discount for being an AAA or AARP member, too.
Prior to reserving a room at a hotel, look on the Internet for reviews. One great site is TripAdvisor. Here, you can read what people had to say about their hotel stay. What people say about a hotel can help you figure out where you should be staying.
It’s important to make sure that your valuables are safe during a hotel stay, so make use of the room’s safe. Put all of your valuables and small electronics into the safe, such as your jewelry and iPad. They’ll be safe in there and you can leave the hotel room without worry.
To enjoy a late-night meal with that special someone without having to leave the comfort of your hotel room, think about ordering some room service. Although you’ll probably pay more, it is worth being able to comfortably dine in the room while in pajamas.
Double-check your organizational memberships. Some of these organizations will offer you discounts on hotel prices. These discounts are often forgotten about, and they can provide significant savings. This can lead to a great amount of money saved, especially for those spending multiple nights at the hotel. If you stay for a week, these discounts will almost add up for a free night.
Take advantage of the safe you have in your room, especially if you have electronics with you. You can place your costly items that are small into their safe, and then you won’t have to worry about these things as you go out.
Never book a hotel room before seeking out online deals. It’s not uncommon for a hotel employee to not mention to you that it is possible to receive a great discount online. It is your responsibility to scour the Internet for these savings. Check out websites such as Jetsetter, RueLaLaTravel, and SniqueAway.
Consider the benefits of any organization memberships you have. Some groups provide members with discounts on certain hotels. Many people forget to do this and miss out on saving a sizable amount of money. This is a good discount that only gets better the longer you stay in a hotel. If you are staying for a week, you can pay for a whole night’s lodging with these discounts.
Ask when you’re able to check into the room. Many people show up before check-in time only to find out their room isn’t ready. If you might arrive prior to check-in time, try calling the hotel and seeing if the room is available.
There are many different things to consider as you search for a hotel to stay in. Price is one factor, however you may also need your hotel to be close to a particular destination. Amenities like a swimming pool, a gym, free local calls or breakfast, and other amenities may be things that you prefer. Try to get yourself a hotel with what you need in it when possible.
If you go out to travel quite a bit, it’s good to get signed up for a hotel’s loyalty program. They give people benefits if they go to that chain often. Rewards can include free hotel stays, upgrades and late check-out times if you save up enough points.
Deals Online
If you often stay at a certain type of hotel, ask about the “frequent stay” program. These are similar to frequent flyer programs. They allow you to accrue points during your hotel stay. These points can be used to earn free nights, discounts and more.
Search for hotel deals online. The hotel representative is unlikely to inform you there are better deals online. You will have to learn how to find these great discounts yourself. Check websites like Hotwire.com, Kayak.com and Priceline.com for great discounts.
Environmentalists can now enjoy a green vacation. Luckily, many hotels are around these days for you to choose from. There are plenty of hotels built today with strong environmental standards. Also, older hotels often make several changes to become eco-friendly. Check online or ask a travel agent for help.
Verify the check-in time at the hotel. If you are early, your room may not be ready. Ask for an early check-in time if absolutely necessary.
Make sure you know hotel transfer costs prior to booking a hotel room in order to avoid a large unexpected cost. If the room is the bargain, then an expensive transfer can ruin the whole savings. Getting this information ahead of time will maximize your savings.
If you’re taking a pet to the hotel, do some things beforehand. First, find out if the hotel allows pets. Make sure you have some plastic bags to get rid of pet messes. When you make your reservation, request accommodations near the very end of the floor in order to not disturb other guests.
If you are traveling with kids, make sure the hotel you book has a working pool. 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.
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 will let you save 5% or so on hotels that are around the nation. The savings can really add up if you’re staying multiple nights.
If you are concerned about bed bugs, look in the bathroom first. This is probably not where you will find bedbugs. That makes the bathroom the safest place to keep the luggage while you look through the remainder of the accommodations. It’s safe for pets and kids too.
If you want to get your daily runs in while on vacation, make sure to bring your running gear with you. If you want to jog early in the morning, don your gear and then go for it. Even if your route takes you through the street of a city, at least you will get a glimpse of the area you are visiting.
Ask if your possible hotel reservation is either smoking or non. If you aren’t a smoker, then you want to avoid smoking rooms and maybe even smoking hotels in general, but most hotel chains do have smoking and non-smoking rooms. Even if you book a non-smoking room, smoke can enter your room through air vents. Sometimes a smoker will get a non smoking room and still smoke in it. Choose a non-smoking hotel to a smoke smell on your clothes.
Clearly, if you stay at a hotel you want to get value for your dollar. After all, you could use that money elsewhere. Use the advice here to locate a comfortable and affordable hotel. Any time you’re making serious travel arrangements, just refer back to these tips for some guidance.
Do you smoke? If so, it is important that you are aware of a hotel’s smoking policy in advance. Some have smoking rooms. If they do, ask for this type of room. Don’t smoke in a nonsmoking room, or you may be charged by the hotel for doing so.