You will need to book a hotel room sooner or later. Whether you want to stay in a hotel for business or personal reasons, you should have a working understanding of how to book the right room for your situation. Here are some tips that will help you with this quite a bit.
You can find a lot of great deals on hotels if you go online and check out some of the travel sites. If you have a hotel loyalty program your a part of, remember to include that information when you are checking on rates. You may also be able to get discounts from a membership in the AARP or AARP.
Room service can be a great way to have a private, comfortable meal. Sure, it might cost a bit more, but it is completely worth it to be able to kick back and relax, while your food comes to you.
Consider taking advantage of room service when the urge strikes for a special someone. This will cost you a little extra, but you can stay comfortable in your room while enjoying you eats.
Be aware in advance of when you can check into your room. Some people end up waiting for their room is still not ready. Call and ask if it is alright for you think you’ll be early.
Be sure to put all valuables, such as jewelry and electronics, in the hotel safe. You can stash your expensive electronics and jewelry in the safe and go about your day without worry.
Don’t think that all hotels will welcome your pet.
If you’re a member of the AAA, see what kinds of discounts the hotel offers. You would be surprised to learn that your membership to the auto club also includes discounts on hotels.You may be able to save more than five percent at hotels all over the country. This is a savings that can really adds up over several nights.
Check in on the organizations you belong to. You may be able to receive discounts on hotel through these organizations. Some of these discounts can be pretty substantial, but many people don’t take advantage of them. For extended stays, this can really add up. If you are staying for a week, you can pay for a whole night’s lodging with these discounts.
If you run regularly, make sure that your packing list includes lots of running clothes and a GPS watch.
It is wise to look into loyalty program if you travel frequently. They provide benefits to travelers who stay with them often. You can earn things like free upgrades, restaurant gift certificates or even a free stay!
Inspect your room before unpacking your bags. It should be free of any mildew or mold. Do a quick check to ensure that the shower, sink and toilet are all in proper working order. Are there enough of the right linens? If you see that there are problems with your room, let the people at the front desk know right away so they can get things taken care of. Or, they can move you to another room.
Be sure to avoid hotel transfers when booking a room.If you are getting a very low price on the room, the transfer could ruin the deal. You will save by asking about such a thing in advance.
Join a loyalty program if you travel frequently. These points that can be applied toward further travels.
If you want to get a low rate at your hotel, start planning early for your vacation. The earlier you book, the better rate you should get. You may find yourself saving as much as half off of the room’s typical rates.
Get a AAA membership for hotel when you travel. Parents with young children are likely to enjoy the free car seat provided in many locations.
It can prove rather frustrating when you and your room with the kids screaming “pool” only to discover that there are none.
Although many hotels have certain rooms that allow pets, never assume your hotel will without researching ahead of time. Even if a web listing says a hotel is pet friendly, call the hotel to verify. In addition, get specifics with regard to the pet policy, because only particular breeds or sizes of pets may be permitted at the hotel.
Start by inspecting the hotel bathroom if you need to make sure there are no bed bugs in a hotel. This is the last room they are least likely to find them. It is also a temporary haven for children and kids.
Check if your prospective hotel is non-smoking or smoking. If you are a nonsmoker, then you should probably stay away from hotels that allow smoking. Smokers don’t always respect the fact that the room they are not supposed to smoke in.
There are three things to do ahead of time if you want to bring your pet to a hotel with you. First, inquire as to whether the hotel really is a pet-friendly place. For easy cleanup, make sure that you have brought along an adequate number of plastic bags. If you can arrange a corner room, there will be less likelihood of your pet disturbing other guests.
Find out what the hotel handles pets. These hotels sometimes have odors because the carpet and bed linens. Some hotels have an extra fee for pets, while other hotels will add a hefty fee for keeping a pet. The fee charged may not be adequate to cover the cost of the extra cleaning involved.
Never check out before the departure unless it’s an emergency. The hotel might charge a fee for early departure. When you make your reservation, the hotel can’t offer the room to someone else, if you depart early they will lose money.
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 practitioners go fast, so make your reservation early and book by name where possible.
You know your rights in the event where a hotel attempts to take advantage of you. This means that you have to stay at a different hotel. Avoid this if possible, but if you have to switch hotels, be certain that your reservation there is equivalent or even an upgrade.
Don’t drink the bottled water! You may be very thirsty and tired when you arrive. You can be tempted to casually open that bottle of water beckoning on the mini fridge. Hotels are well aware of this and will charge more for that already exorbitantly priced bottled water. Check the gym and see if they offer it for free. A better idea is to bring your own bottled water.
If you want to keep up the running regimen you have while traveling you should get your GPS watch packed with some running clothes. When you wake up in the morning, throw on your gear and head out for a morning jog. You’ll get plenty of good exercise and a better understanding of the city around you.
Hotel Rates
You can get a cheaper price on a nice hotel rates by booking during their slow times of the year. This is the time that hotel rates are highest. This will allow you to get a better chance of actually getting a discounted rate.
If you travel often, consider signing up for a loyalty program with your favorite hotel chain. A loyalty program offers many benefits. You can earn things like free upgrades, complimentary late check-out times and free stays if you accrue enough loyalty points.
You can actually get a room upgrade without being charged for one. You can do this by checking in exactly at the precise check-in time. Sometimes, rooms aren’t ready when patrons arrive, which means they offer an upgraded room for free.
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, tourist centers and gas stations to find tourist books with maps of hotel locations, and great discounts. This will give you time and money.
How much your hotel room will cost depends largely on the time you book. The prices are based partly on availability. Try to always book your hotel room only a day in advance. This gives you the best prices in reserving hotel rooms. This is because the hotel will want to book rooms that are currently empty.
It is considered customary to tip your housekeeper when you leave a hotel. You can usually skip tipping for other things, as many other amenities include a tip in their prices, but your maid should always be tipped. You probably were a slob, so you should try leaving the maid a tip for their good work.
It can’t hurt to ask them if they can do it.
For those frequent travelers, it may be better to build loyalty and perks by joining the membership club of your favorite hotel. Then you can accrue points, get extra perks, and save money.
Watch out for extra charges when making reservations with any third-party site. Many times the quotes you are given do not include all of the fees and charges.
As you have seen from this article, a lot of people need to stay in hotels. For whatever reason you’re staying in a hotel room, doing some research is the key to finding the ideal room for the best price. You’ve just read some really great advice; now, put it to good use and have fun!
Don’t make any long distance calls from your hotel room. Use your cell phone or the Internet. You will probably find that your hotel has Wi-Fi and Skype. This saves you a ton of money.
