
Your hotel can either make a vacation great or ruin one. Staying in a place too expensive can drain your budget and leave you too broke to have the fun you want. Read on to learn how you can book hotels on a budget.
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 websites have reviews and comments from people who have recent experience with their stay. Find out what actual customers say about the hotel and it can help you avoid a costly mistake.
Online travel sites like Expedia or Orbitz can help you get the best price for rooms at the hotel you would like to stay at. Make sure you notify the reservation clerk about any loyalty program you belong to with the hotel. Find out if you can get a discount for being an AAA or AARP member, too.
If you are hungry when you get to your hotel and do not want to leave, consider ordering room service. Although you’ll probably pay more, it is worth being able to comfortably dine in the room while in pajamas.
Consider taking advantage of room service when the urge strikes for a late-night snack with your special someone. It may cost more, but it’s convenient when you don’t feel like leaving.
Take advantage of the safe you have in your room, especially if you have electronics with you. Putting your valuable jewelry and electronic items in the hotel safe allows you to feel secure as you enjoy your vacation.
Look for a closet safe in your hotel room, and use it for any expensive electronics you may have brought 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.
Make use of online tools to find a hotel. These websites can help you quickly find great deals. Not only will they show the best deals, but they’ll also include extra information about the rooms, floor plans, and even reviews from other customers. Finally, you can also use these to help you learn what there is to do when you get to your destination.
To get the best hotel rooms, use a website online that will help with this. These websites will help you find good deals quickly. 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. You can also use them to explore the area around the hotel for recreation.
Be sure you inspect the room you are given at check in before you start unpacking. Is the room clean and free from mildew or mold? Is everything in the bathroom working as it should? Do you have the blankets, pillows and towels you need? If you see any issues, be sure to tell the front desk. This way, they can fix the problems or switch rooms for you.
Prior to making a hotel reservation, do some research online in order to discover the best deals. Lots of times, when you book a room, they don’t tell you about online discounts. It is your responsibility to scour the Internet for these savings. Check websites like Hotwire.com, Kayak.com and Priceline.com for great discounts.
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. The earlier you book, the better rate you should get. Even high end hotels can offer you a substantial savings this way.
Know when you are able to check in and get your room. Many people show up before check-in time only to find out their room isn’t ready. Ask for an early check-in time if absolutely necessary.
You don’t want to assume that the hotel you will be staying in is considered pet friendly. Call the hotel to verify, even if it says so on the website. Also ask exactly what they mean by pet-friendly, as there might be restrictions on certain breeds and sizes of pet that they allow on their premises.
If you want to take your pet along on a trip, take care of three tasks before you leave. First, find out if the hotel allows pets. It is also a great idea to bring along some plastic bags to clean up when your pet makes a mess. Finally, ask the hotel staff if you can have a room on the far end away from guests so that you don’t interfere with their visit.
If you’re a member of the AAA, you should see what your hotel membership discount will be. You could also get a surprise that you have an auto club membership that gives you hotel discounts. You can save 5 percent or more motels and hotels in the US. These savings can really add up if you travel often.
If you’re going to be wanting a massage at your hotel, book it well in advance. Resorts that have masseurs often have very fully booked massage schedules, so it is important to plan ahead.
If you travel often, consider signing up for a loyalty program with your favorite hotel chain. A loyalty program offers many benefits. There are many rewards given when you accumulate loyalty points such as free stays, free upgrades and later than usual check out times.
To avoid major expenses on your final hotel bill, be sure to ask the sales representative about the price of hotel transfers first. If you are getting a very low price on the room, it is especially important that you ask about any hidden fees that might be tacked onto your bill. You should inquire about this before booking the hotel room.
Join a frequent customer program if you stay at the same hotel chain a lot. These hotel programs give you points for each stay. These points can be used to earn free nights, discounts and more.
If you wish to get a lot out of a hotel stay, especially if you’re traveling for your business, get a membership program and join it like what the Marriott or Choice Hotels offers. These points can translate into some major perks when you’re vacationing.
Vacation “green” if you are worried about the environment. Green hotels can feature specialized recycling programs, may only use recyclable products and use environmentally friendly cleaning supplies. Some new hotels are built to green standards and are certified green. Also, older hotels often make several changes to become eco-friendly. Finding hotels that are environmentally friendly can be as easy as asking your favorite travel agent.
Always avoid making long distance calls from your hotel room. Look to the Internet, instead. You’ll often find hotels have free Wi-Fi, which allows for Skype calling long distance numbers for free. This can be a much cheaper option than calling from a hotel room and getting hit with lots of fees.
The timing of your room booking often determines the price you pay. The prices are based partly on availability. If you can, don’t make your reservation more than one day prior to your stay. This will get you the very best rate on your hotel room. Hotels don’t earn money on empty rooms, so they are often willing to reduce the price.
Make sure that your family enjoys their stay by calling ahead to ensure the hotel’s swimming pool is working, Nothing is worse than having excited kids who find out they cannot go to the pool.
Be sure you know the cost associated with hotel transfers when booking a room. Hotel transfer costs can be extremely large, especially in hotels that appear to offer an incredible deal on their room rates. If you know this upfront, you can save more money.
Start looking in the bathroom when checking for bed bugs in a hotel. This is the last room they are likely to be. This is the best place to put your bags while you look around. Kids and pets can safely wait there too.
One way to get discounts on hotel rooms is to join AAA. Hotel and rental car discounts are available to AAA members. Those with youngsters will be grateful for the free car seats.
Ask if your possible hotel reservation is either smoking or non. If you don’t smoke, you may wish to avoid those that have smoking rooms. You may be able to ask for a non-smoking room, however smoke can still travel through the air, settling on your clothing. In addition, some smokers will rent out non-smoking rooms and smoke in them. Choose a non-smoking hotel to a smoke smell on your clothes.
When you look for bed bugs, start in the bathroom. This is where you are least likely to find bedbugs. This is why you should keep your luggage in there while you go on a search for bedbugs. Have kids and/or pets wait for you in the bathroom while you look around.
Smokers should always learn the smoking policy at any hotel before they book a room. A lot of places have specific rooms just for people who smoke. If they do, ask for this type 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.
Ascertain whether or not the hotel you plan to stay at allows smoking. If you are not a smoker, you might want to avoid hotels with smoking rooms. The smoke flows through the hotel and can stick to you. Sometimes, smokers book rooms that are non-smoking and smoke anyway. To be sure you don’t absorb cigarette smoke, think about staying at a nonsmoking hotel.
When you pay too much for your hotel room, you’ll have nothing left to have fun with. Therefore, book the best hotel by utilizing the excellent tactics provided above. Refer back here the next time you are making travel plans.
If you smoke, you should understand the hotel’s policy about smoking before you book a room. Many hotels set aside certain rooms or wings for smoking guests. If so, you should avail yourself of this option. 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.
