Hotel Secrets The Big Chains Don’t Want You To Know

Most everyone will find themselves needing to stay in a hotel room at some point. A lot of people have a bad hotel experience because they didn’t research for information ahead of time. Luckily, this is a great place to be. This article provides you with the knowledge you need for a good hotel stay.

Check online reviews before booking a room. These offer feedback from those who have recently stayed at the hotel you are considering booking. What others say will help you make a wise decision.

TIP! Before you choose a hotel and make reservations, check online review sites, such as TripAdvisor. These offer feedback from those who have recently stayed at the hotel you are considering booking.

Online travel sites like Orbitz and Expedia can help you find the lowest rates on hotel rooms. Are you a member of a certain hotel’s membership program? If so, make sure you put this information into the travel site. You may also be able to get good discounts due to AAA or AARP membership.

See if your organizational memberships offer any benefits. Sometimes you can get discounted hotel prices through these organizations. Many people forget to do this and miss out on saving a sizable amount of money. This can add up to big savings, even more so if you will be staying for many nights. A stay of 5 days or more could add up to one free hotel night stay!

TIP! See if your organizational memberships offer any benefits. Many of them offer hotel discounts to members.

Room service is one of the best parts about a hotel. How else could you possibly enjoy a midnight snack without leaving your bed? 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.

Be sure you inspect the room you are given at check in before you start unpacking. Is the room free of mildew and mold and clean? Does the plumbing work right? Are linens and towels in ample supply? If you spot any problems, immediately notify the hotel staff so they can fix it or move you to another room.

TIP! Don’t unpack upon arrival without checking your hotel room first. Is it clean and free of mold and mildew? Do the sink, shower and toilet work properly? Does your room feature the linens and towels you require? If there are any obvious problems, report them to the front desk immediately so that they can be taken care of or you can be moved to a different room.

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.

Ask when you’re able to check into the room. Some people end up waiting for their room to be available because they forget to check this critical detail. Call the front desk to find out if it is alright for you to arrive before check-in.

TIP! Know your check-in time in advance. If you don’t know when you can check in, you may find your room is not ready when you arrive at your hotel.

There are a number of things to consider when deciding which hotel to stay at. Of course, you must think of cost; however, proximity to attractions is also very important. Other amenities, such as a swimming pool, an onsite restaurant and free continental breakfast are important to travelers. Seek out hotels that offer amenities that appeal to you.

To get the lowest price on accommodations, plan your trip in advance. The earlier you book, the better rate you should get. You can expect savings up to fifty percent if you book months in advance.

TIP! In order to get the best hotel deals, always plan your trips weeks ahead of schedule, or even a few months. If you book one or two months in advance, you can often receive a discount.

Always see if you can find deals online when you’re thinking of getting a hotel room. Lots of times, when you book a room, they don’t tell you about online discounts. This is why you should look for discounts yourself. There are many travel websites that offer discounts.

Never assume that all hotels are pet-friendly. Ask the hotel if pets are allowed, no matter what their site says. Ask about their pet policy. Many hotels have restrictions on the breed and size of pet allowed on the premises.

TIP! Don’t make the mistake of thinking all hotels will accept pets. Ask the hotel if pets are allowed, no matter what their site says.

If you want to get a low rate at your hotel, start planning early for your vacation. A lot of hotel locations offer discounts for reservations a month or more in advance. Some of the most popular hotel chains can end up giving you up to 50 percent in savings.

Do you travel a lot? Consider using a hotel loyalty program. They offer a variety of benefits to their members. Some of the useful things that you can earn are extra upgrades, free nights, and late check-outs.

TIP! If you travel a lot, you should consider joining hotel loyalty programs. There are many benefits you may be able to get.

If you plan on taking a family pet with you to a hotel reservation, do three things in advance. Take time to ensure that the hotel you’re booking is, in fact, pet-friendly. For easy cleanup, make sure that you have brought along an adequate number of plastic bags. Ask for a corner room since this can reduce the number of guests disturbed by a noisy pet.

People who care about the environment may be more comfortable staying in a hotel that is eco-friendly. Fortunately, there are many green hotels to choose from today. Some of the newer hotels are built in a way that they get certified green. Older hotels can’t always do this, but instead choose to adhere to certain green practices. Talk with a travel agent to find green hotels.

TIP! If you care quite a bit about your environment, consider taking a “green” vacation. There are plenty of “green” hotels that take the environment into consideration.

If you’re interested in the massage services of a hotel you intend to stay at, reserve your appointment ahead of time. The best masseuses are booked well in advance.

What you will be charged for a room, depends on when it’s booked. Rooms are often priced in accordance with availability. Whenever you can, maker your room reservation no more than a day ahead of time. You may find the best prices this way. The hotel is not going to make any money on a room that is unoccupied, which is why the reduce the price.

TIP! The price of a hotel room is often a mix of many factors. Availability sets pricing.

Loyalty Program

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. Many car rental agencies add perks, such as a child car seat at no charge, for AAA members.

TIP! Being a AAA member has many advantages when it comes to booking a hotel room. AAA members can receive great hotel discounts as well as locate a rental car much more easily.

If you go out to travel quite a bit, it’s good to get signed up for a hotel’s loyalty program. They offer perks to folks who frequent their hotel. You can score things like complimentary upgrades, later check-out options and even free nights once you accumulate enough loyalty program points.

Making a long distance call from a hotel room should be avoided. Try using the Internet instead to stay in touch. A lot of hotels offer wi-fi, making it possible for you to use Skype. Use these to keep up with loved ones or colleagues back home from the comfort of your hotel room instead of racking up costly phone calls from the nightstand.

TIP! Don’t make any long distance calls from your hotel room. Use your cell phone or the Internet.

People who care about the environment may be more comfortable staying in a hotel that is eco-friendly. There are several green hotels around. Some of the newer hotels are certified green. Some older inns just select one or more of several eco-friendly strategies to show environmental awareness. Talk to your travel agent in order to find the best green hotels for your needs.

Ascertain whether or not the hotel you plan to stay at allows 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. There are even cases where people are smoking in non-smoking rooms before you arrive. By choosing a hotel that does not allow smoking, you can completely avoid the smell of cigarettes.

TIP! Make sure to ask up front if the hotel allows smoking or does not. If cigarette smoke bothers you, look for a hotel that doesn’t have smoking rooms.

How much you’re going to pay for your hotel room will depend on when your room is booked. The price of a hotel room varies with availability. If it’s possible, your room should be booked around a day in advance or more. You may find the best prices this way. Hotels would rather discount the price because an empty room does not earn them any money.

Always read a hotel’s pet policy, whether you are a pet owner or not. If you have an allergy, or you just don’t like dogs, it may not be in your best interest to book a hotel that lets guests bring their pets. These hotels might also suffer from odors sinking into the floor and bed linens. Some hotels add an extra charge for pets, other do not. The fee might be too low to cover the extra cleaning costs.

TIP! You should be aware whether or not the hotel allows pets. If you have an allergy, or you just don’t like dogs, it may not be in your best interest to book a hotel that lets guests bring their pets.

Be sure to avoid hotel transfer fees by asking about them in advance. 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.

Keep in mind that hotel check-ins are usually very strict; therefore, you probably won’t be able to check-in early. Unless you’re okay with waiting for your room to be ready, plan your timing wisely. Hotels need to get a room cleaned up before you get to check into it. You can request an early check-in ahead of time, but it may cost more.

TIP! Be aware that you can’t normally check-in early at your hotel. Plan for this, or you may risk waiting in the hotel lobby for an hour or more.

If you do a great deal of traveling, consider joining hotel chain loyalty programs. When you stay at a hotel, you get points you can use later on.

When seeking reservations, don’t forget to ask for a crib or cot if you need one. Not every hotel will have these things, and if they do they may not have many. Additionally, you may need to pay an extra fee. Talk about these when reserving your room so you aren’t hit with unexpected expenses.

TIP! If you are going to use a crib or even a rollaway bed, make sure you mention this at the time your reservation is made. Not every hotel will have these things, and if they do they may not have many.

If you are traveling with kids, make sure the hotel you book has a working pool. Showing up at your hotel and finding out the pool isn’t in working order can ruin an otherwise great trip.

It you’re able to, try not to check out until it’s time for you to depart. This could result in a charge for early departure. By booking a room, you are preventing other potential guests from staying in the hotel. Therefore, by leaving early, you are costing the hotel extra revenue. To earn back this money they will lose, they charge you an additional departure fee.

TIP! Avoid leaving your hotel before your scheduled date of departure. An early departure charge may be added to your bill if you leave sooner.

Non Smoking

If you are worried about your hygiene, you might want to not use the hotel’s bedspread. They generally will wash the blankets and sheets that are under the bedspread, but the main bedspread may not be washed. This can mean that the comforter has tons of germs and bacteria. For your health’s sake, remove the bedspread.

TIP! You may wish to use a different blanket than the comforter that is in your hotel room. While the staff may have washed the sheets prior to your stay, the comforter is not always washed.

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. You may be able to get a non smoking rooms still, but you can get smoke in the air which will stick to you. Sometimes a smoker will get a non smoking room and still smoke in it. If you want to avoid smelling like cigarettes when you leave, you may wish to consider a non-smoking hotel.

Avoid drinking bottled water from a hotel! You will likely be thirsty when you check in. Opening the bottle in the mini-fridge is tempting. Hotels are aware of this, that bottle of water will be much more expensive than if you bought it elsewhere. Sometimes you can get a free water bottle in the hotel gym. A better idea is to bring a few of your own bottles.

TIP! Do not drink the bottled water in your room. After checking in you may be thirsty and tired.

If you can, avoid checking out before the day you are scheduled to. Hotels often charge early departure fees. When a hotel room is something you book, they are taking it away from other people and will lose some money if you leave early. So, they may charge you a fee for early departure to replace the loss in revenue.

Don’t pilfer the hotel towels or linens. This may be tempting, but it’s easy for the hotel to find out and bill you for the items. Ask the hotel upfront if you can buy similar items from them directly.

TIP! Don’t take linens from your room! This may be tempting, but it’s easy for the hotel to find out and bill you for the items. If you like them that much, check out the gift shop for new ones.

The bedspread might not be the cleanest linen in the room. Most hotels only wash the sheets on the bed; however, the bedspread is normally not washed. Therefore, you don’t really know what is on it. Just remove this covering from the bed to have peace of mind.

You can save money when traveling by booking your hotel and flight together. Travel sites typically offers savings to people who book more than one service at the same time. Compare quotes between hotels and airlines.

TIP! Save your money when on the road by making your flight and hotel reservations together as a bundle. A lot of websites for travel will give you quite a bit of savings for you if you reserve a hotel and a rental car or flight together.

As you already know, booking a hotel is a part of most people’s lives. Without due diligence, your hotel stay might stink. With the information you read here it shouldn’t be difficult for you to find a great hotel.

To find affordable hotel prices, check out sites such as Travelocity and Expedia. These sites help to sell lots of hotel reservations, so hotels will inform them of any discounts that may not be offered elsewhere. You need to be aware that sometimes you will have to bid on a room or only see minimal information before you book your room.

TIP! You can find the best prices by looking at websites like Travelocity and Expedia. You will often find exclusive discounts on these popular sites.