Everybody has to stay at a hotel at some time. Whether you will be staying in one for personal reasons or business reasons, it is important to know what to look for in a hotel. These tips will help you out.
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. This service comes at a premium, but you can stay comfortable in your room while enjoying you eats.
There are plenty of websites that offer reviews for local hotels, for example TripAdvisor. Use these websites to review a hotel before you make the actual reservation. These reviews can give you a customer’s perspective of the hotel you are planning on staying at. Consider what they say to help you make your decision.
Look at organizations you’re part of for discounts. Some of them may provide discounts on hotel stays. People frequently forget these discounts are available, and they can be 10 percent or more. These discounts can save you quite a bit of cash, particularly if your stay involves several nights. This can rack up a free night over the entire course of a whole week.
Check with the organizations that you are a member with. Hotel discounts are often one of the benefits offered. People don’t always remember to check out these discounts, which can often be 10% and higher. This is especially useful if you plan to book a longer stay. A stay of 5 days or more could add up to one free hotel night stay!
Search online tools for hotels. Travel websites are very helpful when seeking the best deals. On this type of site, you can find out the average and discounted rates of most hotels. They also help you decide the dates for your vacation and the activities you’ll want to partake of.
Figuring out which hotel you want to book isn’t an easy process. Price is always a big factor, but you also need a hotel that’s geographically proximate to your target destinations. You may or may not care about such amenities such as a gym, large pool, WiFi or a free breakfast buffet. Find a hotel room that includes all of the features that you demand. There’s sure to be one out there.
Always see if you can find deals online when you’re thinking of getting a hotel room. Hotels don’t usually advertise their lowest rates, so you may have to ask. It is your responsibility to find any available discounts. Websites like TripAdvisor, Expedia, and Jetsetter always have promising bargains for certain hotels that you won’t find anywhere else for a better price.
When get to your hotel, inspect the room before unpacking. Is your room mold and mildew free? Do the sink, shower, and toilet all work properly? Are you given the linens and towels that you’re going to need? If you have any questions or notice any problems with the room, immediately call the front desk and report them so that they may be handled. You may also asked to be transferred to a new room if the problem is serious, such as mold or mildew.
When you get to your hotel room, look over the room before unpacking. Is it clean? Does your shower, sink, and toilet work in the right way? Are there enough linens and towels? If you see any issues, be sure to tell the front desk. This way, they can fix the problems or switch rooms for you.
Plan your trip in advance for the best rates. It’s not uncommon for a hotel to offer a discount if a room is booked a couple of months ahead of time. With elite brands, this can translate into savings of up to 50 percent.
If you wish to include amenities such as massage while staying at a hotel, be sure to make your reservations in advance. Most of the best masseurs will be reserved by name ahead of time. You’ve got to get in your reservation early to get the best masseur or masseuses.
To keep your running regimen up while you are traveling, pack your GPS watch and plenty of running clothes. Jogging around the city before you start your day will add enjoyment to your vacation. Even if you stick to city streets, you will gain a better perspective on your destination city before you leave.
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. Simply set an alarm or get a wake up call and take an early morning run. When you go running in a new city, you will get a free tour, up-close and personal.
Green Hotels
Do you travel on a periodic basis and use the same hotel chain? If so, check out the loyalty programs provided by that hotel. These are exceptional benefits reserved for customers who frequently use a particular chain of hotels. Enjoy late check out, bonus upgrades and free nights with the loyalty paints you have earned.
Try out a green vacation. It is fortunate for you that there are quite a lot of green hotels available. Some hotels are certified to be green. Older hotels may choose to take “green” standards seriously, which is a great thing. Talk to your travel agent in order to find the best green hotels for your needs.
If you often stay at the same hotel chain, check to see if they offer membership to frequent stay programs. 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.
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. This allows you to earn point you can redeem for vacation freebies for you and your family.
Discuss what a hotel transfer will cost you prior to actually booking anything. Hotel transfer costs can be extremely large, especially in hotels that appear to offer an incredible deal on their room rates. Asking these things before anything happens will allow you to save more.
Being a member of AAA makes travel very easy. AAA members are given many discounts and booking privileges on hotel rooms and rental vehicles. Some places provide free car seats too.
Consider joining a membership program if you travel often. This allows you to earn points each time you book a room. You can use these points to purchase perks in the future.
Don’t call long distance in your hotel room. Instead, you should try the Internet. Hotels usually have Wi-Fi, so you can call using Skype. Use these to keep up with loved ones or colleagues back home from the comfort of your hotel room instead of racking up costly phone calls from the nightstand.
Be careful not to make long distance phone calls on the hotel phone. You can use the Internet to make these types of calls. Most hotels offer Wi-Fi, but you will probably need their password and may have to pay a fee to use this service. Use these connections to keep in touch instead of costly long distance calls.
Make sure that your family enjoys their stay by calling ahead to ensure the hotel’s swimming pool is working, There is nothing worse than arriving at your destination anxiously looking forward to splashing around in the pool, only to find that it is closed.
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. It can prove rather frustrating when you check in to your room with the kids screaming “pool” only to find out it’s closed.
When you first arrive, inspect your hotel room’s bathroom. This is the least likely place for bedbugs to be. Therefore, you can put your luggage here while you look over the remainder of the room. It is usually a convenient place for young children to sit for a moment too.
Make sure to ask up front if the hotel allows smoking or does not. If you are a non-smoker, you will enjoy a non-smoking room more. Even if you stipulate that your room should be non-smoking, second hand smoke can still enter your room. Also, people may rent a non-smoking room and smoke in it. If you just can’t stand the smell of stale smoke, look for a hotel that doesn’t allow it at all.
Look into the smoking policies in the hotel you are considering. If you are not a smoker, you might want to avoid hotels with smoking rooms. Even if you reserve a non-smoking room, the smell of smoke can circulate through the hotel’s air vents and cause your clothes to pick up the odor. There are times when smokers light up in a non-smoking room. By choosing a hotel that does not allow smoking, you can completely avoid the smell of cigarettes.
Be sure you understand your hotel’s smoking policy if you smoke. Many hotels have rooms designated for smokers. Ask to see if any of these are available. If you don’t, you can be hit with some major penalties for lighting up in a non-smoker’s room.
Understand the smoking rules in your hotel, especially if you smoke. Many hotels set aside certain rooms or wings for smoking guests. If that happens to be the case, then you need to ask for that type of room. Otherwise, you might find yourself paying a high fee for smoking in a room that is designated as non-smoking.
When making your reservation for a room, specify when you need a roll-out bed or crib. Not all hotels will supply these things, and some may have limited quantities. Additionally, you may need to pay an extra fee. Talk about your needs when you reserve a spot so you don’t get surprised with something you won’t like.
Know that you may not be able to check-in early at some hotels. Unless you’re okay with waiting for your room to be ready, plan your timing wisely. The room must be cleaned and prepared so the next guest can check in. If you do get to the hotel early, ask at the front desk if you can possibly check in early, but there is a chance you won’t be able to.
Don’t check out early, if possible. You may be charged a fee if you do. When a hotel room is something you book, they are taking it away from other people and will lose some money if you leave early. This is why they have the departure fee, to get their money back that they would have otherwise lost.
In conclusion, everyone stays at a hotel at some point. Regardless of the reason why, research is necessary. You have just been provided with great tips to looking for a hotel; use them to your advantage.
Avoid using the hotel bedspread. Although the blankets and sheets are cleaned when guests check out, sometimes the bedspread on top will not be. This might mean the bedspread is carrying bacteria, germs, or bedbugs. Remove the comforter from the bed.
