Have you ever been dissatisfied with your hotel room? If you’ve been through that, you’re well aware that this can make your entire stay miserable. However, a decent hotel room should not cost an arm and a leg, either. Fortunately, the below article provides excellent advice on how to book a high-quality hotel for an affordable price.
Prior to reserving a room at a hotel, look on the Internet for reviews. One great site is TripAdvisor. Here you can get first-hand reports of the experience people had staying at different hotels. Other customers can give you some valuable insight and help you choose the right place to stay.
Before you choose a hotel and make reservations, check online review sites, such as TripAdvisor. These will give you some information from people that have stayed at that certain hotel. These reviews can aid you in your decision about whether to book the hotel.
Find great prices at online travel sites like Orbitz and Expedia. Make sure you notify the reservation clerk about any loyalty program you belong to with the hotel. You might also be entitled to additional discounts through your other organizations, such as AAA or AARP.
To keep your electronics safe when you are out of the hotel room, use the safe that you’ll find in your closet. Anything of value can be securely locked in the safe, then you won’t have to worry about your valuables while out enjoying yourself for the day.
Consider ordering room service if you want a special meal without needing to go out. You will probably pay more for this meal, but for the convenience of having it delivered to your room, it is worth it.
You want to look at a number of different things when booking a hotel stay. Price is one factor, however you may also need your hotel to be close to a particular destination. For example, you might want a room that is in walking distance to gym, or a hotel that has free Wi-Fi. Choose a hotel that meets all of your needs.
Keep your electronics secure by using the hotel safe located in your hotel room. Place all electronics there along with important documents, such as your passport or plane tickets.
Use online hotel search tools. Any of those types of sites will help you get a great discount. They also let you see what full price is, so you know you are saving money. In addition, these tools can help you determine the best time to go on vacation and the things that you can do there.
Use hotel search tools online. Some websites are designed to help you find the best deals. They can also provide you with the average rate for a room at a particular hotel, so you can see if your offer is really a good deal. They also help you decide the dates for your vacation and the activities you’ll want to partake of.
Know when you are able to check in and get your room. If you don’t check, the room may not be ready when you arrive. If you anticipate arriving early, check with the hotel to find out if your room will be ready.
Search for hotel deals online. 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. RueLaLaTravel, SniqueAway and Jetsetter are all good Internet sites to check with.
If you plan on taking a family pet with you to a hotel reservation, do three things in advance. Be sure that this hotel will be friendly to pets. Make sure you have some plastic bags to get rid of pet messes. When you make a reservation you should see if you can stay near the back of the hallway to keep other guests away from your pets when they are making noises.
If you want to get a low rate at your hotel, start planning early for your vacation. Some hotels have great discounts when you book a couple of months in advance. You might only pay half price for premium hotels.
Take your GPS watch with you on vacation and some running clothes. Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean you should skip on your daily running regimen. Jogging around the city before you start your day will add enjoyment to your vacation. Spending time on the road with your own two feet will give you a perspective that you’ll never get while riding in a car.
There are three different things you should do in advance if you’re going to be traveling with a pet. First, ensure that the hotel actually allows pets. Gather plastic grocery bags so you are able to clean up any pet messes. Ask for a corner room so that your pets’ noise doesn’t bother anyone else.
If preserving the environment is of interest to you, you can chose a “green” vacation. Fortunately, there are many green hotels available nowadays. There are plenty of hotels built today with strong environmental standards. Some of the older hotels do implement green practices to be sure they are eco-friendly. A travel agent or similar source can help you find hotels that are considered ‘green’.
If you would like to treat your partner to a massage, be sure to make the appointment far in advance. Resorts that have masseurs often have very fully booked massage schedules, so it is important to plan ahead.
Inquire if the hotel is a non-smoking hotel. If you are a non-smoker, you may not want to stay in a smoking room. Even if you book a non-smoking room, smoke can enter your room through air vents. You may find that a smoker has been in your non-smoking room before you and ignored the rules. If you are a non-smoker, be sure to request a non-smoking room in a non-smoking area of the hotel or you can find a hotel that is completely smoke free.
If you belong to AAA, see what kinds of discounts the hotel offers. It may be surprising that auto clubs members receive hotel deals, but they do. You may be able to save upwards of five percent at hotels nationwide. The savings can really add up nightly.
Remember, that early check-ins are a rarity in most hotels. Be sure to not to show up early so you don’t have to wait. The room needs to be cleaned after the last guest leaves. If you do arrive before the normal check-in, you can ask if it’s possible to do so early, but this should not be expected.
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. Head out early in the morning after donning your running gear. Even if you have to run down roads or the streets in the city, you can learn a lot more about the city when you get finished.
If you will require a crib or a rollaway bed during your stay, make sure you make this known at the time your reservation is made. Not every hotel will have these things, and if they do they may not have many. Also, these things can cost extra. Talk about what you need when booking your room so you are not unpleasantly surprised.
If you tend to stay at the same hotel a lot, see about signing up for their frequent guest program. These are similar to frequent flyer programs, offering points each time you stay at a particular chain. As a result, you could have your next stay discounted or receive other benefits, like tickets to a show.
Try to avoid checking out of the hotel ahead of your scheduled checkout time. The hotel may charge a fee for early departure. If you check out too early, the hotel will lose money because they remove the room off the reservation list. So make sure that you know the hotel’s policy on checking out a day or two early – it might cost you.
If you are concerned about the environment, you may want to take a “green” vacation. Fortunately, there are many green hotels to choose from today. Some newer hotels have been built green and are certified green. Hotels that have been around for a while may employ a variety of eco-friendly practices. Ask around for hotels that are friendly to the environment.
If you are concerned about good hygiene, do not use the bedspread given to you by the hotel. The bedspread is one item that does not usually get washed between bookings. It may be a carrier of bacteria and germs. So take it off the bed, fold it up and stash it in a corner of the room.
When you look for bed bugs, start in the bathroom. This is the least likely place for bedbugs to be. This makes it an ideal spot to put your luggage as you check out the rest of your room for bedbugs. It’s also safe for pets and kids this way.
Now that you have the right advice, you should be able to figure out how to find an exceptional hotel. It is easy to get great value in hotel accommodations when you have good information. Use these tips to ensure your stay is a good one.
Is your room non-smoking or not? 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. The smoke can settle into your clothing and luggage. There are even cases where people are smoking in non-smoking rooms before you arrive. If you just can’t stand the smell of stale smoke, look for a hotel that doesn’t allow it at all.
About The Author
