Finding the right hotel can make or break your travel or vacation. A place that costs too much may leave you broke for the rest of your trip. Continue reading to find how to get the best hotel that fits within your budget and accommodates your needs.
Before you choose a hotel and make reservations, check online review sites, such as TripAdvisor. These websites have reviews and comments from people who have recent experience with their stay. What people say about a hotel can help you figure out where you should be staying.
Use websites like Orbitz and Expedia for great prices. If you are a part of a loyalty program, make note of that. Also, as an added bonus, you may get discounts from other companies such as AAA or AARP.
Room service is one of the best parts about a hotel. How else could you possibly enjoy a midnight snack without leaving your bed? This service comes at a premium, but you can stay comfortable in your room while enjoying you eats.
If you are hungry when you get to your hotel and do not want to leave, consider ordering room service. This will cost you a little extra, but the convenience it provides is worth it.
If you wish to keep things safe in a hotel, use the hotel’s safe that’s in the closet of your room. Putting your valuable jewelry and electronic items in the hotel safe allows you to feel secure as you enjoy your vacation.
What groups are you a member of? Some offer big discounts on hotel rooms. People frequently forget these discounts are available, and they can be 10 percent or more. You end up with an even bigger savings if your hotel stay is going to be for multiple nights. It may equate to one whole free night.
There are a number of things to consider when deciding which hotel to stay at. Of course price is a big deal, but a hotel close to where you are head is a big consideration. Other amenities that people look for are a gym, pool, free local phone calls, free Wi-Fi, and free breakfast. Look for a hotel that gives you a lot of the things you are looking for.
When thinking about the type of hotel you would like to stay at, there are plenty of options to consider. While price is obviously a factor, you may want to think about room size and amenities as well. Other amenities, such as a swimming pool, an onsite restaurant and free continental breakfast are important to travelers. So decide on the amenities that mean the most to you and start looking.
Don’t unpack upon arrival without checking your hotel room first. It should be free of any mildew or mold. Check the toilet, the shower, and the sink to make sure they are clean and function properly. Does your room feature the linens and towels you require? If you find obvious problems, notify the front desk right away so the hotel can correct the problems or they can assign a different room.
Don’t book a hotel room without looking for online deals. 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. Check websites like Hotwire.com, Kayak.com and Priceline.com for great discounts.
In order to get the best hotel deals, always plan your trips weeks ahead of schedule, or even a few months. Most hotels have serious discounts for early booking customers. Even high end hotels can offer you a substantial savings this way.
Be aware in advance of the check-in time. You don’t want to arrive early only to find out your room isn’t ready yet. Therefore, if you anticipate arriving early, call the hotel in advance and see if it is possible to check in early.
Don’t make assumptions about pet policies of hotels. 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.
Book massages as early as possible. Resorts that have masseurs often have very fully booked massage schedules, so it is important to plan ahead.
Pack your GPS and running clothes while on vacation. Get up early and dress for a jog in the early morning. Even if you stick to city streets, you will gain a better perspective on your destination city before you leave.
If preserving the environment is of interest to you, you can chose a “green” vacation. Luckily, you can choose from quite a few green hotels these days. Some of the newer hotels are certified green. Old hotels will change their practices to be more green. Talk with a travel agent to find green hotels.
Do you travel a lot? Consider using a hotel loyalty program. There are many benefits you may be able to get. Some of the useful things that you can earn are extra upgrades, free nights, and late check-outs.
Discuss what a hotel transfer will cost you prior to actually booking anything. Particularly if you are getting a discount, the fee associated with the transfer may be high. Getting this information ahead of time will maximize your savings.
If you do a great deal of traveling, consider joining hotel chain loyalty programs. This allows you to earn points each time you book a room. You can use these points to purchase perks in the future.
Try not to make any long-distance calls from your hotel room. If you don’t have a cell phone or the Internet, buy a calling card to keep with you during your trip. Many hotels now offer Skype connections via Wi-Fi. 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.
Don’t make any long distance calls from your hotel room. Rather, use a web tool. With a Wi-Fi connection, you can use Skype for your calls. This saves you a ton of money.
Start looking in the bathroom when checking for bed bugs in a hotel. This is where bedbugs are least likely to be. That is what makes it the best place to start. You can store your luggage there and search the rest of your room for those bedbugs. It is also a safe spot for your pets and kids.
Call ahead to your hotels to make certain the swimming pools are ready for your kids. Your kids and you will be very frustrated if the pool at your hotel is closed because of repairs when you arrive.
As already discussed, staying in an expensive hotel takes away from money you could spend on other things. Use the ideas and advice of this article to find a hotel you can afford and sleep comfortably in. Keep these tips in mind whenever you plan on making a hotel reservation.
Ask if there is smoking allowed in the hotel. 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 in a non-smoking room, the smoke from other rooms is in the air and might infiltrate your clothing. Smokers often don’t care that their room is non-smoking, too. If you are a non-smoker, be sure to request a non-smoking room in a non-smoking area of the hotel or you can find a hotel that is completely smoke free.