If you are planning to travel, there are a lot of things to do before you head out the door. This includes packing, fueling up the car, and/or buying plane tickets. Another thing that must be done is you must make hotel reservations. You are about to find out helpful tips for helping you to book a room.
Prior to reserving a room at a hotel, look on the Internet for reviews. One great site is TripAdvisor. These will give you some information from people that have stayed at that certain hotel. What people say about their experiences at the hotels you’re thinking of booking can aid you in coming to the right decision.
If you want a nice meal at night with your special someone, and you are too comfortable in your room to go out, order some food through room service. It may cost more, but it’s convenient when you don’t feel like leaving.
Use the closet safe to protect your electronics. You can stash your expensive electronics and jewelry in the safe and go about your day without worry.
If you belong to any organizations, check with them for travel deals. Many of these places will give you cheaper hotel prices. These discounts are often forgotten about, and they can provide significant savings. You end up with an even bigger savings if your hotel stay is going to be for multiple nights. Over the course of a week it’s nearly a free night!
Many things must be considered when choosing the right hotel. You must consider price of course, and you might want to be close to a specific location within the city you’re staying. Amenities that help you choose a hotel are free breakfast, free Wi-Fi, exercise room, pool, and a restaurant on the premises. Ensure the hotel you are planning on staying at has the amenities you desire.
Use online hotel search tools. You will typically find websites that provide deals on certain hotel chains. They can also allow you to look at the average rates of a hotel. Finally, they can help you determine when you’d like to travel and what you’d like to do when you’re there.
If you want to take your pet along on a trip, take care of three tasks before you leave. First, ensure that the hotel actually allows pets. Also, take a good supply of plastic bags, such as grocery bags, to clean up after your pet. When you call to make reservations, try getting a room away from other guests so any noise your pet makes won’t bother people.
If you are an AAA member, check into your membership hotel discount. It might be surprising to learn that some auto club memberships include hotel discounts. You may save 5% or even more on nationwide hotels. These savings quickly add up, especially if you are staying for multiple nights in a row.
It is wise to join a hotel loyalty program if you travel frequently. They give people benefits if they go to that chain often. You might receive an upgrade at no cost or be allowed to check out later than others with your points.
Steer clear of long distance calls while in a hotel. Rather, use a web tool. Skype connections are available in many hotels these days using Wi-Fi. Take advantage of these options to keep in touch with family, friends and coworkers rather than incurring high costs by using the hotel’s phone system.
If you are inspecting a room for bed bugs, then the bathroom is the best place to start. This room is usually free from bugs. This makes it an ideal spot to put your luggage as you check out the rest of your room for bedbugs. It is also a safe spot for your pets and kids.
Make sure to ask up front if the hotel allows smoking or does not. If you are a non-smoker, you might want to stay away from hotels that offer smoking rooms. You may rent a non-smoking room, however, the smoke from the smoking rooms can still be present in the air and make your clothes smell like it. Sometimes, smokers rent non-smoking rooms because that is all that is available, and then they smoke in them anyway. Think about staying at a hotel that is totally nonsmoking if you don’t want to stink when you check out.
Always let the hotel know if you need a crib for your stay at the hotel. They may not have any available. In addition, there is sometimes an extra charge for these items. Talk about these things when you make your reservations.
When your hotel attempts to “walk” you, don’t stand for it! This refers to hotels overbooking their hotel rooms; therefore, the hotel room that you booked may not be available when you check in. The hotel will then “walk” you, or send you out to another hotel. It’s best to avoid this, but if you can’t, be sure you are going to a better hotel and getting a better room.
Avoid the bottled water! You may feel a bit parched shortly after checking in. You might feel the urge to untwist the cap on the bottled water sitting in the mini-fridge. Hotels are aware of this, that bottle of water will be much more expensive than if you bought it elsewhere. You might find that there is free water offered in the hotel gym, however. A better option to simply bring your own bottled water.
Be sure you don’t take off with any items from your hotel room. Keeping linens, a robe or some similar item will likely not go unnoticed. You will be issued a bill for the items taken. If you do want to take something, ask about a direct purchase when you’re checking out.
If you want to have a successful trip, you must have enjoyable accommodations. No matter what type of trip you’re taking, you need a good hotel room for your enjoyment. Refer back to these tips the next time you have to book a hotel room. Your enjoyment depends on it.
