You already know where you plan on vacationing. You have even booked plane tickets. Now, you need to find a hotel. But, what’s the best strategy to booking a good room at a great price? Read on to learn the steps you should take to do just that. These tips will aid you in your search for the perfect hotel.
Before you choose a hotel and make reservations, check online review sites, such as TripAdvisor. These sites will allow you to see previous guests’ experiences at the hotels you are considering. Patron reviews can give you valuable information that will help you make a good choice.
Check for online reviews before making any reservations. This will give you valuable information about the recent experiences of people at each hotel. Find out what actual customers say about the hotel and it can help you avoid a costly mistake.
Online travel sites like Expedia or Orbitz can help you get the best price for rooms at the hotel you would like to stay at. Make sure you notify the reservation clerk about any loyalty program you belong to with the hotel. You may also be able to get discounts through AAA or AARP.
Use online travel sites, such as Expedia and Orbitz, to find the best prices at the hotels you want to stay at. Make sure you notify the reservation clerk about any loyalty program you belong to with the hotel. You may also be eligible for deals that are offered to members of certain organizations, like AAA or AARP.
Take advantage of the safe you have in your room, especially if you have electronics with you. Place all electronics there along with important documents, such as your passport or plane tickets.
Room service is one of the best parts about a hotel. How else could you possibly enjoy a midnight snack without leaving your bed? The cost will be a bit higher, but not having to dress up and go out will be worth it.
Upon arriving at your hotel, check your room before you unpack. Make sure there is no mold or mildew anywhere in the room. Check the shower, toilet and sink to ensure they work properly. Do you have all the towels and linens you need? 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.
If you take a lot of electronic gadgets with you on a trip, lock them up in the safe when away from the room. Place all electronics there along with important documents, such as your passport or plane tickets.
Ask when you’re able to check into the room. Some people neglect asking what the check-in time is and get to the hotel when their room is still not ready. If you can’t help your arrival time being early, you can ask for an early check-in but it might cost a bit extra.
Check the Internet for the best deals before you book a hotel room during your next trip. A lot of the time, when you book a room with someone, they’ll tell you there aren’t any online discounts. It is your responsibility to find any available discounts. Websites like Orbitz, Travelocity and Hotels.com usually have some great discounts.
If you want to find the absolute rock bottom hotel prices, plan your trips weeks or months ahead of time. Many hotels offer the best discounts if you book a few months in advance. Doing this could save you up to 50 percent off your room, and this holds true with the more elite brands as well.
Know the hotel’s check-in time. Many people forget the time, then they show up early and the room isn’t ready yet. If you will be arriving early, call and ask if this is okay.
Don’t make the assumption that all hotels will welcome your pet. Put a call into the front desk just to be sure, no matter what it says on their website. Ask about their pet policy. Many hotels have restrictions on the breed and size of pet allowed on the premises.
If you want to take your pet along on a trip, take care of three tasks before you leave. Be sure that the hotel really does allow pets. Make sure you bring along plenty of plastic bags to dispose of any pet waste. When you go to make the hotel reservation, see if there is room on the end that would prevent the other guests from hearing a noisy pet.
If you’d like to bring Fido on your next trip, you must make some advance plans. Find out if the hotel allows pets. Remember to bring bags so that you can pick up your pet’s waste when you travel. See if you can stay in a room toward the end of a hall so your pet does not disturb guests.
If you want to keep up your running regimen on the road, make sure that your packing list includes lots of running clothes and a GPS watch. Go for a jog every morning. It will give you a better perspective of the city you are visiting.
If you’re going to be wanting a massage at your hotel, book it well in advance. Resorts that have masseurs often have very fully booked massage schedules, so it is important to plan ahead.
If you stay at the same chain of hotels often, look into their membership programs for frequent guests. They work a lot like frequent flier miles do with airlines. You earn points in a similar way. These points can quickly add up to many perks such as a free night, discounts at the hotel restaurants, spa deals and much, much more.
If you are an AAA member, check into your membership hotel discount. You may not have known that, but it’s true. You can save more than five percent on hotels all over the country. These savings can really add up if you travel often.
The price you pay at a hotel often depends on the time frame in which you reserve the room. Hotels give rooms a price based on what’s available. 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. This is because the hotel will want to book rooms that are currently empty.
Do you travel on a periodic basis? If so, consider joining your hotel’s loyalty program. A loyalty program offers many benefits. It is possible to earn perks such as free stays, extended check out times and other upgrades.
Distance Calls
Join a frequent customer program if you stay at the same hotel chain a lot. Similar to frequent flyer programs, hotels have programs that add points on to your account each time you stay with them. These points add up to restaurant discounts, free nights, tickets to a show, spa treatments, and more.
Don’t make long distance calls on your hotel phone. Using the Internet is a better option. You will probably find that your hotel has Wi-Fi and Skype. You can stay connected with people back home by using this instead of making expensive long distance calls from your hotel phone.
Maximize your hotel stays with membership programs like the ones that Marriott or Choice Hotels offer. That way, each time you stay, you accrue points that you can turn into vacation freebies when it’s time to take the family on an adventure.
It’s important to pick a good hotel for your vacation. If a hotel is terrible, it can make your trip go bad. Don’t allow this to happen. Use the advice here to find the hotel you want.
If you’re a smoker, then make sure you get a hotel with a smoking room. If you are a non-smoker, you might want to stay away from hotels that offer smoking rooms. You may rent a non-smoking room, however, the smoke from the smoking rooms can still be present in the air and make your clothes smell like it. Smokers often don’t care that their room is non-smoking, too. To be sure you don’t absorb cigarette smoke, think about staying at a nonsmoking hotel.
