Your hotel can really make a difference in the type of vacation that you have. Considering what you pay to stay in a hotel, it’s important that you choose wisely. Here is helpful information that can help you get the best value from hotels.
Online travel sites like Orbitz and Expedia can help you find the lowest rates on hotel rooms. When making hotel reservations, be sure to include information regarding hotel loyalty programs in which you may hold membership. You may also be eligible for deals that are offered to members of certain organizations, like AAA or AARP.
Take advantage of the safe you have in your room, especially if you have electronics with you. You can stash your expensive electronics and jewelry in the safe and go about your day without worry.
Take a look into organizations you are part of. Many organizations provide hotel discounts for members. Some of these discounts can be pretty substantial, but many people don’t take advantage of them. These discounts can save you quite a bit of cash, particularly if your stay involves several nights. Over the course of a week it’s nearly a free night!
There are several things you should consider when booking a hotel. While price is obviously a factor, you may want to think about room size and amenities as well. A gym, pool, free breakfast, free wireless Internet, free local calls, and all kinds of other things may be important. Try locating a tip that checks off as much of your wish list as is realistic.
Always look for deals online when reserving a hotel room. Hotels don’t usually advertise their lowest rates, so you may have to ask. This is why you should look for discounts yourself. Look at Jetsetter, Enrovia and Hotels.com.
Find out the exact time for check-in and check-out. Many people show up before check-in time only to find out their room isn’t ready. If you can’t help your arrival time being early, you can ask for an early check-in but it might cost a bit extra.
In order to get the best prices for hotel stays, you will want to plan your trip several weeks or months beforehand. If you book one or two months in advance, you can often receive a discount. You may even be able to cut the price down by half!
If you are traveling with a pet, it is best to find a pet friendly hotel ahead of time. Always call to ask, even if it says pet-friendly online. Also, speak to them about what they’re meaning by pet-friendly because they may not allow specific breeds or certain sizes of pets.
If you often stay at a certain type of hotel, ask about the “frequent stay” program. These programs usually work by letting you rack up points. With enough points you can get free rooms in the future. They may also offer discounts for shows, restaurants and other things.
The cost of your hotel will vary depending on when you make your reservation. Hotels give rooms a price based on what’s available. Try booking your hotel room within 24 hours of your stay. In this way, you will get good rates. Empty rooms don’t earn a hotel any money, so they are willing to slash the price.
You can get great hotel discounts by becoming a member of AAA. Members of AAA receive many travel benefits including reduced hotel rates and lower car rental rates. It is definitely worth looking into.
Do not make long distance calls from your hotel room. Try using the Internet, instead. You will probably find that your hotel has Wi-Fi and Skype. This will help you converse with those back home without racking up a lofty bill.
If you’re traveling with kids, be sure that you check on the pools to ensure they’re open and in service. Your kids and you will be very frustrated if the pool at your hotel is closed because of repairs when you arrive.
Smoking Rooms
Check if a hotel you’re looking to stay at is non-smoking or smoking. 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. While it is possible to book a nonsmoking room, you can still be affected by the smoke from other areas. In addition, previous travelers could have smoked in the room, even if it is a non-smoking room. To be sure you don’t absorb cigarette smoke, think about staying at a nonsmoking hotel.
Always let the hotel know if you need a crib for your stay at the hotel. Most hotels only have so many of these items to go around, and some hotels may not have any at all. There can be extra charges for these items, as well. Before making reservations, explain this.
Try to avoid checking out of the hotel ahead of your scheduled checkout time. The hotel might charge you 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. Make sure you understand that you might be charged for an early departure.
Don’t open the bottled water! You may be very thirsty upon arrival. That’s what the hotel owners had in mind when they packed the min-fridge with delicious, yet expensive, refreshments. Hotels know this and charge more for bottled water. You might find that there is free water offered in the hotel gym, however. Nonetheless, it is better to bring along a water filtration pitcher and reusable water bottle and filter your own water.
By just doing some research and preparing for it, you can find a great deal on a nice hotel. You’ve got to learn what to be looking for and when you should be booking. Use the above tips and you’ll find the perfect hotel.