There is plenty you need to do in planning before you travel. There’s plenty of packing to be done. Then you’ve got to put gas in the car or shop for plane tickets. But, booking a hotel is something that should be done ahead of time, to get the best room at the best price. You are about to find out helpful tips for helping you to book a room.
Check out online travel websites in order to discover the best deals on hotels. Examples include Orbitz and Expedia. Are you a member of a certain hotel’s membership program? If so, make sure you put this information into the travel site. Additionally, there may be other price breaks for you through various organizations, like AAA or other exclusive clubs.
Check online reviews before booking a room. Websites like TripAdvisor will give you some first-hand accounts of hotel experience from actual customers. What others say will help you make a wise decision.
When booking a hotel, you need to establish what you need and what you would ideally like from your stay. You must consider price of course, and you might want to be close to a specific location within the city you’re staying. You may or may not care about such amenities such as a gym, large pool, WiFi or a free breakfast buffet. Try to get a room that fits your needs, then start shopping by price.
You want to look at a number of different things when booking a hotel stay. Of course price is a big deal, but a hotel close to where you are head is a big consideration. Amenities like a swimming pool, a gym, free local calls or breakfast, and other amenities may be things that you prefer. Try to get yourself a hotel with what you need in it when possible.
To get the best hotel rooms, use a website online that will help with this. You will typically find websites that provide deals on certain hotel chains. They can also show you what the hotel’s average rates typically are, allowing you to see whether you are actually getting a good deal or not. Finally, they can also help you figure out when you want to go on your vacation and what you want to do there.
You can use online travel sites to find great hotels. These sites allow you to find great deals quickly. 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.
Before you book a hotel, look for deals online. Often, the reservations clerk will not advise you that a better deal is available online. So, it’s up personally to you to go searching for such discounts. Websites like TripAdvisor, Expedia, and Jetsetter always have promising bargains for certain hotels that you won’t find anywhere else for a better price.
Check your hotel room prior to unpacking. Your room should definitely be neat and should not have any odd smells, suspicious stains or mildew. Check the shower, toilet and sink to ensure they work properly. Are there enough of the right linens? If you notice any deficiencies in your room, immediately call the front desk so you can resolve these issues, or if the problems are too severe, move you to another room.
Inspect your room before unpacking your bags. Is it free of mildew and mold while being clean? Does your shower, sink, and toilet work in the right way? Is the room adequately stocked with towels and linens? If you notice a problem, be sure to inform the front desk right away to have these problems resolved.
To get the best prices on hotel rooms, start your trip planning weeks, or even longer in advance. Many locations offer discounts if you are willing to book more than a month or two ahead of time. This can save you as much as 40 percent off of the cost of your hotel.
Know when you are able to check in and get your room. If you show up too early, you may find yourself sitting around the lobby, waiting for your room to be ready. If you think you will arrive before check in time, call the hotel and ask if you can come.
Don’t assume a hotel is pet-friendly. Be sure to call in advance and find out about their policies, regardless of website info. Ask what pet-friendly means at the establishment. There may be some restrictions.
To get the lowest price on accommodations, plan your trip in advance. Many hotels offer the best discounts if you book a few months in advance. Some of the most popular hotel chains can end up giving you up to 50 percent in savings.
Be sure and take care of three important things before bringing a pet on your trip to any hotel. You want to ensure you’ve chosen a pet-friendly hotel. Be sure to have plenty of plastic bags on hand to make pet cleanup easy. See if you can stay in a room toward the end of a hall so your pet does not disturb guests.
Be sure to consult AAA to help you make excellent plans for your entire vacation. It may be surprising that auto clubs members receive hotel deals, but they do. You can save 5%, 10% or more at quality hotels throughout the country. This really adds up when you are staying for many nights.
If you want a couples massage, book early. The best massage therapists are usually booked up for months ahead of time, and you don’t want to miss out.
If you want to get your daily runs in while on vacation, make sure to bring your running gear with you. Go for a run when you wake up in the morning. Running not only provides you with great exercise, but it also helps you better learn the city in which you are residing.
If you want to keep up the running regimen you have while traveling you should get your GPS watch packed with some running clothes. Head out early in the morning after donning your running gear. 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 tend to return to the same family of hotels for your vacation, consider joining their membership reward programs. These programs usually work by letting you rack up points. You might earn free stays and discounts, show tickets, or other things.
Loyalty Program
If you care about the environment, then you may be interested in taking a “green” vacation. Fortunately, there are many green hotels available nowadays. Newer hotels are sometimes built according to green standards. Eco-friendly strategies are also now commonly adopted by many older hotels. Request the help of the travel agent in identifying hotels that are environmentally friendly.
Do you travel a lot? Consider using a hotel loyalty program. A loyalty program offers many benefits. You can get a free upgrade, restaurant gift certificates or even a free stay!
If you are worried about bed bugs, start your inspection in the bathroom. This is the place where you are least likely to find them. This is why you should keep your luggage in there while you go on a search for bedbugs. It is usually a convenient place for young children to sit for a moment too.
The price of a hotel room is often a mix of many factors. Rooms are typically priced according to availability. Try to always book your hotel room only a day in advance. This can get you a seriously discounted rate. Hotels are often happy to slash prices on impending vacancies since they will get nothing if they can’t book the room.
If you smoke, be aware of the hotel policy with regard to smoking. Many hotels still offer smoking rooms. If that is the case, you should ask for one of those rooms. Some hotels fine guests if they find that they smoked in a designated non-smoking room. This means that you must be sure to obey the hotel’s smoking rules.
Find out about hotel transfer costs prior to booking a room to avoid hefty fees. If the room is the bargain, then an expensive transfer can ruin the whole savings. Getting this information ahead of time will maximize your savings.
Be aware that you can’t normally check-in early at your hotel. Plan to get there at the right time if you don’t want to wait. Hotels use these in between hours to make sure rooms are cleaned and ready for the next occupant. If you do happen to arrive early, check with the desk to see if you can check in, but don’t expect that request to be honored.
Being a member of AAA makes travel very easy. Hotel and rental car discounts are available to AAA members. If you have young kids, find out if they have a free car seat service.
Never check out earlier than your scheduled departure unless it is absolutely necessary. Many hotels will charge a fee 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. That is why you are charged a fee.
If you are going to inspect if your hotel room has bed bugs, then start looking in the bathroom. This is where you are least likely to find bedbugs. This makes the perfect location to place your belongings while you inspect your hotel room for bedbugs. It’s also safe for pets and kids this way.
The bedspread might not be the cleanest linen in the room. Your sheets should be fresh and clean but the bedspread is not washed after each guest. This can make it full of bacteria, germs, and other unknown elements. Remove the blanket and sleep in peace.
Ask if your possible hotel reservation is either smoking or non. If you do not smoke, you might not want to go to a hotel with smoking rooms. You may be able to ask for a non-smoking room, however smoke can still travel through the air, settling on your clothing. Sometimes, smokers rent non-smoking rooms because that is all that is available, and then they smoke in them anyway. Instead of choosing a non-smoking room, you can actually find an entire non-smoking hotel if you really want to avoid nasty, secondhand smoke.
If a hotel tries to “walk” you, know what your rights are. Occasionally a hotel will be overbooked, and the room you reserved will not be available. The hotel will then send or “walk” you to another hotel. Avoid this if possible, but if must go to another hotel, make sure you get a comparable or better room and the travel to there paid for.
Be sure you understand your hotel’s smoking policy if you smoke. Many hotels set aside certain rooms or wings for smoking guests. If they do, ask for this type of room. If you stay in a room that doesn’t allow smoking and the hotel staff discover evidence of you smoking in this room, then you could be charged a large penalty. Therefore, it is important that you always follow the hotel’s rules when it comes to smoking.
Leave the bottled water alone in your hotel room! You may feel a bit parched shortly after checking in. That’s what the hotel owners had in mind when they packed the min-fridge with delicious, yet expensive, refreshments. Hotels are entirely aware of this. That’s why they fill your mini-fridge with bottled water that costs ten times as much as it does at the store. Don’t fall for it. You may find free bottled water in the hotel gym. Better yet, bring some bottles with you.
Checking in early may not be available. You need to plan appropriately to avoid waiting in the lobby all day. The room has to be cleaned ahead of your check in. If you can’t avoid being early, ask the front desk to make an exception, but be prepared if they can’t accommodate you.
Remember that booking both your flight and hotel can often save you money. It is not unusual for travel websites to provide large savings when a hotel is booked along with a rental car or a flight. To get the best deal, compare the rates between several airlines and hotels.
In order to have an enjoyable trip, you need to choose a great hotel. The right hotel makes your trip more pleasurable. Remember these tips when you are making a reservation.
You can make it a lot better at your hotel if you tip at the appropriate time. For instance, the bill for room service usually includes the tip; however, the bill for maid service does not include the tip. This keeps you in the people’s favor, which is a good idea when you’re staying at their hotel.