Making vacation arrangements often involves a significant amount of work. Not only do you have to choose your vacation spot and arrange for transportation, you also have to book your hotel accommodations. If you make the wrong choice, that can spoil the vacation for everyone. Read this article to learn how to book your hotel the right way.
You can find a lot of great deals on hotels if you go online and check out some of the travel sites out there. Join the loyalty program for any hotel chain that you love and believe you’ll stay with often. Some organizations like AAA and AARP offer lodging discounts for a variety of hotel chains.
Make sure you check out online review websites prior to making a reservation for a hotel. These types of sites let you read about real customers’ experiences with each hotel. The information provided by patrons of the hotel will help you make a good choice of where to stay.
Make use of the room safe to ensure the safety of your electronics when you are not in your room. Anything of value can be securely locked in the safe, then you won’t have to worry about your valuables while out enjoying yourself for the day.
Be sure to keep your valuables and electronics secure by locking them in your hotel room’s safe. Anything of value can be securely locked in the safe, then you won’t have to worry about your valuables while out enjoying yourself for the day.
Many things must be considered when choosing the right hotel. 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. Seek out hotels that offer amenities that appeal to you.
Many factors come into play as you choose a hotel. Price is one factor, however you may also need your hotel to be close to a particular destination. What about free breakfast, local calls, wifi or swimming pool? Seek out hotels that offer amenities that appeal to you.
There are some things you have to do before taking your pet on a trip. You want to ensure you’ve chosen a pet-friendly hotel. Bring along lots of plastic bags for clean ups. See if you can stay in a room toward the end of a hall so your pet does not disturb guests.
You can use hotel search tools on the Internet. You can use such websites to discover great deals with ease and speed. They can also show you what the hotel’s average rates typically are, allowing you to see whether you are actually getting a good deal or not. 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 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. Go for a jog every morning. Even if you stick to city streets, you will gain a better perspective on your destination city before you leave.
Always see if you can find deals online when you’re thinking of getting a hotel room. The reservation clerk won’t offer these details to you over the phone. For this reason, making a proactive search is advisable. Check out websites like SniqueAway, Jetsetter, or RueLaLaTravel.
Do you travel on a periodic basis? If so, consider joining your hotel’s loyalty program. They give people benefits if they go to that chain often. These programs can assure you niceties such as the best prices, room upgrades, and special perks such as free meals or late checkouts.
When you arrive at your hotel, thoroughly inspect your room before unpacking. Is the room clean? Are all bathroom fixtures in proper working order? Is the room adequately stocked with towels and linens? If you find obvious problems, notify the front desk right away so the hotel can correct the problems or they can assign a different room.
If you often stay at a certain type of hotel, ask about the “frequent stay” program. These programs give you points every time you stay there. They can amount to show tickets, free nights, spa deals, hotel restaurants discounts and much more.
Ask when you’re able to check into the room. If you don’t check, the room may not be ready when you arrive. If you think you will arrive before check in time, call the hotel and ask if you can come.
To make sure you don’t have an unexpected expense, ask about how much hotel transfers will cost. Especially if you’re in a situation where the room’s price is a really good deal, the price of your transfer can make a big difference. You can increase the amount you save by simply finding this information out in advance.
Months Ahead
Sign up as an AAA member to make hotel arrangements easier when you are traveling. Members of AAA receive many travel benefits including reduced hotel rates and lower car rental rates. At some locations they even offer free car seats.
For the best hotel rates, plan your trip weeks or months ahead of time. It’s not uncommon for a hotel to offer a discount if a room is booked a couple of months ahead of time. Doing this could save you up to 50 percent off your room, and this holds true with the more elite brands as well.
Making a long distance call from a hotel room should be avoided. Make use of the Internet, instead. You will probably find that your hotel has Wi-Fi and Skype. This can be a much cheaper option than calling from a hotel room and getting hit with lots of fees.
Don’t make assumptions about pet policies of hotels. Even if a web listing says a hotel is pet friendly, call the hotel to verify. Also, ask what their definition of pet-friendly is, as there may still be restrictions on size or breed of pet allowed at the hotel.
Call the hotel before you arrive to make sure the swimming pool is in working order. There are few things as frustrating as showing up to a hotel, with your kids chomping at the bit to get in the pool, only to have it closed for repairs.
Book any massage appointments you make early. The best professionals are often in high demand, so get in while you can.
Find out if the hotel you want is smoking or non-smoking. If you are not a smoker, you probably want to avoid staying in a smoking room. Even non-smoking rooms can have smoke billow in from next door. Sometimes a smoker will get a non smoking room and still smoke in it. Request a non-smoking room if you do not want to smell like cigarettes.
Auto Club
Always ask about the hotel’s smoking policy if you smoke. A lot of places will have smoker’s rooms. If this is the case, then you shouldn’t be shy when asking for this type of room. A few hotels will charge you in the event that they discover you’ve been smoking in their rooms where it’s prohibited, so abide by the smoking rules.
If you’re a member of the AAA, you should see what your hotel membership discount will be. You could also get a surprise that you have an auto club membership that gives you hotel discounts. Membership in AARP, a union, an auto club or even being a police officer can get you a discount. This can add up on a long trip.
When reserving your room, be sure to ask for a roll-away bed or crib if you will be in need of these extra sleeping accommodations. Many hotels have a limited number of these, so it is important to mention this at booking. Also, you may face extra charges for the use of these items. Discuss these needs when making your reservation to avoid any unpleasant surprises.
Be sure to follow your fitness regimen while staying in a hotel by packing your workout clothes and any other equipment you may need. This makes it easy for you to wake in the morning and get in a run. You’ll get plenty of good exercise and a better understanding of the city around you.
Try to avoid checking out of the hotel ahead of your scheduled checkout time. Many hotels will charge a fee for early departure. 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. So make sure that you know the hotel’s policy on checking out a day or two early – it might cost you.
If you often frequent the same hotel chains, look into their frequent stay membership programs. 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.
For the sake of hygiene, avoid the bedspread provided by the hotel. While sheets and linens are always washed, the topmost bedspread may not be, depending on the hotel policy. This means they may be a hotbed of germs. Remove the blanket and sleep in peace.
The price you pay at a hotel often depends on the time frame in which you reserve the room. The price of a hotel room varies with availability. Whenever you can, maker your room reservation no more than a day ahead of time. A late booking when the hotel is slow often results in a bargain. A room that’s empty loses money for the hotel; so, they usually cut the price.
In order to pay the lowest rate possible, don’t travel during the peak season. The rates are going to be sky high. Instead, try and travel during the off season when there are lots of vacancies. You will normally receive a discounted rate.
Get a membership to AAA to make booking hotel arrangements a breeze when you travel. AAA members get good hotel discounts and can also find good car rental rates much more easily. If you are a parent of a young child, you may even be provided with a free car seat.
Try your best to score a free upgrade during your hotel stay. Arrive right at your check-in time. Hotels often count on their guests being late; therefore, they will often not have their rooms ready at the set time; therefore, by showing up on time, the hotel may provide you an upgraded room at no extra cost to you.
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.
If you’re trying to get into a hotel while you’re out and about, check out rest areas or gas stations to find tourist books which will have maps, prices, and great discounts. So you can call ahead and get a room, rather than driving all around and hoping to find a good deal.
If you are going to inspect if your hotel room has bed bugs, then start looking in the bathroom. This is where you are least likely to find bedbugs. This is the best place to put your bags while you look around. Not to mention a great place for your children and pets too.
Tipping appropriately will make your hotel stay a bit better. For instance, room service usually includes the tip; however, the bill for maid service doesn’t. Tipping those who help you will ensure they give you special attention.
Avoid sleeping under the bedspread. Although hotels will wash the sheets that lie underneath the bedspread, the bedspread itself is not typically washed. It can carry a lot of germs. Just make sure you remove the bedspread.
Check online websites such as Expedia or Travelocity to help you find great prices. These websites sell lots of hotel rooms, and hotels allow them to offer discounts than cannot be found any other place. You may have to bid on some of them, and others may not include the hotel’s name until you book a room.
Don’t let your choice of hotel ruin your vacation. Be sure to plan ahead properly. The better informed you are, the better choices you’ll make. Enjoying your hotel should be among the things that go along with an enjoyable vacation. Remember these tips as you plan your vacation.
Tipping the housekeeper who has tended to your room is a nice touch on your final day. You can justify not tipping other services as the bill usually includes these extras, but it is customary to tip room service maids. This is especially important if you leave behind a messy room every day.
