Inevitably, you will stay at a hotel. Regardless of your reason for staying at a hotel, you should know exactly what to be on the lookout for. These tips will help you out.
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. This lets you know what others’ experiences have been like. What others say will help you make a wise decision.
Before booking your hotel room, look to online review sites for in depth reviews from recent travelers. This will give you valuable information about the recent experiences of people at each hotel. What people say about a hotel can help you figure out where you should be staying.
To get the very best prices for the hotels that you’d like to visit, use travel sites online like Orbitz and Expedia. Input your loyalty info when you are looking for rates online. You may also be able to get good discounts due to AAA or AARP membership.
Take advantage of the safe you have in your room, especially if you have electronics with you. You can stash your expensive electronics and jewelry in the safe and go about your day without worry.
Room service can be a great way to have a private, comfortable meal. Even though this will cost a bit more, the convenience and comfort are worth it.
Check with the organizations that you are a member with. Hotel discounts are often one of the benefits offered. It is easy to forget about the discounts. This can add up to big savings, even more so if you will be staying for many nights. Over the course of a week it’s nearly a free night!
Make use of the room safe to ensure the safety of your electronics when you are not in your room. You should put any expensive items in the hotel safe.
There are things to think about when choosing a hotel. While price is obviously a factor, you may want to think about room size and amenities as well. Internet access, pools, fitness centers and breakfast offered are a few other things to consider. Seek out hotels that offer amenities that appeal to you.
Make sure you check with any organizations of which you are a member. Do they offer hotel discounts? These discounts are often forgotten about, and they can provide significant savings. On a multiple night stay, these savings can really add up. That can give you close to a completely free night when it adds up.
You can use hotel search tools on the Internet. These sites can help you get good deals. They also let you see what full price is, so you know you are saving money. They might even offer some decent entertainment venues that you should experience while you’re in the local area.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking all hotels will accept pets. You should call ahead to double check, even if it was stated on the website that this is a pet friendly hotel. Ask about their pet policy. Many hotels have restrictions on the breed and size of pet allowed on the premises.
Prior to making a hotel reservation, do some research online in order to discover the best deals. Often, the reservations clerk will not advise you that a better deal is available online. This is why you should always do your research well online to find these hidden discounts. Check websites like Hotwire.com, Kayak.com and Priceline.com for great discounts.
If you’re a member of the AAA, you should see what your hotel membership discount will be. Are you aware that the auto club you belong to may offer you excellent hotel discounts? You can save upwards of 5% on your hotel stays. These savings can really add up if you travel often.
Know the check-in times. Some people neglect asking what the check-in time is and get to the hotel when their room is still not ready. Call the front desk to find out if it is alright for you to arrive before check-in.
If you are a runner, be sure to bring your running clothes and shoes. Get up early and dress for a jog in the early morning. Even if you are running down roads or down city streets, you’ll get a new perspective on the city you’re visiting before you’re done.
For the best hotel rates, plan your trip weeks or months ahead of time. The earlier you book, the better rate you should get. Doing this could save you up to 50 percent off your room, and this holds true with the more elite brands as well.
If you stay at the same chain of hotels often, look into their membership programs for frequent guests. Just like frequent flyer mile programs, these hotel programs offer you points for your stay. They add up to free nights, discounts at hotel restaurants, show tickets, spa deals and a whole lot more.
If the hotel you stay at offers a couples massage, it is very important that you make an appointment well ahead of time. The best practitioners go fast, so make your reservation early and book by name where possible.
The price of a hotel room is often a mix of many factors. Hotel rooms are priced based on how many are available. Try to book a specific room at least 24 hours ahead of time, but it’s even better if you book weeks ahead of schedule. You can often get the best price if you do it this way. Hotels don’t earn money on empty rooms, so they are often willing to reduce the price.
If you want to keep up your running regimen on the road, make sure that your packing list includes lots of running clothes and a GPS watch. Get up early and dress for a jog in the early morning. Even if you have to run down roads or the streets in the city, you can learn a lot more about the city when you get finished.
Try not to make any long-distance calls from your hotel room. You can use the Internet to make these types of calls. Many hotels now offer Skype connections via Wi-Fi. Use these connections to keep in touch instead of costly long distance calls.
Loyalty Programs
Inquire if the hotel is a non-smoking hotel. If you are not a smoker, you probably want to avoid staying in a smoking room. The smoke can settle into your clothing and luggage. You may find that a smoker has been in your non-smoking room before you and ignored the rules. If you don’t want to smell like cigarettes, consider staying at a hotel that’s non-smoking.
If you travel a lot, you should consider joining hotel loyalty programs. There are some great benefits offered to clients who often book the same chain. These loyalty programs allow you to earn free upgrades, late check outs and even free stays.
If you smoke, learn the smoking policy of the hotel where you are staying. Certain hotels provide rooms that are specifically for people who smoke. If that happens to be the case, then you need to ask for that type of room. Some hotels charge a hefty penalty if they find any evidence that you were smoking in a non-smoking room, so be sure to adhere to the hotel’s rules with regard to smoking.
If you go to the same hotel often, see if they have frequent stay programs you can become a member of. Just like frequent flyer mile programs, these hotel programs offer you points for your stay. These points can add up to hotel restaurant discounts, spa deals, free nights and much more.
What is the policy on pets? 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. Some hotels charge a nominal fee for pets, while others charge substantially more. Depending on what hotel you choose, the fee charged might or might not cover any extra cleaning required.
Don’t make any long distance calls from your hotel room. Try using the Internet instead to stay in touch. 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.
Remember, that early check-ins are a rarity in most hotels. Make your plans accordingly if you do not want to spend hours waiting in the lobby. Hotels have to make sure their rooms are ready for you. Check with the front desk if you arrive early, but do not be angry if they can’t get you in early.
Start by inspecting the hotel bathroom if you need to make sure there are no bed bugs. Bedbugs are least likely to live here. That makes it the perfect place to store your luggage while you inspect the rest of the premises for bedbugs. If you have pets or children with you, ask them to wait in the bathroom too.
If you’re going to need to get a crib or a rollaway, you need to let the people at the hotel know before you arrive. Some hotels do not provide these things, and the ones that do usually have limited quantities. Also, these things can cost extra. You should discuss this with the hotel agent prior to booking so that you do not have an unexpected charge to your bill.
Understand the smoking rules in your hotel, especially if you smoke. A lot of places will have smoker’s rooms. If this applies to the hotel of your choice, request that type of room specifically. If they find you have smoked in a non-smoking area, they may charge you a fine.
If you can, avoid checking out before the day you are scheduled to. The hotel may charge a fee for early departure. When you book a hotel room, the hotel takes that room off the market; thus, if you depart early they will lose money. So, in leaving early you risk being charged a fee for early departure.
If you will have children during your hotel stay that need a crib, you must bring this up when you are booking the room. Not every hotel will have these things, and if they do they may not have many. There also may be an added charge for these things. Talk about these things when you make your reservations.
For hygienic purposes, you may want to avoid using the bedspread that the hotel provides. Sheets and blankets are washed regularly, while bedspreads usually aren’t. It may be a carrier of bacteria and germs. Just get that blanket off of the bed.
No matter how clean your hotel seems, never use the hotel bedspread for sleeping. The top bedspread usually isn’t cleaned as often as the sheets or blankets underneath. This can mean that the comforter has tons of germs and bacteria. Just make sure you remove the bedspread.
Try to get a hotel upgrade without spending any money. The best way you can do this is to show up at the hotel exactly at your scheduled check in time. Often the room you have reserved will still be dirty, so the front desk may offer an upgraded room for no charge.
Clearly, we all have to stay in hotels at some time. Being able to rest and relax comfortable is important, even if you are on a business trip. Follow the advice presented here to get great value in hotel accommodations.
If you need to book a room while driving, check rest areas, gas stations and tourist centers for complimentary tourists books which contain hotel prices, maps and great discounts. So you can call ahead and get a room, rather than driving all around and hoping to find a good deal.
