When you need to travel for ay reason, you have to take care of a lot of different things. You need to pack your bags, put gas in the car or maybe purchase airline tickets. But, you also have to remember to make reservations at a hotel. Look at the article below for some great advice on booking your hotel the easy way.
Prior to reserving a room at a hotel, look on the Internet for reviews. One great site is TripAdvisor. Here, you can read what people had to say about their hotel stay. You can make a wise choice when you know what others think about a hotel.
Room service is great for late meals. This will cost you a little extra, but the convenience it provides is worth it.
See if your organizational memberships offer any benefits. Some of them may provide discounts on hotel stays. These discounts can be as much as 10 percent or even more. When you’re staying for more than one night, this can add up to a decent savings. Within a week’s time, you are basically getting a free night’s stay.
There are tons of online search tools that help customers find satisfactory rates they can’t find elsewhere. You can use such websites to discover great deals with ease and speed. Not only will they show the best deals, but they’ll also include extra information about the rooms, floor plans, and even reviews from other customers. You can also use them to explore the area around the hotel for recreation.
Know the hotel’s check-in time. You don’t want to arrive early only to find out your room isn’t ready yet. If you will be arriving before check-in, call the hotel in advance and see if you can check-in early.
Offer Discounts
To get the lowest price on accommodations, plan your trip in advance. A lot of hotel locations offer discounts for reservations a month or more in advance. Even some elite chains will offer discounts as much as half off.
Do not assume that each hotel welcomes pets. Be sure to ask even if the website says it’s ok to bring a pet. Make sure they specify what pet-friendly means since there may be certain restrictions on pet sizes and breeds that are allowed on the property.
Book massages as early as possible. The best masseuses are booked well in advance.
Many hotels have loyalty programs available to customers who travel often. There are some great benefits offered to clients who often book the same chain. The rewards can include free room upgrades, free meals and movie or show tickets tickets. The points can add up.
If you stay in a particular hotel chain, ask about their membership program. Many hotels offer membership programs that allow you to earn points for each of your stays. These points can be used to earn free nights, discounts and more.
Hotel Transfer
In order to avoid an unwanted expense on the hotel bill, inquire about any hotel transfer fees prior to booking them. Hotel transfer costs can be extremely large, especially in hotels that appear to offer an incredible deal on their room rates. Inquiring about this in advance will maximize any savings.
If you want to save money, and you stay at the same place a lot, consider signing up for the hotel’s version of a frequent guest program. The more points you get, the more free stays you can use for vacations.
Sign up for AAA if you wish to get better hotel arrangements while you travel. The AAA membership fee is well worth the discounts offered by many chains, and renting a car will also be easier. It’s great to know that you can count on both of these things.
Distance Calls
Avoid making long distance calls from the hotel room phone. Use the Internet, instead. The hotel may even offer Skype calls via Wi-Fi. You can stay connected with people back home by using this instead of making expensive long distance calls from your hotel phone.
Check in the bathroom first for bed bugs. The bathroom is not a common place where bedbugs would be. This makes it an ideal spot to put your luggage as you check out the rest of your room for bedbugs. It is also the safest place for children and pets, too.
Inquire if the hotel is a non-smoking hotel. If you are a non-smoker, you might want to stay away from hotels that offer smoking rooms. Even if you stipulate that your room should be non-smoking, second hand smoke can still enter your room. You may find that a smoker has been in your non-smoking room before you and ignored the rules. By choosing a hotel that does not allow smoking, you can completely avoid the smell of cigarettes.
Always know the hotel smoking policy wherever you stay if you personally smoke. Some have smoking rooms. Ask for those rooms if you are a smoker. If you smoke in one of the hotel’s non-smoking room, you can be charged hefty fees.
If you need a crib, ask for it as you reserve the room. Hotels usually have a limited number of these, and you don’t want to ask at the last minute. Some hotels will include an additional fee if you want to rent these items during your stay. Make sure these needs are discussed during the initial reservation so you don’t get any surprises.
One of the most important things during your vacation is your hotel room. Business or pleasure, your best trip starts with getting the best hotel room. Next time you make a hotel reservations, don’t forget all the tips you’ve just read.