There are many types of hotels, from five star to roadside motels. Trips with good hotel stays are good memories, whereas bad hotel stays can mean nightmares. So, to find the best hotel for your needs, continue reading.
Before making reservations at a hotel, check the online review sites. Reviews allow you to read about recent experiences at a hotel. Other customers can give you some valuable insight and help you choose the right place to stay.
Find great hotel room prices by checking out travel websites like Orbitz and Expedia. Input your loyalty info when you are looking for rates online. Don’t neglect to check for other discounts in which you may qualify, including AAA and AARP.
Always look for online deals before booking a hotel room. Usually, when you try to book a room over the phone, the clerk will not let you know that there is a better deal online. For this reason, making a proactive search is advisable. Use websites such as Jetsetter, SniqueAway or RueLaLaTravel.
Room service is one of the best parts about a hotel. How else could you possibly enjoy a midnight snack without leaving your bed? Room service generally costs more than ordering out; however, it is nice to be able to order a meal in the middle of the night if you so choose.
Do not make the assumption that your pets are welcome at all hotels. Call and ask before you reserve. Ask about their pet policy. Many hotels have restrictions on the breed and size of pet allowed on the premises.
When thinking about selecting a hotel, there are quite a few salient points to consider. Of course you want to consider price, but you should also consider the hotel’s location. Other amenities that people look for are a gym, pool, free local phone calls, free Wi-Fi, and free breakfast. Try to find a hotel that offers as many of your desired amenities as possible.
Taking a pet on a trip requires some extra responsibility. Ascertain that your hotel is really pet friendly. In addition, take along some plastic bags to pick up your pet’s mess. Finally, ask the hotel staff if you can have a room on the far end away from guests so that you don’t interfere with their visit.
Always look for online deals before booking a hotel room. Many times, the person you book your room with will not tell you that you can get a discount online. This is why you should always do your research well online to find these hidden discounts. Websites like Travelocity and Expedia can be a great way to do research on hotels.
Book any massage appointments you make early. Frequently, the most skilled massage specialists at the best hotels are reserved by name, so when you plan ahead, you can get the best.
Prior to emptying out your suitcase, carefully look over your room. Your room should definitely be neat and should not have any odd smells, suspicious stains or mildew. Are the facilities operating correctly? Do you need extra linens or towels? If you see that there are problems with your room, let the people at the front desk know right away so they can get things taken care of. Or, they can move you to another room.
If you’re a member of the AAA, you should see what your hotel membership discount will be. You would be surprised where hidden discounts may be lurking. You can save more than five percent on hotels all over the country. This can add up on a long trip.
To get the lowest price on accommodations, plan your trip in advance. If you can book a couple of months early, a lot of locations will give you a steeper discount. This can save you as much as 40 percent off of the cost of your hotel.
For people who are frequent travelers, consider signing up for some loyalty programs with your favorite hotels. They provide benefits to travelers who regularly stay in the same hotel chain. There are many rewards given when you accumulate loyalty points such as free stays, free upgrades and later than usual check out times.
If you need to have a pet stay with you in your hotel room, do a few things ahead of time. You want to ensure you’ve chosen a pet-friendly hotel. Take some bags to clean after your pet. When you make your reservation, request accommodations near the very end of the floor in order to not disturb other guests.
If you often stay at a certain type of hotel, ask about the “frequent stay” program. Many hotels offer membership programs that allow you to earn points for each of your stays. They can amount to show tickets, free nights, spa deals, hotel restaurants discounts and much more.
If you belong to the AAA, see what kinds of discounts the hotel offers. AAA members actually receive hotel discounts at specific hotel chains! There are discounts at hotels around the country of 5 percent or more. The savings can really add up if you’re staying multiple nights.
If preserving the environment is of interest to you, you can chose a “green” vacation. There are many hotels that feature green amenities. Some of the newer hotels were built with green standards in mind. Also, older hotels often make several changes to become eco-friendly. Talk with a travel agent to find green hotels.
Take your GPS watch with you on vacation and some running clothes. Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean you should skip on your daily running regimen. In this way, you can simply suit up and enjoy your workout as usual while on the road. Whether you are running on roads or city streets, you will gain more knowledge about the city you are visiting while you run.
You should always find out how much hotel transfers will cost before you book a room. In many situations in which the room’s price is a great deal, the undisclosed price of your transfer can frequently eat up the savings. Asking these things before anything happens will allow you to save more.
If you travel frequently, sign up for loyalty programs at your favorite hotels. A loyalty program offers many benefits. It is possible to earn perks such as free stays, extended check out times and other upgrades.
Join a membership program if you travel frequently. You will build up points with that hotel for added benefits. It works a lot like frequent flier miles do for airlines.
What you will be charged for a room, depends on when it’s booked. Hotels price their rooms based on how many rooms are available. Book your room more the day before you need it if you can. Doing so will ensure you get the best possible price on a hotel room. Empty rooms earn no money, so the hotels often slash the prices.
Avoid making long distance calls from the hotel room phone. If you don’t have a cell phone or the Internet, buy a calling card to keep with you during your trip. You’ll often find hotels have free Wi-Fi, which allows for Skype calling long distance numbers for free. Take advantage of these options to keep in touch with family, friends and coworkers rather than incurring high costs by using the hotel’s phone system.
If you don’t want to get a big expense on the hotel bill you get, speak to the place about hotel transfers prior to booking things. If the room is the bargain, then an expensive transfer can ruin the whole savings. Asking before you arrive can really increase your overall savings.
Call ahead to your hotels to make certain the swimming pools are ready for your kids. It can be extremely frustrating if you arrive at your hotel only to find out the pool is shut down for maintenance.
To get optimal value from a hotel stay, especially if you find yourself traveling a lot for your business, sign up for membership programs such as those offered by Marriott or Choice Hotels. When you stay at a hotel, you get points you can use later on.
If needed, always ask about the availability of a crib or roll-away at the time you reserve the room. Not every hotel will give you this sort of thing, and the ones that do are in limited quantities. Additionally, there may be an extra fee for these items. Discuss your needs at the time of booking.
Become a member of AAA in order to make your travel arrangements easier. Members of AAA receive many travel benefits including reduced hotel rates and lower car rental rates. Some places provide free car seats too.
Do not check out early. Some hotels charge early departure fees. Whenever you reserve a room, it isn’t available to anyone else and the hotel will lose money if you cancel. They have to at least get something for the loss, thus an early departure charge.
Don’t call long distance in your hotel room. Instead, use the Internet. You will probably find that your hotel has Wi-Fi and Skype. You can stay connected with friends, family and business colleagues this way, rather than making expensive long distance calls.
When your hotel attempts to “walk” you, don’t stand for it! This happens when the room you requested is unavailable because of overbooking on the part of the hotel. This means that you’re going to have to go somewhere else. If you can’t avoid this make sure the room you get there is better or comparable and that they pay for the travel there.
If you are concerned about bed bugs, look in the bathroom first. This is where bedbugs are least likely to be. Stow you suitcases and other items here and then take a good look at the rest of your room. It’s safe for pets and kids too.
Don’t pilfer the hotel towels or linens. It seems like a common thing people try to get away with, but the hotel will know when you do this and may charge you later for the missing items. It is sometimes possible to buy linens or pillows from the hotel if you want them so badly.
Know what the hotel’s policy is for overbooking. Hotels routinely overbook, which means that you could find that there is no room available for you when you arrive at the hotel. The hotel will then send or “walk” you to another hotel. It’s best to avoid this, but if you can’t, be sure you are going to a better hotel and getting a better room.
Your hotel stay may become even more pleasant if you are willing to tip appropriately. As as example, room service tips are included in the bill, yet maid service tips are not. This will keep the workers happy and keep them offering you tip-top service.
When planning for a trip, you may make a hasty hotel reservation at the first place you find. This is not a good idea. These tips will help you enjoy your hotel stay.
The view from your room is important to some and is always different from one hotel to the next. So long as you won’t be charged extra, ask about getting a room with a nice view. These small features can make your stay better. It’s a simple thing to ask whether there are rooms available where the view is better.