Sooner or later, everyone needs to crash in a hotel room. That said, you might not make the right choice. Lucky for you, you have found the right place. This article provides you with the knowledge you need for a good hotel stay.
Don’t book a hotel room without looking for online deals. Sometimes, the person at the hotel desk might forget to mention a discount for booking online. This is why you should always do your research well online to find these hidden discounts. Look at Jetsetter, RueLaLaTravel or similar websites for discounts.
Prior to reserving a room at a hotel, look on the Internet for reviews. One great site is TripAdvisor. Online review websites will allow you to see previous guests’ experiences at the hotels you are considering. This can help you choose which hotel to stay at.
In order to get the best hotel deals, always plan your trips weeks ahead of schedule, or even a few months. Most hotels have serious discounts for early booking customers. Even some elite chains will offer discounts as much as half off.
When making a hotel selection, you should consider many things. Price is one factor, however you may also need your hotel to be close to a particular destination. A gym, pool, free breakfast, free wireless Internet, free local calls, and all kinds of other things may be important. You want to secure a room at a hotel that provides the things you desire.
Never assume that all hotels are pet-friendly. Be sure to call in advance and find out about their policies, regardless of website info. Make sure they specify what pet-friendly means since there may be certain restrictions on pet sizes and breeds that are allowed on the property.
Make use of the various hotel search websites on the Internet. Some websites are designed to help you find the best deals. They can also provide you with the average rate for a room at a particular hotel, so you can see if your offer is really a good deal. Finally, they can help you determine when you’d like to travel and what you’d like to do when you’re there.
If you’re thinking of taking your pet to a hotel with you, there are some things you need to do first. Find out if the hotel you have selected is pet-friendly. Remember to bring bags so that you can pick up your pet’s waste when you travel. Also, request a room away from other guests so that your pet does not bother them.
Check the Internet for the best deals before you book a hotel room during your next trip. Hotels don’t usually advertise their lowest rates, so you may have to ask. So you should always search on your own for discounts prior to booking. RueLaLaTravel, SniqueAway and Jetsetter are all good Internet sites to check with.
If you’re interested in the massage services of a hotel you intend to stay at, reserve your appointment ahead of time. The best masseuses are booked well in advance.
When you arrive at your hotel, thoroughly check your room previous to unpacking. Make sure the room is entirely clean and free from any mildew or mold. Do the plumbing fixtures function properly? Are you given the linens and towels that you’re going to need? If there are any obvious problems, report them to the front desk immediately so that they can be taken care of or you can be moved to a different room.
If you have a AAA membership, it may qualify you for a hotel discount. You might be surprised to learn that your membership to the auto club also includes discounts on hotels. Membership in AARP, a union, an auto club or even being a police officer can get you a discount. These savings quickly add up, especially if you are staying for multiple nights in a row.
Find out the exact time for check-in and check-out. 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 and ask if you think you’ll be early.
Pack your GPS and running clothes while on vacation. You can still enjoy your early morning jog while on vacation if you have your gear and the right room booked. Even if you have to run down roads or the streets in the city, you can learn a lot more about the city when you get finished.
You can get better deals on hotel rooms if you book several weeks or months ahead. Some hotels have great discounts when you book a couple of months in advance. Even some elite chains will offer discounts as much as half off.
If you book accommodations often, hotel loyalty programs are good to participate in. They offer perks to folks who frequent their hotel. You can get a free upgrade, restaurant gift certificates or even a free stay!
Do not make the assumption that your pets are welcome at all hotels. Even if a web listing says a hotel is pet friendly, call the hotel to verify. Be certain you understand all rules pertaining to pets. Some hotels only allow certain types, sizes and breeds.
Sign up for frequent guest programs at hotels. Similar to frequent flyer programs with an airline company, hotel programs will typically give you points for each visit. These points add up to restaurant discounts, free nights, tickets to a show, spa treatments, and more.
If the hotel you stay at offers a couples massage, it is very important that you make an appointment well ahead of time. The best massage therapists are usually booked up for months ahead of time, and you don’t want to miss out.
The price of a hotel room is often a mix of many factors. Rooms are often priced in accordance with availability. If you can, don’t make your reservation more than one day prior to your stay. You’ll end up with a great deal this way. Empty rooms earn no money, so the hotels often slash the prices.
If you are someone who travels a lot, signing up for any hotel loyalty programs is probably a good idea. They provide benefits to travelers who regularly stay in the same hotel chain. Rewards can include free hotel stays, upgrades and late check-out times if you save up enough points.
To keep from having an unwanted major expense on your hotel bill, ask about the cost of hotel transfers before booking them. This is especially important if you run across an unbelievable deal. Asking about this beforehand will help to maximize your savings.
Environmentally Friendly
If you travel frequently, you can maximize your hotel benefits by looking into reward programs from large hotel chains. This allows you to get more points with each stay that you can convert into free rooms and other benefits on your next family vacation.
Try out a green vacation. Many hotels offer environmentally friendly standards today. Some of the newer hotels are built in a way that they get certified green. Many older hotels are environmentally aware and have eco-friendly measures in place. Your travel agent can help to identify the environmentally friendly hotels.
Being a AAA member has many advantages when it comes to booking a hotel room. Members of AAA get discounts at lots of hotel chains which more than makes up the membership to AAA, plus it is easier to rent a car anywhere you go. If you are a parent of a young child, you may even be provided with a free car seat.
If you wish to get a lot out of a hotel stay, especially if you’re traveling for your business, get a membership program and join it like what the Marriott or Choice Hotels offers. When you stay at a hotel, you get points you can use later on.
Always know the hotel smoking policy wherever you stay if you personally smoke. Many hotels set aside certain rooms or wings for smoking guests. Ask for those rooms if you are a smoker. If you don’t, you can be hit with some major penalties for lighting up in a non-smoker’s room.
Get a AAA membership to facilitate the process of booking a hotel when you travel. Hotel and rental car discounts are available to AAA members. You might even get a free car seat if you have kids.
Be aware of the pet policy of the hotel. If you fear pets or have allergies it may be best to make reservations at hotels that have a strict no pets policy. These hotels might also suffer from odors sinking into the floor and bed linens. Extra fees are sometimes imposed by hotels for guests who bring pets, but sometimes the fee is not too high. The fee may cover totally or partially the cost of the extra cleaning involved.
You don’t want to make too many long distance calls while you’re staying in a hotel room. You can use the Internet to make these types of calls. Hotels usually have Wi-Fi, so you can call using Skype. You will be able to stay in touch with family and friends while you are away without the additional expense of costly phone calls.
If your requirements include a roll-away bed or a crib, you should call ahead to reserve them. Not every hotel will be able to accommodate you. Additionally, you may need to pay an extra fee. Talk about these issues as you reserve your room.
If you wish to have happy kids while you’re on the road, be sure you call a hotel to see if they have a working pool at the time. There aren’t many things that are as frustrating as going to your hotel with kids that really want to swim only to see that it has been closed.
For the sake of hygiene, avoid the bedspread provided by the hotel. The blankets and sheets under the bedspread are typically washed between guests, however the top cover is not. This bedspread is where you would find the bacteria and germs. Just get that blanket off of the bed.
If you wish to see if a hotel room has bed bugs, check out the bathroom. The bathroom is not a common place where bedbugs would be. This is the best place to put your bags while you look around. It is usually a convenient place for young children to sit for a moment too.
Avoid the bottled water! You may arrive at your destination exhausted and thirsty. You might feel the urge to untwist the cap on the bottled water sitting in the mini-fridge. Hotels are aware of this and have hiked up the price of that tempting bottled water significantly. Sometimes the hotel gym offers bottled water for free. It’s best to simply pack your own bottled water.
Figure out if you want a hotel you can or cannot smoke in. If you do not smoke, you might not want to go to a hotel with smoking rooms. You can still get a room that’s non-smoking, but the smoke can flow in the air and get on all your clothes. Sometimes, smokers rent non-smoking rooms and smoke in them. If you want to avoid smelling like cigarettes when you leave, you may wish to consider a non-smoking hotel.
Book your flight and hotel at the same time to save money. Travel booking sites often provide significant discounts for combining your room and flight and perhaps even a rental car. Compare the rates from different websites to find the best deals.
There are many times that we need to use a hotel. Whether for business or pleasure, you want to get the best deal. Finding the right hotel for you can be simple with the advice in the article above.
Try your best to score a free upgrade during your hotel stay. You might be able to do this by arriving on time. If your room isn’t clean yet, you may be offered an upgrade.