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. Follow the tips presented here to get the best accommodations.
Do some research on travel websites before you book any hotel. You will be able to see the most recent reviews. What people say about a hotel can help you figure out where you should be staying.
Prior to booking a hotel, refer to TripAdvisor and similar online travel review sites. These reviews can give you a customer’s perspective of the hotel you are planning on staying at. What people say about their experiences at the hotels you’re thinking of booking can aid you in coming to the right decision.
If you wish to keep things safe in a hotel, use the hotel’s safe that’s in the closet of your room. Anything of value can be securely locked in the safe, then you won’t have to worry about your valuables while out enjoying yourself for the day.
Consider taking advantage of room service when the urge strikes for a late-night snack with your special someone. Room service generally costs more than ordering out; however, it is nice to be able to order a meal in the middle of the night if you so choose.
If you belong to any organizations, check with them for travel deals. Hotel discounts are often one of the benefits offered. People often forget about these discounts, which can be 10% or more. This can help you to save some cash, especially if you’re going to be staying for a few nights. A stay of 5 days or more could add up to one free hotel night stay!
Many things must be considered when choosing the right hotel. The cost is important but hardly the only factor to keep in mind. Amenities that you might personally want or need include a swimming pool or gym, on-site restaurant, continental breakfast and free Wi-Fi or local calls. Choose an establishment that offers the amenities you desire.
When making a hotel selection, you should consider many things. Of course, you must think of cost; however, proximity to attractions is also very important. A pool, a gym, a restaurant, free breakfast, free local calls and free Wi-Fi are other amenities that may be important to you. Look for the hotel that gives as many of the extra you desire as possible.
Search online tools for hotels. You can use such websites to discover great deals with ease and speed. 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. They can also give you information on nearby attractions, too.
Inspect the room before unpacking. Is the room clean? Do you see any mold or mildew? Are the toilet, shower and sink functioning properly? Are there enough linens and towels? If you notice a problem, be sure to inform the front desk right away to have these problems resolved.
Prior to emptying out your suitcase, carefully look over your room. Is the room clean and devoid of issues like mildew and mold? Do the sink, shower and toilet work properly? Are there enough linens and towels? If you notice any problems, report them immediately. If your issues are not resolved, ask to move to another room.
Find out the exact time for check-in and check-out. Some people end up waiting for their room to be available because they forget to check this critical detail. Therefore, if you anticipate arriving early, call the hotel in advance and see if it is possible to check in early.
Be aware of when you can check into your room. If you don’t check, the room may not be ready when you arrive. Therefore, if you anticipate arriving early, call the hotel in advance and see if it is possible to check in early.
To benefit from the best prices at hotels, start planning your trips several weeks or even months in advance. Some hotels have a discount if you book your room a month or more ahead of time. With elite brands, this can translate into savings of up to 50 percent.
For the best hotel rates, plan your trip weeks or months ahead of time. If you chose to book a month or even two ahead of your arrival date, you can get great discounts. Even some elite chains will offer discounts as much as half off.
If you are a runner, be sure to bring your running clothes and shoes. When you wake up and feel like a jog, simply toss on your gear and head out. Spending time on the road with your own two feet will give you a perspective that you’ll never get while riding in a car.
If you like running and frequently stay in hotel rooms, be sure and pack up a GPS watch, along with your favorite running clothes. When you wake up and feel like a jog, simply toss on your gear and head out. 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.
If you stay at the same hotels all the time, check to see if they have a frequent-stay program. These programs usually work by letting you rack up points. In time you may even get to stay there for free!
Do you travel on a periodic basis and use the same hotel chain? If so, check out the loyalty programs provided by that hotel. These are exceptional benefits reserved for customers who frequently use a particular chain of hotels. You can score things like complimentary upgrades, later check-out options and even free nights once you accumulate enough loyalty program points.
Think about going on a “green” vacation. There are several green hotels around. Some new buildings are certified as green. Some older hotels simply choose a variety of eco-friendly practices to be environmentally aware. You can ask a travel agent to pinpoint eco-friendly hotels, thus making sure your vacation doesn’t hurt the environment.
If you often stay at the same hotel chain, check to see if they offer membership to frequent stay programs. Just like frequent flyer mile programs, these hotel programs offer you points for your stay. You might earn free stays and discounts, show tickets, or other things.
The price of a hotel room is often a mix of many factors. The prices are based partly on availability. If you can, don’t make your reservation more than one day prior to your stay. This gives you the best prices in reserving hotel rooms. Empty rooms earn no money, so the hotels often slash the prices.
In order to avoid any surprise charges, inquire about hotel transfers prior to booking. Particularly if you are getting a discount, the fee associated with the transfer may be high. Ask the hotel representative ahead of time to make sure you get the most savings.
Sign up for AAA if you wish to get better hotel arrangements while you travel. Members of AAA will get additional hotel discounts up to five percent, but you’ll also get discounts on rental cars as well. You might even get a free car seat if you have kids.
Sign up for AAA if you wish to get better hotel arrangements while you travel. Members of AAA receive many travel benefits including reduced hotel rates and lower car rental rates. Also, if you require a car seat, the rental company may provide you with one if you are a member of AAA.
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. While it is possible to book a nonsmoking room, you can still be affected by the smoke from other areas. Sometimes, smokers book rooms that are non-smoking and smoke anyway. Request a non-smoking room if you do not want to smell like cigarettes.
Steer clear of long distance calls while in a hotel. Make use of the Internet, instead. A lot of hotels offer Skype connections over Wi-Fi. Use these types of services to keep in contact with loved ones back home instead of having exorbitant charges added to your bill from the costly phone calls.
You should know that you generally aren’t going to be able to do an early check-in at a hotel. Be sure to plan your arrival with that in mind, or you may be sitting in the lobby area for some time. Most hotels clean and prepare rooms at a certain time, so that they are ready for check-in. You can inquire about checking in early, but do not expect that you’re going to be able to do it.
Check with the hotel to make sure the pools are ready to go if you are traveling with children. It can be extremely frustrating if you arrive at your hotel only to find out the pool is shut down for maintenance.
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 all hotel chains do offer these and those that will often have a very limited supply. Certain hotels will even charge a fee for these things. Talk about these issues as you reserve your room.
When seeking reservations, don’t forget to ask for a crib or cot if you need one. Not every hotel will give you this sort of thing, and the ones that do are in limited quantities. Some hotels will include an additional fee if you want to rent these items during your stay. Talk about your needs when you reserve a spot so you don’t get surprised with something you won’t like.
Never actually check out before the departure date unless it’s an emergency. An early departure charge may be added to your bill if you leave sooner. Once you have confirmed your reservation, understand that the room is reserved for you, and the hotel loses money if you leave early. They will charge a departure fee so they get back what they lose.
Unless it is an emergency, always stay for the total number of nights that you have booked. If you check out early, you could be liable for early checkout fees. When you reserve a room, the management of the hotel removes that room from the market, so if you leave early, the hotel loses some money. Therefore, some will charge the early departure fee.
For hygienic reasons, it might be best to avoid the provided bedspread in your room. The bedspread isn’t washed often, while the sheets are. That can mean it is full of germs, bacteria or who knows what else. Simply remove it from your bed.
Be prepared with a knowledge of your rights if a hotel ever tries to “walk” you. Sometimes a hotel will overbook and you will find the room you booked is not available. This means that you’re going to have to go somewhere else. You should try to avoid this; however, if this is necessary, ensure you are provided with the same quality room or better at the same price you would have paid.
To get the best rate on your hotel room, never book while the very peak of tourist season is in full swing. That is when you’ll pay the highest rates. Instead, try book your rooms during the off-peak season when hotels are trying to fill up their rooms. You’re going to have a much higher chance of scoring a deal.
As you have already read, everyone will eventually need to stay at a hotel. It’s necessary to do some research before you book. You’ve just read some really great advice; now, put it to good use and have fun!
You can find reasonable upgrades without paying an upgraded price. The best way to do this is by showing up at the exact time that you are scheduled to check in. Your room may not be ready, so the hotel could offer to switch you to something more expensive as a result.