Everybody has to stay at a hotel at some time. Whether you will be staying in one for personal reasons or business reasons, it is important to know what to look for in a hotel. The following tips can be very useful to you.
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. Place all electronics there along with important documents, such as your passport or plane tickets.
Make sure you check with any organizations of which you are a member. Some may offer discounts on hotels. People often forget about these discounts, which can be 10% or more. If your stay will be for multiple nights, these discounts can save you lots of money. A stay of 5 days or more could add up to one free hotel night stay!
Utilize the Internet when searching for a hotel. Travel websites are very helpful when seeking the best deals. They display the average rates of hotels so that you can see if the deal you are getting is good. Finally, they can help you determine when you’d like to travel and what you’d like to do when you’re there.
Search for hotel deals online. 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. Use popular websites such as Jetsetter, SniqueAway, or RueLalaTravel.
Make certain you know when your check-in time is. If you don’t know you may end up waiting a long time. If you might arrive prior to check-in time, try calling the hotel and seeing if the room is available.
In order to get the best hotel deals, always plan your trips weeks ahead of schedule, or even a few months. Many hotels offer the best discounts if you book a few months in advance. That saves you 50 percent or more frequently!
There are three things you must do before bringing your pet along on your vacation. Find out if the hotel will allow pets first. For easy cleanup, make sure that you have brought along an adequate number of plastic bags. When you go to make the hotel reservation, see if there is room on the end that would prevent the other guests from hearing a noisy pet.
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.
If you stay at the same chain of hotels often, look into their membership programs for frequent guests. You should be able to earn points every time you are visiting one of the hotels. These points can quickly add up to many perks such as a free night, discounts at the hotel restaurants, spa deals and much, much more.
If you care quite a bit about your environment, consider taking a “green” vacation. The number of “green” hotels is steadily growing. Some new buildings are certified as green. Older hotels can’t always do this, but instead choose to adhere to certain green practices. Talk with a travel agent to find green hotels.
When you book has a huge impact on your final bill. Rooms in hotels are often priced based on their availability. If possible, book your room no more than 24 hours in advance. You’ll end up with a great deal this way. The hotel will earn no money at all if the room is empty, which gives you a much better bargaining position.
Make sure you know hotel transfer costs prior to booking a hotel room in order to avoid a large unexpected cost. It is not uncommon to find that greatly discounted bookings may have a hidden cost for the transfer. If you know this upfront, you can save more money.
Being a AAA member has many advantages when it comes to booking a hotel room. AAA members can receive great hotel discounts as well as locate a rental car much more easily. Those who have small children will be pleased to find car seats available for free.
When traveling with children, check with the hotel ahead of time to ascertain that the pool is usable. It is extremely frustrating for you and your children to arrive at a hotel expecting a pool and/or other activities only to discover that there are none.
It may come as a shock to you, but most hotels don’t allow you to check-in early. Therefore, don’t show up hours in advance, or you may be sitting around waiting for a while. Most hotels clean and prepare rooms at a certain time, so that they are ready for check-in. Having said that, don’t hesitate to ask the front desk about checking in if you do arrive early; however, you shouldn’t expect to be able to do this. The best thing you can do is arrive on time.
As you have seen from this article, a lot of people need to stay in hotels. Regardless of your reason, you will enjoy your stay more if you book knowledgeably. The above article has provided you with great advice for finding a hotel you will love; be sure to put this advice to use!