Everything You Need To Know About Hotels

Hotels are as varied as people. You can get a simple room at a discount chain or book a room at a resort style hotel. Having an excellent, yet affordable hotel lined up will make your vacation that much better. Read this article to learn the right approach to finding a nice hotel.

Be sure to read online review websites prior to booking a hotel. Reviews allow you to read about recent experiences at a hotel. What people say about their experiences at the hotels you’re thinking of booking can aid you in coming to the right decision.

TIP! Before you make reservations at a particular hotel, check its reviews on websites like TripAdvisor. This gives you first-hand accounts of people’s experiences in each hotel.

Check online hotel reviews prior to booking your stay. These will give you some information from people that have stayed at that certain hotel. What others say will help you make a wise decision.

If you want a nice meal at night with your special someone, and you are too comfortable in your room to go out, order some food through room service. Even though this will cost a bit more, the convenience and comfort are worth it.

TIP! Would you like to enjoy the comfort of enjoying an incredible evening meal with your loved one without having to dress up and leave your room? If so, consider using room service. The cost will be a bit higher, but not having to dress up and go out will be worth it.

Look at organizations you’re part of for discounts. Do they offer hotel discounts? Many people don’t remember these discounts, which can save them 10% or more. If your stay will be for multiple nights, these discounts can save you lots of money. It can add up to equal a free night!

Use your hotel room’s safe to keep your valuables secure. You can use it to store your tablet and other expensive items to keep them secure.

TIP! To keep your electronics safe when you are out of the hotel room, use the safe that you’ll find in your closet. Put all of your valuables and small electronics into the safe, such as your jewelry and iPad.

Figuring out which hotel you want to book isn’t an easy process. Your budget comes first, but proximity to attractions is also important. Amenities, such as a gym, room service, or free Wi-Fi, might be of importance to you. So decide on the amenities that mean the most to you and start looking.

Search for the best deals in hotels online before making reservations. In a lot of cases, the person booking your room isn’t going to tell you about online discounts. That’s why it’s always your duty to search the web for better deals whenever you are booking a hotel room. Use websites such as Jetsetter, SniqueAway or RueLaLaTravel.

TIP! Search for the best deals in hotels online before making reservations. Often, the reservations clerk will not advise you that a better deal is available online.

Before you book a hotel, look for deals online. Often, the person booking your room won’t tell you about discounts available online. So you should always search on your own for discounts prior to booking. Review the different websites, such as Jetsetter or SniqueAway.

Know your check-in time in advance. Many people forget the time, then they show up early and the room isn’t ready yet. If you might be arriving before the check-in time, ask the hotel whether it’s okay to come.

TIP! Be clear about check-in time at the hotel you have booked. If you show up too early for check-in, then your room may not be ready for you yet.

Always check the room before you begin to unpack your belongings. Is it free of mildew and mold while being clean? Does everything work? Do you have enough towels and linens? If you quickly note any problems, let the person at the front desk know so they can help you sort it out or give you a better room.

If you wish to include amenities such as massage while staying at a hotel, be sure to make your reservations in advance. The best masseuses are booked well in advance.

TIP! If you want to have a massage with your partner on your vacation, make sure that you schedule an appointment with a masseuse as early as possible. That’s because the highest quality masseurs and masseuses are typically booked way in advance due to their good name.

If you want to get a low rate at your hotel, start planning early for your vacation. Most hotels have serious discounts for early booking customers. You might even be able to save up to 50 percent off at some very exclusive hotels.

Remember that hotel chains often provide loyalty programs offering excellent discounts. These are similar to frequent flyer programs, offering points each time you stay at a particular chain. They will get you discounts on the hotel restaurants, spa deals, and just a number of great stuff.

TIP! If you often frequent the same hotel chains, look into their frequent stay membership programs. Just like with a frequent flyer mile program, you can get points for staying a hotel.

Be sure and take care of three important things before bringing a pet on your trip to any hotel. Make sure it’s a pet-friendly hotel. Bring along lots of plastic bags for clean ups. Also, request a room away from other guests so that your pet does not bother them.

Sign up as an AAA member to make hotel arrangements easier when you are traveling. People who are AAA members receive discounts at many hotel chains. In addition, having a AAA membership will make it easier to get a rental car when it’s needed. Those who have small children will be pleased to find car seats available for free.

TIP! You can get great hotel discounts by becoming a member of AAA. Not only will AAA members receive discounts for a lot of hotel chains that make it worth getting into, you may also find rental cars more easily than those without the membership.

If you like running and frequently stay in hotel rooms, be sure and pack up a GPS watch, along with your favorite running clothes. Get up early and dress for a jog in the early morning. Running down city streets or country roads can give you a fresh view of the place you are visiting.

When traveling with children, check with the hotel ahead of time to ascertain that the pool is usable. There is nothing worse than getting to a hotel with kids to find the pool is closed.

TIP! If you are bringing your kids along for the trip, then it’s a good idea to call a hotel in advance and make sure they have working pools. Nothing is more frustrating than to have kids nagging you about swimming, only to find that the pool is closed.

If you stay at the same chain of hotels often, look into their membership programs for frequent guests. Just like with a frequent flyer mile program, you can get points for staying a hotel. They can amount to show tickets, free nights, spa deals, hotel restaurants discounts and much more.

Think about whether or not you are going to be staying at a smoking or nonsmoking hotel. If you’re not a smoker, it may be wise to stay away from rooms that are for smoking. Even if you stipulate that your room should be non-smoking, second hand smoke can still enter your room. Smokers often don’t care that their room is non-smoking, too. To avoid the experience of breathing in smoke during your stay, try to stay in a hotel that doesn’t allow smoking.

TIP! Determine whether or not the hotel you are considering allows smoking or not. If you’re not a smoker, it may be wise to stay away from rooms that are for smoking.

Green Hotels

Know whether or not smoking is allowed in your room. Many hotels set aside certain rooms or wings for smoking guests. If your selected hotel does, ask for one. Smoking in a non-smoking room can be a big no-no and you may even be charged an extra cleaning fee.

TIP! Be sure you understand your hotel’s smoking policy if you smoke. Some hotels offer smoking rooms.

If you care about the environment, then you may be interested in taking a “green” vacation. There are several green hotels around. Some new hotels are built to green standards and are certified green. Some hotels that aren’t that new will pick out some ways to be more eco-friendly so they can show they care. Talk to your travel agent in order to find the best green hotels for your needs.

If you’re going to need special sleeping arrangements at a hotel, such as a roll- away or baby bed, specify this as you make reservations. They may not have any available. Sometimes, there are also extra charges for items like these. Make sure these needs are discussed during the initial reservation so you don’t get any surprises.

TIP! Ask for a roll away bed or crib when you are reserving your room, not when you arrive. Not every hotel will have these items available, and the ones that do only have limited quantities.

The timing for your booking of a hotel room has much to do with what you pay. Rooms are often priced in accordance with availability. If at all possible, do not book your room more than one day in advance. This will get you the best hotel rates. Empty rooms earn no money, so the hotels often slash the prices.

You may wish to use a different blanket than the comforter that is in your hotel room. Your sheets should be fresh and clean but the bedspread is not washed after each guest. That can make it rife with germs and bacteria and who knows what. Pull it off for peace of mind.

TIP! You may wish to use a different blanket than the comforter that is in your hotel room. Although the blankets and sheets are cleaned when guests check out, sometimes the bedspread on top will not be.

Membership Programs

If a hotel tries to “walk” you, know what your rights are. This is when a hotel is overbooked and they have no accommodations for you. In such cases, the hotel “walks” you, or sends 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.

TIP! When your hotel attempts to “walk” you, don’t stand for it! This refers to hotels overbooking their hotel rooms; therefore, the hotel room that you booked may not be available when you check in. That means the hotel will send you to another establishment, or “walk” you.

In order to enhance your hotel visits, especially when traveling for work, you should consider joining membership programs that hotels provide. Examples include membership programs provided by Marriott or Choice Hotels. When you stay at a hotel, you get points you can use later on.

Do not open the bottled water in your hotel room. When you arrive at your hotel, you might be very thirsty. You can be tempted to casually open that bottled water beckoning on the mini-fridge. Hotels take advantage of guests by charging ridiculous amounts for bottled water. Some hotels offer free bottles of water in their gyms. An even better option is to pack your own bottled water for when you arrive.

TIP! Stay away from the bottled water! After checking in you may be thirsty and tired. Finding a cold bottle of water in the little refrigerator may present a temptation.

Try to avoid long distance calling in hotel rooms. Use the Internet, instead. Many hotels now offer Skype connections via Wi-Fi. You can stay connected with people back home by using this instead of making expensive long distance calls from your hotel phone.

Don’t steal the hotel linens when you leave, no matter how tempting and comfortable they are. No matter how much you love them, housekeeping will note missing linens and the hotel is likely to bill you for them. If you do want to take something, ask about a direct purchase when you’re checking out.

TIP! Don’t steal the linens from the hotel. You will find yourself receiving a nice bill in the mail later.

Call the hotel before you arrive to make sure the swimming pool is in working order. There is nothing worse than having to tell your excited kids they cannot swim.

Save your money when on the road by making your flight and hotel reservations together as a bundle. There are numerous travel websites that give a fair deal when you book the hotel with a rental car or flight. Be sure and compare the rates on different sites, as some will offer better deals than others.

TIP! Book your flight and hotel at the same time to save money. Many times, travel websites offer discounts for booking the hotel, flight and rental car at the same time.

Understand your rights when it comes to hotels “walking” you. Sometimes hotels are going to overbook and then your room that you reserved won’t be there. This will require that you have to stay at a different hotel. You should try to avoid this; however, if this is necessary, ensure you are provided with the same quality room or better at the same price you would have paid.

If you need to book a hotel on short notice while traveling, take a look at different tourist centers, rest stops or gas stations to grab free pamphlets and guides which allow you to get good discounts and find names of hotels. This way, you won’t be driving around forever looking for a place to stay.

TIP! If it becomes necessary to book a hotel from the road, check rest areas, tourist centers and gas stations to find tourist books with maps of hotel locations, prices and discount offers. This will allow you to book a room with a phone call instead of traveling from hotel to hotel trying to find a room.

Do not open that bottled water! When you arrive at your hotel, you might be very thirsty. You might feel the urge to untwist the cap on the bottled water sitting in the mini-fridge. Hotels are well aware of this and will charge you a hefty fee for that already exorbitantly priced bottled water. You might find that there is free water offered in the hotel gym, however. However, to be safe, you should pack some water bottles yourself.

Tipping is a welcome practice at most hotels. Things like housekeeping are paid for on your bill, but this does not include gratuity for the housekeepers. Tipping guarantees that you’re respected and well liked during your hotel stay.

TIP! Tipping the hotel staff when appropriate is a good way to ensure you have a better experience. You will probably remember to tip the person who brings you room service, but you may forget to tip your maid.

Resist the urge to abscond with the hotel linens. You will find yourself receiving a nice bill in the mail later. If you really love those linens or pillows, find out if you can purchase them from the hotel.

Never pay the advertised price at hotels. The advertised price is known as the rack rate. If you are a savvy traveler, then you can get away without paying as much. Most hotels expect you to try to bargain about the price. Just give the hotel a call to see if you can get a great deal. They are usually quite happy to accommodate you with a better price or a few extras. Travel websites are notorious for offering large discounts.

TIP! Don’t pay the price the hotels advertise. Referred to as the “rack rate,” travelers in the know do not pay that rate.

In order to maximize the enjoyment of your trip, it is crucial that you find the best hotel. Do your homework and consider your choices of hotels carefully. You should find a place that offers you the best value. Use the tips you have read here to choose a great hotel.

Inform the hotel if you are staying for a special occasion. Hotels often provide some complimentary gifts if you let them know you are celebrating your anniversary or something similar. You might even get a bottle of bubbly! But of course don’t lie as that is wrong to do.

TIP! Make your hotel reservation during any special occasion. Hotels often provide some complimentary gifts if you let them know you are celebrating your anniversary or something similar.