Have you ever heard others mention they didn’t like a hotel room they stayed in and it affected their wonderful vacation but for the horrible accommodations? The hotel that you stay at plays a difference in your vacation enjoyment. You naturally want to stay in an affordable place with great service. Read this article for some helpful tips.
Consider the benefits of any organization memberships you have. Some of them may provide discounts on hotel stays. Discounts of 10% or more are often available, and people sometimes forget that they are eligible to claim them. This can lead to a great amount of money saved, especially for those spending multiple nights at the hotel. If you stay for a week, these discounts will almost add up for a free night.
Check online reviews before booking your stay. This lets you valuable information about the recent experiences have been like. What people say will help you make a wise decision.
There are quite a few things you need to think over when you’re about to stay at a hotel. Of course price is a big deal, but a hotel close to where you are head is a big consideration. 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. Try to find a hotel that offers as many of your desired amenities as possible.
You can find a lot of great deals on hotels if you go online travel sites. If you are a member of a hotel loyalty program, make note of that. You may also be able to get discounts through AAA or AAA.
Prior to emptying out your suitcase, carefully look over your room. Is it tidy and sanitary? Do the sink, shower and toilet work properly? Do you have the blankets, pillows and towels you need? If any issues are immediately prevalent, call the front desk that instant so they can address them or move you to another room.
Check in on the organizations you are a member with. Some of these organizations offer you discounts on hotels to their members. People often forget that they are eligible for these discounts, which can be 10% or more. It can add up to equal a free hotel night!
Plan your trip as far in advance as you can to ensure best rates. Quite a few locations will give discounts if you choose to book a room a month or more in advance. Even high end hotels can offer you a substantial savings this way.
Be aware of the check-in time. Some people end up waiting for their room is still not ready. Call and ask if it is alright for you think you’ll be early.
Book your appointment as far ahead of time as possible to guarantee you get the perfect couples massage for you and your significant other. In order to get the best masseurs at these top hotels, you must plan early to ensure that you get a good experience.
Plan your trip as far in advance for the best rates. Many locations offer discounts if you book a few months in advance. You might even be able to cut the price down by half!
Check your AAA membership for a hotel discount. Did you know that this membership entitles you to hotel discounts? You can save five percent or more on certain hotels. The savings can really add up if you’re staying multiple nights.
There are three different things you have to do before taking your pet on a trip. Be sure that this hotel really does allow pets. Be sure to bring some bags on hand to make pet cleanup easy.
If you are an avid jogger, a GPS watch is a great investment so you can always find your way back to your hotel. Also, don’t forget your exercise clothes! When you wake up and feel like a jog, simply toss on your gear and head out. 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.
Book your appointment as early as possible. The best massage therapists are usually booked up for months ahead of time, so get in while you can.
If you tend to stay at the same hotel a lot, see about signing up for their frequent guest program. Just like with a frequent flyer mile program, you can get points for staying a hotel. These points add up to restaurant discounts, free nights, tickets to a show, spa treatments, and more.
If you want to keep your regular running routine, make sure that your packing list includes lots of running clothes and a GPS watch.
If you want to work on saving the environment, a green vacation is something to look into. There are several green hotels around. Many new hotels are constructed to meet green standards, earning green certification. Older hotels can’t always do this, but instead choose to adhere to certain green practices. Talk to your travel agent if you prefer to stay at this type of hotel.
Free Stays
The cost of your hotel room largely depends on the dates on which you plan to stay there. The price is subject to the laws of supply and demand like any other product. Try to always book your hotel room only a day in advance. This will get you the best hotel rates. If the hotel never rents the room they’ll get zero dollars for it, so most of the time they will give you a steep discount on it.
It is wise to look into loyalty programs that your favorite hotels offer. They offer benefits to people that stay at a hotel chain quite often. You will be able to earn stuff like a free upgrade, free stays, and even free stays when you get enough points.
To get the most out of your hotel stays, particularly if you travel a great deal for business, join a membership program such as that offered by Choice Hotels or Marriott. This allows you to earn points each time you book a room. You can use these points to purchase perks in the future.
The cost of your hotel will vary depending on when you book the room. Rooms in hotels are priced based on their availability. This will get you the best prices in reserving hotel rooms.
Call ahead of arrival to see if the pool is open to keep the family happy. There are few things as frustrating as showing up to a hotel, with your kids chomping at the bit to get in the pool, only to have it closed for repairs.
Be sure you know the cost associated with hotel transfer fees by asking about them in advance. If you’re getting what appears to be a nice deal on the room, the transfer could ruin the deal. You will save more by asking about this beforehand.
Check in the bathroom first for bed bugs. You probably won’t find any in there. This is the best place to put your bags while you look around. Kids and pets can stay there as well.
Join the hotel’s membership program to get deals on business trips. These programs allow you to collect points can be applied toward further travels.
Review the pet policy at the hotel. If you do not like pets, or you are allergic to them, then you should probably avoid pet-friendly hotels. These hotels could have weird odors because of smells getting into the linens and the floor. Many hotels charge a fee for staying with a pet, but it might not be a lot. In fact, the extra charge for pets might not even cover the costs of cleaning; therefore, you should make sure you know all this ahead of time.
Don’t call long distance in your hotel phone. Many hotels now offer Skype connections on their Wi-Fi.You can stay connected with people back home by using this instead of making expensive long distance calls from your room.
If it all possible, never check out before your scheduled departure date. Some hotels charge a fee for early departure. When you make your reservation, the hotel can’t offer the room to someone else, so they lose money if you leave early. They have to at least get something for the loss, thus an early departure charge.
Check to see if a hotel is non-smoking or smoking. If you’re someone who doesn’t like cigarette smoke, you probably want to avoid staying in a smoking room. Smokers don’t always respect the fact that you are renting is a non-smoking room.
Understand your rights when it comes to hotels “walking” you. Occasionally, a hotel overbooks and your booked room is unavailable. They might try and send you to a different hotel. Try to avoid this scenario if you can, but if it becomes necessary to secure alternate accommodations, be sure that the room is at least comparable to the one at the hotel you booked, and get compensation for your travel expenses.
You should understand that early hotel check ins are not usually possible. Plan your trip right time if you might end up waiting in a hotel lobby. Hotels need to get the time to clean your room so it is ready for you check in. If you do happen to arrive early, check with the desk to see if you can check in, but this should not be expected.
Don’t steal hotel linens. Even though you might like the pillows, washcloths, or towels, the housekeeping staff will probably figure out you left with something and they might charge you. If you really like the linens, see if they are available for purchase.
Not every hotel will often have a very limited supply. Talk about these issues as you make your room.
You can get better hotel rates when you don’t book during peak tourist seasons. Rooms typically cost the most during this time. Try booking a room when it’s harder for hotels to fill rooms, like during the off-season. You are more likely to be offered a good rate.
Never check out earlier than your scheduled departure date unless it’s an emergency. Some hotels charge a fee for early departure fees. When you book a hotel room, the hotel can’t offer the room to someone else, if you depart early they will lose money.
If you need to reserve a hotel room while you are traveling, you can find some helpful information at welcome centers, gas stations and rest stops with valuable discounts. You can now make a call to book a room rather than having to drive around to find one.
Don’t drink the bottled water! You are very likely be thirsty when you check in. The mini fridge may tempt you.Hotels are well aware of this and will charge more for bottled water. Check out the gym and see if they may have free water. A better idea is to bring your own bottles.
Sometimes, certain hotel rooms have a better view than others. So long as you won’t be charged extra, ask about getting a room with a nice view. Just having a better view can enhance your enjoyment of your hotel stay. So inquire about the little niceties like a good view, or a room that is has special features.
You can save money by not booking a hotel room rate if you book during tourist season. This is the time that hotel rates are highest. This will get you to get a better chance of actually getting a discounted rate.
The price that the hotel advertises is usually not something you should pay. Advertised rates are called “rack rates” and experienced travelers never, ever pay them. Hotels are used to travelers asking for discounts or special rates and they are usually happy to accomodate you. Just give the hotel a call, and request the best deal available. Be courageous. Online travel sites offer great discounts, too.
Gas Stations
A special occasion is a great time to book a hotel room. Many times hotels will upgrade your room or give you some complimentary items if it is a special occasion. You could even talk them into some free champagne for the night! Although, lying about it may not be the best idea.
If it becomes necessary to book a hotel from the road, check out rest areas or gas stations to find tourist books which will have maps, rest areas and gas stations for free tourist books that contain maps of hotels, maps and great discounts. This will give you call ahead and money.
Travelocity and Expedia can help you save money. These websites help sell a lot of hotel rooms, so the hotels will make them privy to discounts that won’t be found anywhere else. For some, you must bid, but others provide you with a price but withhold the name of the hotel until you commit to purchase, so beware.
Tipping when you should will make any hotel stay a bit better. For example, fees for room service often include the tip with the bill, the bill for maid service does not include the tip. Tipping will be attending to your hotel stay.
It is considered customary to tip your housekeeper when checking out of a hotel. While there can be other instances during a hotel stay that do not need a tip, do not ignore the tip for the maid service. You were probably a hopeless slob anyway, so leave the maid a little something, please.
Some hotels rooms have better views while others do not. If the prices are the same, request for a room with a great view. A good view will make your vacation to another level. It doesn’t hurt for you to ask if a better view is available.
Many hotel websites and brochures use Photoshop to enhance their hotels image. For example, the beautiful pool on the website may only be a tiny sized kiddie pool. Be sure you get a realistic picture of the hotel in your mind that you plan on booking a room with.
You can get great accommodations even if you’re sticking to your budget when you know what to look for. This article showed you some great ways to do that. It doesn’t have to be expensive to be great. Keep in mind this article, and finding a high-quality hotel at a low price is possible.