You are going to need to stay at a hotel during your life. Whether you’re booking the room for business or for pleasure, you should have a working understanding of how to book the right room for your situation. Here is some advice that can help you.
Online travel websites can offer you a great deal on hotels with lots of choices, all on the same website. If you are a member of a hotel loyalty program, make sure to indicate this when searching for rates. Also, you may be eligible for discounts through other organizations to which you may belong, such as AARP or AAA.
Check online hotel reviews before making any reservations. This lets you first-hand accounts of people’s experiences have been like. 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.
To get a meal later at night order yourself some room service. While it may cost a little extra, it is worth it if you can stay in your comfortable room as you satisfy your cravings.
You should put any expensive items in the safe and go about your day without worry.
There are things to think about when choosing a hotel. Of course price is a big deal, but a hotel close to where you are head is a big consideration. For example, you might want a room that is in walking distance to gym, or a hotel that has free Wi-Fi. Try to get yourself a hotel with what you need in it when possible.
Check with the organizations that you’re a member with. Some of these organizations will offer you discounts for different reasons from different hotels. People often forget about these discounts, which may be for 10 percent or more off of your stay. It can add up to equal a free hotel night!
Utilize the Internet when searching for a hotel. Some websites are designed to help you find the best deals. On this type of site, you can find out the average and discounted rates of most hotels. Finally, by using these websites, you can learn the best places and times to take a vacation.
There are things to consider as you search for a hotel. Amenities like free WiFi, on-site restaurant, continental breakfast and free Wi-Fi or local calls. Try to find a tip that checks off as many of your wish list as possible.
Before you book a hotel, look for deals online. The reservation clerk won’t offer these details to you over the phone. It is your responsibility to find these discounts. Look at websites such as RueLaLaTravel, Jetsetter, and SniqueAway.
Be aware in advance of when you can check into your room. 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 the front desk to find out if you think you’ll be early.
If you’d like to bring Fido on your next trip, you must make some advance plans. Find out if the hotel allows pets. Bring along lots of plastic bags for clean ups. When you make your reservation, request accommodations near the very end of the floor in order to not disturb other guests.
Do not make the assumption that each hotel welcomes pets.
If you would like to treat your partner to a massage, be sure to make the appointment far in advance. Many of the top masseuses out there are booked far ahead of time.
If you are an AAA member, you should see what your hotel membership discount will be. You might be surprised to learn that your membership to the auto club also includes discounts may be lurking. You may save 5 percent or more motels and hotels in the US. It’s a way to save money that really adds up over the nights.
If you are an avid jogger, a GPS watch is a great investment so you can always find your way back to your hotel. Also, don’t forget your exercise clothes! Get up early and dress for a jog in the early morning. Whether you are running on roads or city streets, you will gain more knowledge about the city you are visiting while you run.
If you want to get your daily runs in while on vacation, try booking a hotel room that’s near the beach or an open park.
If you travel a lot, you should consider joining hotel loyalty programs. They offer benefits to people that stay at the same chain quite often. You can often earn free upgrades, free stays, and complimentary late check out with enough points accrued.
If you tend to return to the same family of hotels for your vacation, ask about their membership program. These hotel programs usually work by letting you points every time you stay there. These points can quickly add up to many perks such as a free night, discounts at the hotel restaurants, spa deals and much, and much more.
Environmentalists can now enjoy a green vacation. There are a lot of eco-friendly hotels out there. Many new hotels are constructed to meet green standards, earning green certification. Also, older hotels often make several changes to become eco-friendly. You can ask a travel agent to pinpoint eco-friendly hotels, thus making sure your vacation doesn’t hurt the environment.
If you are concerned about the environment, you should look into “green” hotels. There are several green hotels that feature green amenities. Some new buildings are certified green. Some hotels simply choose a variety of eco-friendly practices to be environmentally aware. Talk to a travel agent to find green hotels.
In order to avoid any surprise charges, inquire about hotel transfers prior to booking. Particularly if you are getting a discount, the fee associated with the transfer may be high. Inquiring about this in advance will maximize any savings.
Join a membership program if you frequently stay there on business trips. These points can be applied toward further travels.
For those frequent travelers, it may be better to build loyalty and perks by joining the membership club of your favorite hotel. These points can translate into some major perks when you’re vacationing.
Get an AAA membership to facilitate the process of booking a hotel perks when you travel. Parents of younger children are likely to enjoy the free car seat that comes with some rentals.
Become a member of AAA in order to make your travel arrangements easier. AAA members get good hotel discounts and can also find good car rental rates much more easily. In addition, parents may enjoy the benefit of having free car seats provided.
It is extremely frustrating for you and your room with the kids screaming “pool” only to discover that there are none.
Do not make long distance calls from your hotel room. Use the Internet, instead. Some hotels now provide Skype via Wi-Fi. Use these types of services to keep in contact with loved ones back home instead of having exorbitant charges added to your bill from the costly phone calls.
Be sure you know what the hotel smoking policy if you smoke. Many hotels have designated nonsmoking rooms. Ask for those rooms if any of these are a smoker.Some hotels charge large penalties if they find that smoking occured in a room not designated for it, so be sure to adhere to the hotel’s rules with regard to smoking.
Start by inspecting the hotel bathroom if you need to make sure there are no bed bugs. You probably won’t find any in there. Therefore, you can put your luggage here while you look over the remainder of the room. It’s also safer to the pets and kids you may have.
Never actually check out before the departure date unless it is absolutely necessary. The hotel might charge a fee for early departure fee. When you book a hotel room, the hotel can’t offer the room to someone else, so they lose money if you leave early.
Look into the smoking policies in the hotel you are considering. 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. You may rent a non-smoking room, however, the smoke from the smoking rooms can still be present in the air and make your clothes smell like it. Smokers often don’t care that their room is non-smoking, too. Choose a non-smoking hotel to a smoke smell on your clothes.
Avoid sleeping under the hotel bedspread.The bedspread usually get washed between bookings. This can mean that the bacteria and germs. Just make sure you remove it from the bedspread.
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 that is the case, you should ask for one of those rooms. Don’t smoke in a nonsmoking room, or you may be charged by the hotel for doing so.
Be aware of your options in the event that a hotel “walks” you. This will require that you’re going to have to go somewhere else. Avoid having this happen if you can, but if you have to switch hotels, be certain that your reservation there is equivalent or even an upgrade.
Some people choose not to use the bedspreads provided by the hotel staff for hygienic reasons. While sheets and linens are always washed, the topmost bedspread may not be, depending on the hotel policy. It could have acquired a lot of invisible germs and other things you want to avoid. Just remove it from the bed.
You can often save money if you book a flight and hotel at the same time. A lot of travel online sites feature serious savings for anyone who reserve a hotel and a rental car or flight from them.
Know what the hotel’s policy is for overbooking. This is when a hotel is overbooked and they have no accommodations for you. This is known as “walking” a customer. Avoid this if you can, but if you must go someplace else, make sure the room you get is comparable to the one you booked, and you are paid to travel there.
In conclusion, everyone stays at a hotel at some point. Whatever your reason for staying in one, it is important to do plenty of research first. Follow the advice presented here to get great value in hotel accommodations.
Don’t drink the bottled water you’ll find 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. Sometimes the hotel gym offers bottled water for free. What would be best is if you just packed your own bottles.