You have chosen your vacation destination. The plane reservations have already been made. It’s finally time to book the hotel? Just how should you go about finding the best hotel for your money? This article is going to instruct you on the best way to do this. You’ll find the best tips to book a hotel room and enjoy your stay.
Check out online travel websites in order to discover the best deals on hotels. Examples include Orbitz and Expedia. If you are a member of a particular hotel’s loyalty program, remember to include that information when you are checking on rates. Find out if you can get a discount for being an AAA or AARP member, too.
Get room service if you don’t want to leave. It might cost a little extra, but it’s definitely worth the bill. Nothing is more enjoyable than having food delivered to your room while you’re in your PJ’s.
When thinking about the type of hotel you would like to stay at, there are plenty of options to consider. Price is one, but a prime location is another. Amenities like free WiFi, fitness facilities, a pool and free meals may also be important considerations. So decide on the amenities that mean the most to you and start looking.
Hotel Safe
Look for deals online. The hotel representative is unlikely to inform you there are better deals online. You will have to learn how to find these great discounts yourself. Websites like Travelocity and Expedia can be a great way to do research on hotels.
Be sure to put all valuables, such as jewelry and electronics, in the hotel safe. Putting your valuable jewelry and electronic items in the hotel safe allows you to feel secure as you enjoy your vacation.
Prior to emptying out your suitcase, carefully look over your room. Make sure the room is entirely clean and free from any mildew or mold. Does everything work? Do you have all the towels and linens you need? If you notice a problem, be sure to inform the front desk right away to have these problems resolved.
Check with any membership programs for deals. Hotel discounts are often one of the benefits offered. These discounts can be as much as 10 percent or even more. This can add up to big savings, even more so if you will be staying for many nights. For a week of vacation time that adds up to an extra day!
Know the hotel’s check-in time. Many hotel guests will forget their check-in time; therefore, they will arrive at the hotel just to discover that they cannot check in yet. Call the front desk to find out if it is alright for you to arrive before check-in.
To get the best hotel rooms, use a website online that will help with this. They allow you to quickly locate great discounts. They also list the average cost of a hotel room, allowing you to ensure you are receiving an acceptable deal. The websites can also help you decide the best time to take a trip and where you can eat, shop or sight-see.
Be sure and take care of three important things before bringing a pet on your trip to any hotel. Find out if the hotel you have selected is pet-friendly. You should bring some plastic bags and cleaning supplies to keep the room clean behind your pet. When you make your reservation, request accommodations near the very end of the floor in order to not disturb other guests.
Know the check-in times. People sometimes forget when they will be let into their rooms, showing up early only to learn that their room isn’t ready yet. If you anticipate arriving early, check with the hotel to find out if your room will be ready.
One of the best bonuses of a AAA membership is great discounts on booking a hotel. It may surprise you that AAA gives hotel discounts, but most of them do. You could save 5% or even 10% on some rooms. This can add up on a long trip.
Plan your trip as far in advance as possible. Many hotels offer the best discounts if you book a few months in advance. You may find yourself saving as much as half off of the room’s typical rates.
If you like running and frequently stay in hotel rooms, be sure and pack up a GPS watch, along with your favorite running clothes. Try enjoying an early jog at your new destination. This can be a great way to stay in shape while seeing some of the local scenery. Even if you’re running down the city streets of roads, it will give you a new perspective of the city that you’re visiting.
Most hotels are not pet-friendly. You should call ahead to double check, even if it was stated on the website that this is a pet friendly hotel. Always ask about what exactly a pet-friendly policy entails, as there could still be limits on breeds and sizes.
Vacation “green” if you are worried about the environment. Fortunately, there are many green hotels to choose from today. Green certification is something some of the newly built hotels are quite proud of promoting. Eco-friendly strategies are also now commonly adopted by many older hotels. A travel agent or similar source can help you find hotels that are considered ‘green’.
If you are a daily runner, make sure you pack exercise clothes and a GPS watch. Simply set an alarm or get a wake up call and take an early morning run. Running in a city allows you to see things other travelers miss.
The price you pay at a hotel often depends on the time frame in which you reserve the room. Availability dictates the prices of hotel rooms. If at all possible, do not book your room more than one day in advance. This gives you the best prices in reserving hotel rooms. Empty rooms don’t earn the hotel money, so they’re happy to cut the price and reserve a room.
If preserving the environment is of interest to you, you can chose a “green” vacation. These are much more common today than they were in the past. Many new hotels are constructed to meet green standards, earning green certification. Eco-friendly strategies are also now commonly adopted by many older hotels. Talk with a travel agent to find green hotels.
Making a long distance call from a hotel room should be avoided. Make use of the Internet, instead. A lot of hotels have free Wi-Fi that you can use to connect with people. 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.
Joining certain clubs that let you accrue points can help you reap major benefits from your regular hotel stays. These programs allow you to collect points that can be applied toward further travels.
If you are going to need a rollaway or crib, ask for this when making your reservation. Not every hotel will carry them, and the ones that do may not have enough to go around. Also, you may face extra charges for the use of these items. Let the hotel know what you need to avoid anything that you will turn in a bad surprise.
Your children will be happy when you call the hotel to make sure their pool is open and working. It can prove rather frustrating when you check in to your room with the kids screaming “pool” only to find out it’s closed.
Do not check out prior to your agreed upon departure date if you can avoid it. The hotel could impose a fee if you check out early. Booked hotel rooms are taken off the market, so if you leave early, the hotel loses money. This is why they have the departure fee, to get their money back that they would have otherwise lost.
Smokers should always learn the smoking policy at any hotel before they book a room. Many hotels have rooms designated for smokers. If that happens to be the case, then you need to ask for that type of room. If you smoke in one of the hotel’s non-smoking room, you can be charged hefty fees.
If you are particular about cleanliness, you probably shouldn’t use the hotel bedspread. While sheets and linens are always washed, the topmost bedspread may not be, depending on the hotel policy. That can mean it is full of germs, bacteria or who knows what else. Just make sure you remove the bedspread.
Your vacation will be enhanced by your choice of an excellent hotel. If you book the wrong hotel, you could ruin your trip. So plan ahead so you don;t find yourself stuck at a horrible hotel. Take the advice you just read and everything should go smoothly!
Don’t be tempted to open bottled water! After checking into your room you will probably feel exhausted and thirsty. You might feel the urge to untwist the cap on the bottled water sitting in the mini-fridge. The hotel knows your cravings and has priced that bottle of water sky high. Some hotels offer complementary bottles of water in their gyms. Plan ahead and bring your own bottled water.