Thousands of hotel chains exist, ranging from small roadside motels to five-star luxurious rooms. Picking a good hotel helps make your trip memorable in a good way, but a bad hotel choice does exactly the opposite. If you wish to get a great hotel, read this advice.
Figuring out which hotel you want to book isn’t an easy process. Price is always important, of course, but you might also want to find a hotel near a certain attraction or business. Amenities that help you choose a hotel are free breakfast, free Wi-Fi, exercise room, pool, and a restaurant on the premises. Look for a hotel that provides you with the amenities that are a priority to you.
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. Room service can be expensive, but the luxury of being able to lounge about in your room in your jammies can make it worthwhile.
Make use of the various hotel search websites on the Internet. Travel websites are very helpful when seeking the best deals. Being able to comparison shop helps you find the best value, while getting the amenities that are important to you. Finally, they can assist you in deciding when to vacation and what to do once you arrive at your destination.
Look at organizations you’re part of for discounts. Many of these places will give you cheaper hotel prices. You may save ten percent or more. If you are planning to stay a few nights, this can really add up. If you stay for a week, these discounts will almost add up for a free night.
Prior to booking your hotel room, search the Internet for deals. In a lot of cases, the person booking your room isn’t going to tell you about online discounts. 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.
You want to look at a number of different things when booking a hotel stay. Price is important but a shabby, dirty hotel room is no bargain at any price. Other amenities that people look for are a gym, pool, free local phone calls, free Wi-Fi, and free breakfast. Try to get a room that fits your needs, then start shopping by price.
Inspect the room before unpacking. Is the room clean? Do you see any mold or mildew? Check the toilet, the shower, and the sink to make sure they are clean and function properly. Are there enough of the right linens? Call the front desk if you find any issues; they can either fix the problem or give you a different room.
Check your hotel room prior to unpacking. Make sure there is no mold or mildew anywhere in the room. Are the showers, sinks, toilets, etc. properly functioning? Do you need extra linens or towels? If you notice a problem, be sure to inform the front desk right away to have these problems resolved.
Plan your trip as far in advance as you can to ensure best rates. Quite a few locations will give discounts if you choose to book a room a month or more in advance. This will allow you to save up to 50 percent even when staying at an elite hotel.
Never make the assumption that all hotels allows pets in your room. Call them ahead of time to see if they are even if the website they’re on says yes. Get the term “pet-friendly” defined, as well. The hotel may not allow large dogs or certain types of pets.
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. The best massage therapists are well-known at resorts, so planning early is the best way to create a good experience.
Use your AAA discount at hotels. You would be surprised where hidden discounts may be lurking. 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 you stay at the same chain of hotels often, look into their membership programs for frequent guests. Similar to frequent flyer programs, hotels have programs that add points on to your account each time you stay with them. These points can be used to earn free nights, discounts and more.
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 run when you wake up in the morning. Even if you stick to city streets, you will gain a better perspective on your destination city before you leave.
You may wish to consider a “green” vacation if the environment is one of your concerns. Fortunately, many green hotels exist nowadays. Some new hotels are built to green standards and are certified green. Many older hotels will still be environmentally aware by utilizing some eco-friendly practices. Talk with a travel agent to find green hotels.
How much you pay for a hotel room depends on when you book your room. Rooms are priced based on availability. Try to always book your hotel room only a day in advance. In this way, you will get good rates. Hotels would rather discount the price because an empty room does not earn them any money.
If you must make a hotel transfer, find out about the fees. Hidden transfer costs can really make a room not worth it. If you know this upfront, you can save more money.
Membership Program
If you want to save money, and you stay at the same place a lot, consider signing up for the hotel’s version of a frequent guest program. When you do, you get points every time you stay at a hotel.
Join a membership program if you travel frequently. By joining a membership program, you earn points during every visit. These points can add up to free items over time.
Find out if the hotel you’re staying at has a functioning pool for the kids. There is nothing worse than getting to a hotel with kids to find the pool is closed.
Steer clear of long distance calls while in a hotel. Use the Internet, instead. Some hotels now provide Skype via Wi-Fi. You can still call family members, friends, and colleagues from your room without racking up tons of costly charges.
Make sure to ask up front if the hotel you’ll be staying in allows smoking or does not. If you’re not a smoker, a smoking room may be unappealing. You may be able to ask for a non-smoking room, however smoke can still travel through the air, settling on your clothing. Sometimes, smokers rent non-smoking rooms and smoke in them. By choosing a hotel that does not allow smoking, you can completely avoid the smell of cigarettes.
If you are going to inspect if your hotel room has bed bugs, then start looking in the bathroom. Bedbugs are rarely seen in this room. That means that the bathroom is a great place to keep your bags while you check the rest of your accommodations for bedbugs. It is a good place for pets or children to wait for a couple minutes as well.
Know whether or not smoking is allowed in your room. Some hotels offer smoking rooms. If so, you should avail yourself of this option. Don’t smoke in a nonsmoking room, or you may be charged by the hotel for doing so.
Check to see if your prospective hotel is non-smoking or smoking. If you aren’t a smoker, then you want to avoid smoking rooms and maybe even smoking hotels in general, but most hotel chains do have smoking and non-smoking rooms. Even if you stipulate that your room should be non-smoking, second hand smoke can still enter your room. In addition, previous travelers could have smoked in the room, even if it is a non-smoking room. Choose a non-smoking hotel to a smoke smell on your clothes.
If you have a young child, ask for a crib when you call to make your reservation. Some hotels don’t have these things, while others do have a few. Additionally, there may be an extra fee for these items. Ask about this before you finalize your reservations, to make sure your needs are fully met.
If you smoke, be sure you’re aware of what the hotel thinks of smoking where you’re staying. Many have designated nonsmoking rooms. If this is the case, then you shouldn’t be shy when asking for this type of room. Smoking in a non-smoking room can be a big no-no and you may even be charged an extra cleaning fee.
Don’t check out early, if possible. Hotels often charge early departure fees. If you check out too early, the hotel will lose money because they remove the room off the reservation list. That’s why they will charge you a fee for early departure.
Be aware that you can’t normally check-in early at your hotel. Plan accordingly or you will find yourself waiting a long time to access your room. It is usually necessary for hotels to service your room prior to allowing you to check in. If you can’t avoid being early, ask the front desk to make an exception, but be prepared if they can’t accommodate you.
Don’t be tempted to open bottled water! Sure, you might be a little thirsty after checking into your new room. Opening the bottle in the mini-fridge is tempting. Hotels take advantage of their guests by charging ridiculous pricess for bottled water. Some hotels offer free bottles of water in their gyms. The best idea, however, is to bring your own.
A lot of people just book the first room that they find and don’t bother doing research for the perfect one. This can easily backfire and you can wind up paying a lot more for a room than you should. You really don’t want your hotel room to be dirty, so use this advice to avoid this circumstance.
You may be able to receive an upgrade without being charged for one. To do this, arrive at the hotel when you are supposed to check in. Quite often, your room has not been cleaned yet, so you may be able to get an upgraded room at no extra charge.
