Hotels run the gamut when it comes to quality. The cost of a hotel and its service may vary. When you’re trying to go on a vacation, it’s a good idea to find a hotel for the right price to help you out. Below you will find some solid tips for finding a wonderful hotel that is right for you.
Room service can be a great way to have a private, comfortable meal. You will probably pay more for this meal, but for the convenience of having it delivered to your room, it is worth it.
Prior to choosing and reserving a hotel room, check review sites online like TripAdvisor or Expedia. Here you can get first-hand reports of the experience people had staying at different hotels. The information provided by patrons of the hotel will help you make a good choice of where to stay.
Be sure to put all valuables, such as jewelry and electronics, in the hotel safe. You can use it to store your tablet and other expensive items to keep them secure.
Make use of the room safe to ensure the safety of your electronics when you are not in your room. Place all electronics there along with important documents, such as your passport or plane tickets.
Check the Internet for the best deals before you book a hotel room during your next trip. Most of the time, people you speak with over the phone won’t mention any discounts possibly available to you. It is your responsibility to scour the Internet for these savings. Use popular websites such as Jetsetter, SniqueAway, or RueLalaTravel.
Prior to emptying out your suitcase, carefully look over your room. Is it clean and free of mold and mildew? Does the plumbing work right? Are there enough of the right linens? If you have any problem with the room, report it immediatlely to have it fixed as soon as possible.
Once you get to your hotel, do not unpack until you check the room. Is the room free of mildew and mold and clean? Are the toilet, shower and sink functioning properly? Are you given the linens and towels that you’re going to need? If you see any issues, be sure to tell the front desk. This way, they can fix the problems or switch rooms for you.
Know when check-in time is. If you show up too early, you may find yourself sitting around the lobby, waiting for your room to be ready. If you will be arriving before check-in, call the hotel in advance and see if you can check-in early.
Know when check-in time is. If you don’t know you may end up waiting a long time. Call the hotel if you are early and find out if your room is ready.
To get the best prices on hotel rooms, start your trip planning weeks, or even longer in advance. A lot of hotel locations offer discounts for reservations a month or more in advance. You might only pay half price for premium hotels.
You can get better deals on hotel rooms if you book several weeks or months ahead. Quite a few locations will give discounts if you choose to book a room a month or more in advance. This can save you as much as 40 percent off of the cost of your hotel.
If you want to book a good couples massage, you should not wait until the last minute. Most of the time, the most reputable masseuses will be booked, so plan early in order to have the most enjoyable experience.
If you’re taking a pet to the hotel, do some things beforehand. Confirm that pets are allowed in the room you are staying. Bring along lots of plastic bags for clean ups. When making your reservation, ask for a room at the end of the hall to spare other guests your pet noise.
Environmentally Friendly
If you’re a member of the AAA, you should see what your hotel membership discount will be. It may surprise you that AAA gives hotel discounts, but most of them do. You can save more than five percent on hotels all over the country. Those discounts add up to great savings, especially if you will be having an extended stay.
Going green is a growing trend so it is no surprise that hotels are going green as well. Green hotels can feature specialized recycling programs, may only use recyclable products and use environmentally friendly cleaning supplies. There are newer hotels that were built to be environmentally friendly. Some of the older hotels do implement green practices to be sure they are eco-friendly. Talk to your travel agent about what you want to do and let them seek out a few appropriate hotels.
Sign up for frequent guest programs at hotels. Similar to frequent flyer programs, hotels have programs that add points on to your account each time you stay with them. You might earn free stays and discounts, show tickets, or other things.
The cost of your hotel will vary depending on when you make your reservation. Hotels price rooms in part based on availability. Try to always book your hotel room only a day in advance. Doing so will ensure you get the best possible price on a hotel room. Hotels are often happy to slash prices on impending vacancies since they will get nothing if they can’t book the room.
Discuss what a hotel transfer will cost you prior to actually booking anything. You don’t want to ruin the deal you are getting on your room by paying for an expensive transfer. Getting this information ahead of time will maximize your savings.
Membership programs offered by hotel chains help members who travel a lot get the best rooms during their stay. These points can translate into some major perks when you’re vacationing.
Joining certain clubs that let you accrue points can help you reap major benefits from your regular hotel stays. Every stay in a particular hotel chain where you are a member will add points to your total, which can later be used on free rooms or amenities that usually cost you.
Try not to make any long-distance calls from your hotel room. Look to the Internet, instead. Skype connections that are accessed through Wi-Fi are offered by many hotels. Use this type of thing to get with people you know while you’re in your hotel room so you can save quite a bit of money.
Sign up for AAA to ensure easier hotel arrangements when traveling. Not only do AAA members get hotel discounts at many chains that are well worth the AAA membership, but you can find it a lot easier to find a rental car where you go. In addition, parents may enjoy the benefit of having free car seats provided.
If you are planning on staying in a hotel room with your children, make sure you call the hotel in advance to ensure they provide a working pool or some other fun activities for your children to do. Showing up at your hotel and finding out the pool isn’t in working order can ruin an otherwise great trip.
In hotel rooms, avoid calling long distance if possible. Try using the Internet, instead. You’ll often find hotels have free Wi-Fi, which allows for Skype calling long distance numbers for free. You can stay in touch with work or family without the high cost of a call from the phone in your room.
Make sure to ask up front if the hotel you’ll be staying in allows smoking or does not. If you’re not a smoker, it may be wise to stay away from rooms that are for smoking. While it is possible to book a nonsmoking room, you can still be affected by the smoke from other areas. Sometimes a smoker will get a non smoking room and still smoke in it. 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.
Make sure to ask up front if the hotel you’ll be staying in allows smoking or does not. If you are a non-smoker, you may not want to stay in a smoking room. Although certain hotels that allow smoking will provide guests with non-smoking rooms, smoke will still be in the air. Sometimes, smokers book rooms that are non-smoking and smoke anyway. Too avoid exposure to the smell of cigarette smoke, it may be best to stay at a non-smoking hotel.
If you smoke, you should understand the hotel’s policy about smoking before you book a room. Many have designated nonsmoking rooms. If you smoke, you should make a specific reservation for this type of room. Otherwise, you might find yourself paying a high fee for smoking in a room that is designated as non-smoking.
Do not check out prior to your agreed upon departure date if you can avoid it. If you do, you may be charged a fee for early departure. The room is not marketed by the hotel and you will have to make up that lost revenue. You may end paying for a day you don’t use the room. This is why they usually charge you an fee for early departure.
Early Departure
If you are concerned about germs, you might want to take the bedspread off of the bed. The blankets and sheets under the bedspread are typically washed between guests, however the top cover is not. The bedspread can be laden with germs. For your health’s sake, remove the bedspread.
Never check out earlier than your scheduled departure unless it is absolutely necessary. The hotel may charge you a fee for your early departure. Booking that room means it wasn’t available when others were reserving. So, they may charge you a fee for early departure to replace the loss in revenue.
If a hotel is trying to “walk” you, then you’ll know what the rights are you have. Hotels sometimes overbook, which means you discover that your reservation is unavailable. This means that they will direct you to another hotel. Avoid having this happen if you can, but if you’re going to a different hotel, be sure that the deal is better than the place you were trying to get.
A good hotel and wonderful service are part of the fun of taking a vacation. Research is what will get you the best room. You should find a place that offers you the best value. Use the information from this article to help you make a wise decision when booking your hotel.
Do not open the bottled water in your hotel room. After checking in you may be thirsty and tired. Opening the bottle in the mini-fridge is tempting. Hotels are well aware of this and will charge you a hefty fee for that already exorbitantly priced bottled water. You might be able to get bottled water in the hotel gym. Even better, bring along a few of your own bottles.