Planning A Hotel Stay? Check Out These Helpful Tips First!

Most everyone will find themselves needing to stay in a hotel from time to time. Many people are disappointed with their hotel because they didn’t research it beforehand. You have found the right place. This article will give you tips that will help you stay during your next vacation.

Use Orbitz or Expedia to find a great deal. Always remember to give your loyalty program information to the clerk when you book your room or search for prices. You may also be eligible for deals that are offered to members of certain organizations, like AAA or AARP.

TIP! To get the very best prices for the hotels that you’d like to visit, use travel sites online like Orbitz and Expedia. If you belong to a hotel’s loyalty program, be sure to input that information when checking rates.

Check online reviews before making any reservations. This will give you know what others’ experiences of people at each hotel. What former guests have to say about their experiences at the hotels you’re thinking of booking can ensure you in coming to the right decision.

If you have a safe in your closet, then you should use it to keep your valuables safe while you are outside of the room. Valuables can be placed there with confidence, allowing you to enjoy your day without worries.

TIP! Use your hotel room’s safe to keep your valuables secure. Putting these items in the safe ensures that you can go out and have fun, not worrying about what you’ve left in the room.

Consider ordering room service when the urge strikes for a late-night snack with your special someone. While it may cost a little extra, it is more convenient to remain in your room while satisfying your hunger.

Consider your organizational memberships. Many organizations provide hotel discounts for members. Discounts of 10% or more are often available, and people sometimes forget that they are eligible to claim them. This is especially useful if you plan to book a longer stay. For a week of vacation time that adds up to an extra day!

TIP! The organizations that you are a member of might be of help. There are times when an organization will give you great deals on the price of hotels.

Check in on the organizations that you are a member with. Many organizations provide hotel discounts to members. People often forget about these discounts, and they can be 10 percent or more. It can add up to equal a free hotel night!

Always see if you can find deals online when you’re thinking of getting a hotel room. Many times, the person you book your room with will not tell you that you can get a discount online. So, it’s up personally to you to go searching for such discounts. Look at Jetsetter, Enrovia and Hotels.com.

TIP! Always look for deals online when reserving 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.

Take advantage of online hotel searching for a hotel. You can use such websites to discover great deals on certain hotel chains.

Find out the exact time for check-in and check-out. If you don’t check, the room may not be ready when you arrive. If you’re going to come to the hotel before you should be checking in, call them first to see if there’s anything they can do for you.

TIP! Find out the exact time for check-in and check-out. Some people end up waiting for their room to be available because they forget to check this critical detail.

Know the hotel’s check-in times. Some people neglect asking what the check-in time is and get to the hotel when their room to be available because they forget to check this critical detail.Call and ask if it is alright for you to arrive before check-in.

You can get better deals on hotel rooms if you book several weeks or months ahead. If you chose to book a month or even two ahead of your arrival date, you can get great discounts. This can save you as much as 40 percent off of the cost of your hotel.

TIP! In order to get the best prices for hotel stays, you will want to plan your trip several weeks or months beforehand. It’s not uncommon for a hotel to offer a discount if a room is booked a couple of months ahead of time.

If you belong to the AAA, check into your membership hotel discount. You would be surprised where hidden discounts on hotels. You may be able to save upwards of five percent at hotels in the US. This is a savings that can really adds up when you are staying for many nights.

Be sure and take care of three important things before bringing a pet on your trip to any hotel. Take time to ensure that the hotel you’re booking is, in fact, pet-friendly. Gather plastic grocery bags so you are able to clean up any pet messes. Reserving a room near the end of a hallway will keep other guests from being disturbed by your pet.

TIP! If you need to have a pet stay with you in your hotel room, do a few things ahead of time. First, ensure that the hotel actually allows pets.

If you are a daily runner, try booking a hotel room that’s near the beach or an open park.

It may be wise to look into loyalty programs that your favorite hotels offer. They provide rewards to those who stay with them often. There are many great rewards even leading up to free stays as you gather up more loyalty points.

TIP! If you travel often, consider signing up for a loyalty program with your favorite hotel chain. There are many benefits you may be able to get.

It is wise to look into loyalty program if you travel frequently. These programs provide perks to those who frequently use a particular chain regularly. You can often earn free upgrades, free stays, or other great perks.

If you tend to stay at the same hotel a lot, see about signing up for their frequent guest program. You should be able to earn points every time you are visiting one of the hotels. You can accumulate points that you can redeem for free hotel stays, discounts at restaurants, and all types of entertainment.

TIP! If you stay at the same chain of hotels often, look into their membership programs for frequent guests. They work a lot like frequent flier miles do with airlines.

If you care about the environment, you can chose a “green” vacation. There are a lot of eco-friendly hotels that take the environment into consideration. Some new buildings are built in a way that they get certified green. Some older inns just select one or more eco-friendly so they can show environmental awareness. A travel agent can help you find hotels that are environmentally friendly.

People who care about the environment may be more comfortable staying in a hotel that is eco-friendly. The number of “green” hotels is steadily growing. Many newer hotels are environmentally friendly. Some older hotels simply choose a variety of eco-friendly practices to be environmentally aware. Finding hotels that are environmentally friendly can be as easy as asking your favorite travel agent.

TIP! If you care about the environment, then you may be interested in taking a “green” vacation. Luckily, many hotels are around these days for you to choose from.

The amount you pay for the hotel room is often a mix of many factors. Rooms prices are often priced in accordance with availability. This gives you the best price when it comes to hotel rooms.

In order to avoid an unwanted expense on the hotel bill, inquire about any hotel transfer fees prior to booking them. If you’re getting what appears to be a nice deal on the room, these types of hidden charges can sometimes surface. Getting this information ahead of time will maximize your savings.

TIP! Find out about hotel transfer costs prior to booking a room to avoid hefty fees. If you’re getting what appears to be a nice deal on the room, these types of hidden charges can sometimes surface.

Be sure to avoid hotel transfers when booking a room.If you are getting a very low price on the room, these types of hidden charges can sometimes surface. You can increase the amount you save by asking about such a thing in advance.

If you are traveling with kids, make sure the hotel you book has a working pool. Showing up at your hotel and finding out the pool isn’t in working order can ruin an otherwise great trip.

TIP! Call ahead to your hotels to make certain the swimming pools are ready for your kids. There is nothing worse than getting to a hotel with kids to find the pool is closed.

Join a loyalty program if you frequently stay there on your stays. These programs allow you to collect points can translate into some major perks when you’re vacationing.

One should always be aware of the hotel’s policy on pets. If you’re scared of pets or are allergic, you might want to stay away from pet-friendly hotels. Also, pet friendly hotels may have lingering odors that have been absorbed by carpeting or linens. Extra fees are sometimes imposed by hotels for guests who bring pets, but sometimes the fee is not too high. The fee charged may not be adequate to cover the extra cleaning needed to completely remove the odors.

TIP! See what the pet policy is at the hotel. If you fear pets or have allergies it may be best to make reservations at hotels that have a strict no pets policy.

Check if your prospective hotel is non-smoking or smoking. If you are a nonsmoker, you might want to choose a hotel that does not have smoking rooms. Smokers also sometimes smoke in rooms that the room they are not supposed to smoke in.

If it’s possible, try not to check out before the departure date you had originally scheduled. If you do, you may be charged a fee for early departure. Whenever you reserve a room, it isn’t available to anyone else and the hotel will lose money if you cancel. They charge a fee for early departure to help compensate for the lost revenue.

TIP! If you can, avoid checking out before the day you are scheduled to. Hotels often charge early departure fees.

Be sure you understand your hotel’s smoking policy is if you smoke cigarettes. A lot of places will have specific rooms just for people who smoke. Ask to see if you are a smoker. If you smoke in a room designated as non-smoking, you can be hit with some major penalties for lighting up in a non-smoker’s room.

Avoid using the hotel bedspread. While the staff may have washed the sheets prior to your stay, the comforter is not always washed. This bedspread is where you would find the bacteria and germs. Pull it off for peace of mind.

TIP! The bedspread might not be the cleanest linen in the room. They generally will wash the blankets and sheets that are under the bedspread, but the main bedspread may not be washed.

You should be aware of the hotel allows pets. These hotels sometimes have odors sinking into the floor and bed linens. Some hotels add an extra charge for pets, and the charge is not much in some places.The fee may be for any cleaning costs.

Don’t drink the water! Sure, you’re thirsty and hot. Opening the bottle in the mini-fridge is tempting. Hotels know this and charge more for bottled water. Some hotels give free bottles of water to their guest in their gyms. If not, hit a convenience store and save some money.

TIP! Do not open that bottled water! Sure, you might be a little thirsty after checking into your new room. You may get tempted to open a bottle of water that is in the hotel’s mini-fridge.

Never actually check out before the departure unless it is absolutely necessary. The hotel may charge a fee if you check out early. When you book a hotel room, the hotel can’t offer the room to someone else, if you depart early they will lose money.

Resist the urge to abscond with the hotel linens. As much as you may like the towels, washcloths or pillows, housekeeping is likely to notice any missing items, and the hotel may send you a bill for them. If you really are in love with their linens, see if that hotel is willing to sell them to you.

TIP! Don’t take linens from your room! If hotel staff notice that these items are missing, you may be billed for them. If you do want to take something, ask about a direct purchase when you’re checking out.

Avoid sleeping under the hotel bedspread.The bedspread usually isn’t washed like the sheets or blankets underneath. It may be a carrier of bacteria and other things you want to avoid. Just make sure you remove this covering from the bed to have peace of mind.

You can often save money if you book your flight and hotel at the same time. Check travel websites to see if you qualify for these savings. To maximize this service, be sure to compare the rates of different airlines and hotels.

TIP! Save money by booking your flight and hotel together. A lot of travel online sites feature serious savings for anyone who bundles things together.

To summarize, there are going to be times when you have to book a hotel room. If you don’t do the research, your hotel stay could become a nightmare though. This article has given you the information you need to succeed when searching for the ideal hotel.

If you want a lower rate for your hotel, avoid booking during the peak tourist season. Hotel rates are very high during tourist season. Instead, try booking your rooms in the off season because hotels want to have as many rooms filled as possible. You chance of getting a discount is much greater.

TIP! If you want lower hotel room rates, try to avoid booking in the middle of peak tourist seasons. Hotel rates are very high during tourist season.