
Have you had friends that loved their vacation, except for the hotel? 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 learn how.
When checking for good prices at hotels, refer to online travel sites like Orbitz and Expedia. As you check your rates, don’t forget to include that you’re a loyalty program member. Don’t neglect to check for other discounts in which you may qualify, including AAA and AARP.
Room service is great for late meals. The cost will be a bit higher, but not having to dress up and go out will be worth it.
Room service is great for late meals. This will cost you a little extra, but the convenience it provides is worth it.
When booking a hotel, you need to establish what you need and what you would ideally like from your stay. Price is one factor, however you may also need your hotel to be close to a particular destination. Other amenities, such as a swimming pool, an onsite restaurant and free continental breakfast are important to travelers. Shop around for a hotel that has the features that are most important to you.
If you have a safe in your closet, then you should use it to keep your valuables safe while you are outside of the room. You can stash your expensive electronics and jewelry in the safe and go about your day without worry.
Search for hotel deals online. Often, the person booking your room won’t tell you about discounts available online. So, it’s up personally to you to go searching for such discounts. Websites like TripAdvisor, Expedia, and Jetsetter always have promising bargains for certain hotels that you won’t find anywhere else for a better price.
If you have a AAA membership, look into hotel discounts included. It might be surprising to learn that some auto club memberships include hotel discounts. You can save five percent or more on certain hotels. This can add up in time!
Know the hotel’s check-in time. Many hotel guests will forget their check-in time; therefore, they will arrive at the hotel just to discover that they cannot check in yet. If you’re going to come to the hotel before you should be checking in, call them first to see if there’s anything they can do for you.
If you want to keep up the running regimen you have while traveling you should get your GPS watch packed with some running clothes. Go for a run when you wake up in the morning. When you go running in a new city, you will get a free tour, up-close and personal.
If you want to get a low rate at your hotel, start planning early for your vacation. If you book one or two months in advance, you can often receive a discount. This way, you can save as much as 50 percent even with the most elite brands.
If you stay at the same chain of hotels often, look into their membership programs for frequent guests. These hotel programs give you points for each stay. You can accumulate points that you can redeem for free hotel stays, discounts at restaurants, and all types of entertainment.
If you are an avid jogger, a GPS watch is a great investment so you can always find your way back to your hotel. Also, don’t forget your exercise clothes! If you want to jog early in the morning, don your gear and then go for it. Even jogging on pavement and alongside city avenues can provide you new perspective of any city that you visit.
The time you book the room will change how much you’ll pay. Hotels give rooms a price based on what’s available. Whenever you can, maker your room reservation no more than a day ahead of time. This gives you the best prices in reserving hotel rooms. This is because the hotel will want to book rooms that are currently empty.
Loyalty Programs
Discuss what a hotel transfer will cost you prior to actually booking anything. If you’re getting what appears to be a nice deal on the room, these types of hidden charges can sometimes surface. Inquire before you book, so you aren’t hit with an unexpected price increase.
If you are a person who travels often, it is a good idea to sign up for hotel loyalty programs. Loyalty programs provide frequent guests benefits for booking with them on a regular basis. You can often earn free upgrades, free stays, and complimentary late check out with enough points accrued.
In order to enhance your hotel visits, especially when traveling for work, you should consider joining membership programs that hotels provide. Examples include membership programs provided by Marriott or Choice Hotels. The more points you get, the more free stays you can use for vacations.
To keep from having an unwanted major expense on your hotel bill, ask about the cost of hotel transfers before booking them. Hidden transfer costs can really make a room not worth it. Inquiring in advance will mean more savings for you.
A membership in AAA can make booking a hotel easier when you travel. 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.

Being a member of AAA can save you money on hotels. AAA members get good hotel discounts and can also find good car rental rates much more easily. Parents of younger children are likely to enjoy the free car seat provided in many locations.
Don’t make long distance calls on your hotel phone. Instead, use the Internet. You’ll often find hotels have free Wi-Fi, which allows for Skype calling long distance numbers for free. This will help you converse with those back home without racking up a lofty bill.
If you are planning on staying in a hotel room with your children, make sure you call the hotel in advance to ensure they provide a working pool or some other fun activities for your children to do. You don’t want to get there, only to disappoint your children when you find out the pool is closed.
If you’re traveling with kids, be sure that you check on the pools to ensure they’re open and in service. Your kids and you will be very frustrated if the pool at your hotel is closed because of repairs when you arrive.
Start by inspecting the hotel bathroom if you need to make sure there are no bed bugs. This room is usually free from bugs. That makes the bathroom the safest place to keep the luggage while you look through the remainder of the accommodations. Kids and pets can stay there as well.
If you are inspecting a room for bed bugs, then the bathroom is the best place to start. Bedbugs are rarely seen in this room. It makes a safe place to keep your luggage when looking for bedbugs elsewhere in the room. It is usually a convenient place for young children to sit for a moment too.
Before making a hotel reservation, learn the hotel’s policy on smoking. If you’re not a smoker, a smoking room may be unappealing. Even if you stipulate that your room should be non-smoking, second hand smoke can still enter your room. There are even cases where people are smoking in non-smoking rooms before you arrive. To avoid cigarette odors entirely, opt for a non-smoking hotel.
Always ask about the hotel’s smoking policy if you smoke. Many hotels still offer smoking rooms. If this is the case, then you shouldn’t be shy when asking for this type of room. Some hotels will levy a large fine if they can determine that you smoked in a room where smoking was not allowed, so make sure you understand and follow the hotel’s smoking policy.
Always review the policy of whether or not the hotel allows pets. When you are scared of animals or allergic, you won’t want to stay at pet-friendly hotels. Rooms that allow pets may also have the odor of animals. This can be in the linens and carpet. Some hotels may charge you extra for pets, and some may not charge at all, or the fees are lower. Some hotels use the paid fees to clean the hotel more thoroughly.
In most cases, checking into a hotel room ahead of schedule isn’t possible. Plan to arrive at the proper check-in time so you don’t find yourself wandering around the hotel’s lobby for hours. The room needs to be cleaned after the last guest leaves. If you should happen to get there early, ask at the desk about early check-in, but your request may not be granted.
Early Check
If you are worried about your hygiene, you might want to not use the hotel’s bedspread. The sheets and blankets underneath are usually washed between guests, but the top bedspread is usually not. This bedspread could be a source of germs. For your health’s sake, remove the bedspread.
You should know that you generally aren’t going to be able to do an early check-in at a hotel. Plan to get there at the right time if you don’t want to wait. Hotels need this time to clean and prepare your room. You can request an early check-in ahead of time, but it may cost more.
Be aware of your rights in the event that a hotel attempts to “walk” you. Hotels routinely overbook, which means that you could find that there is no room available for you when you arrive at the hotel. They might try and send you to a different hotel. Avoid this if you can, but if you must go someplace else, make sure the room you get is comparable to the one you booked, and you are paid to travel there.
If you have a young child, ask for a crib when you call to make your reservation. Not every hotel will carry them, and the ones that do may not have enough to go around. Additionally, you may need to pay an extra fee. Avoid difficulties by making these arrangements in advance.
Don’t take any of the linens. As much as you may like the towels, washcloths or pillows, housekeeping is likely to notice any missing items, and the hotel may send you a bill for them. It’s better to ask the hotel management if you can buy new ones of your own.
Don’t get that bottled water and open it! You may arrive at your destination exhausted and thirsty. That bottle of water in the mini fridge can be might tempting. The hotel knows your cravings and has priced that bottle of water sky high. Look for free water in the gym or lobby. Or better yet, bring a few of your own bottles.
If you are looking for a lower rate before you book a hotel, then don’t book a room during the peak season. It is during this time when rates are more. Instead, try and travel during the off season when there are lots of vacancies. This will get you a real bargain.
If you know what to do, you can find a great hotel even if you’re on a budget. This article should have given you the advice you need for a hotel that’s perfect. It doesn’t have to be expensive to be great. Keep in mind all that you learned here and you will reserve a great room at an affordable hotel.
Don’t pay the price that is advertised at a hotel. Hotels post this rate, referred to as a “rack rate”, in hopes that uninformed travelers will pay it. Hotels generally think you’re going to barter with them anyways. Ask the hotel for a better deal. Assert yourself. There also many websites that offer great discounts.
