A negative experience at a hotel can really ruin a vacation. It doesn’t matter if the hotel has overcharged you or you were given bad service, these types of things can affect your stay in a big way. The article below can help you bypass some of the most common pitfalls with hotels so that your stay is a great one.
Prior to reserving a room at a hotel, look on the Internet for reviews. One great site is TripAdvisor. In this way, you can get real information from real people regarding their experiences at a variety of hotels. Reading other people’s reviews of the hotels you’re considering can really help you decide which one to choose.
To help you make a good choice, you should check out hotel review websites like TripAdvisor online. This lets you know what others’ experiences have been like. The information provided by patrons of the hotel will help you make a good choice of where to stay.
When leaving your hotel room, keep any electronics you have secure by putting them in the room’s safe. Place all electronics there along with important documents, such as your passport or plane tickets.
Make use of the room safe to ensure the safety of your electronics when you are not in your room. Valuables can be placed there with confidence, allowing you to enjoy your day without worries.
Check with any membership programs for deals. 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. This can mean a lot of savings over a full week stay.
Make sure you check with any organizations of which you are a member. Some organizations offer discounts on hotels to their members. Some discounts can be over ten percent! This can help you to save some cash, especially if you’re going to be staying for a few nights. It can add up to equal a free night!
There are tons of online search tools that help customers find satisfactory rates they can’t find elsewhere. There are a lot of websites that have great deals and other useful tools to help you comparison shop to find the right hotel at the right price. Hotel search websites also let you see the regular rates of hotels, so you can compare and see whether a supposed deal is really a good one. They also help you decide the dates for your vacation and the activities you’ll want to partake of.
You can use hotel search tools on the Internet. These websites can help you get great deals quickly. They can provide you with an idea of the average rate charged by each hotel, so you will have a good idea as to whether or not the deal you are being offered is good. They can also give you information on nearby attractions, too.
Once you get to your hotel, do not unpack until you check the room. Is it without mildew and mold? Is everything in the bathroom working as it should? Are there enough linens and towels? If you have any questions or notice any problems with the room, immediately call the front desk and report them so that they may be handled. You may also asked to be transferred to a new room if the problem is serious, such as mold or mildew.
Search for hotel deals online. Sometimes, the person at the hotel desk might forget to mention a discount for booking online. That’s why doing a bit of research pays off, so you are aware of discounts and specials. Websites like Travelocity and Expedia can be a great way to do research on hotels.
Find out the exact time for check-in and check-out. Many hotel guests will forget their check-in time; therefore, they will arrive at the hotel just to discover that they cannot check in yet. If you might arrive prior to check-in time, try calling the hotel and seeing if the room is available.
Know the hotel’s check-in time. People sometimes forget when they will be let into their rooms, showing up early only to learn that their room isn’t ready yet. If you might be arriving before the check-in time, ask the hotel whether it’s okay to come.
Plan your trip in advance for the best rates. Some hotels have a discount if you book your room a month or more ahead of time. You can expect savings up to fifty percent if you book months in advance.
To benefit from the best prices at hotels, start planning your trips several weeks or even months in advance. A lot of places will give you a discount if you’re going to book about a month or so in advance. Doing this could save you up to 50 percent off your room, and this holds true with the more elite brands as well.
If you are an AAA member, check into your membership hotel discount. AAA members actually receive hotel discounts at specific hotel chains! Membership in AARP, a union, an auto club or even being a police officer can get you a discount. These savings can really add up if you travel often.
Don’t make the assumption that all hotels will welcome your pet. Call ahead to their service desk and make sure, even if their website listing says they are. Ask about their pet policy. Many hotels have restrictions on the breed and size of pet allowed on the premises.
If you like running and frequently stay in hotel rooms, be sure and pack up a GPS watch, along with your favorite running clothes. You can still enjoy your early morning jog while on vacation if you have your gear and the right room booked. Even jogging on pavement and alongside city avenues can provide you new perspective of any city that you visit.
If you want to arrange for a couples massage at your hotel, be sure to book the appointment right away. Many of the top masseuses out there are booked far ahead of time.
It is wise to join a hotel loyalty program if you travel frequently. They offer a variety of benefits to their members. There are many great rewards even leading up to free stays as you gather up more loyalty points.
If you belong to AAA, see what kinds of discounts the hotel offers. Your membership may entitle you to hotel discounts. Membership in AARP, a union, an auto club or even being a police officer can get you a discount. Over multiple nights, that five percent will really add up.
If there’s a hotel chain you stay at often, check out their membership programs for frequent guests. Like the programs for frequent flyer, these programs the hotel offer give you points whenever you stay with them. As a result, you could have your next stay discounted or receive other benefits, like tickets to a show.
If you are a runner, be sure to bring your running clothes and shoes. When you wake up in the morning, throw on your gear and head out for a morning jog. Running not only provides you with great exercise, but it also helps you better learn the city in which you are residing.
The cost of your hotel will vary depending on when you make your reservation. Rooms are often priced in accordance with availability. If you can, make your reservation no earlier than 24 hours before you arrive. This will get you the very best rate on your hotel room. This is because the hotel will want to book rooms that are currently empty.
If you are always staying at the same chain, find out about the programs they offer to frequent guests. These are similar to frequent flyer programs. They allow you to accrue points during your hotel stay. They add up to free nights, discounts at hotel restaurants, show tickets, spa deals and a whole lot more.
Join a membership program if you travel frequently. You will build up points with that hotel for added benefits. It works a lot like frequent flier miles do for airlines.
To make sure you don’t have an unexpected expense, ask about how much hotel transfers will cost. A transfer can sometimes come with a substantial hidden cost. Be sure and inquire about this beforehand so that you get your savings.
Being a member of AAA makes travel very easy. If you do a lot of traveling, the AAA membership can pay for itself, and you can also get deals on rental cars. You might even get a free car seat if you have kids.
Joining certain clubs that let you accrue points can help you reap major benefits from your regular hotel stays. When you do that, you accumulate points for every stay, and that can add up to free nights or vacation discounts.
Be sure you know what the hotel smoking policy is if you smoke cigarettes. Some hotels offer smoking rooms. If so, you should avail yourself of this option. If you stay in a room that doesn’t allow smoking and the hotel staff discover evidence of you smoking in this room, then you could be charged a large penalty. Therefore, it is important that you always follow the hotel’s rules when it comes to smoking.
Try to avoid long distance calling in hotel rooms. Try using the Internet, instead. A lot of hotels offer Skype connections over Wi-Fi. You will be able to stay in touch with family and friends while you are away without the additional expense of costly phone calls.
Reviews whether or not the hotel allows pets. If you dislike or are allergic to pets, you should avoid hotels allowing them. Not to mention, you’ll definitely notice unwanted smells in the floor or in the linens if you don’t own a pet yourself. Depending on the hotel, you may be expected to pay extra for keeping a pet, but it isn’t usually a large sum. The fee might be too low to cover the extra cleaning costs.
When traveling with children, check with the hotel ahead of time to ascertain that the pool is usable. There is nothing worse than having to tell your excited kids they cannot swim.
You should know that it is not usually possible to check into your hotel early. You need to plan appropriately to avoid waiting in the lobby all day. The hotel must clean each room prior to the next visitor taking it. Should you arrive early, ask at the desk if it is possible to check in, but do not be surprised if they say no.
When you look for bed bugs, start in the bathroom. You probably won’t find any in there. This is why you should keep your luggage in there while you go on a search for bedbugs. It is a safe place for pets and kids to stay.
If you’ll need a rollaway or crib, make sure to mention it when booking the room. Not every hotel features these options, and the ones that do only have a few. There can be extra charges for these items, as well. Let the hotel know what you need to avoid anything that you will turn in a bad surprise.
See what the pet policy is at the hotel. If you are allergic to pets, avoid pet friendly hotels. They may have a hidden smell that the hotel tries to mask with a strong fragrance, which is also an irritant. Many hotels charge a fee for staying with a pet, but it might not be a lot. In fact, the extra charge for pets might not even cover the costs of cleaning; therefore, you should make sure you know all this ahead of time.
The bedspread might not be the cleanest linen in the room. They generally will wash the blankets and sheets that are under the bedspread, but the main bedspread may not be washed. That means it could harbor contaminants you don’t want to be in contact with. Just make sure you remove the bedspread.
If you want to have a great time during your hotel stay, follow the advice as outlined here. If you know what to watch for and what constitutes a good deal, then you’re likely to have better experiences. Traveling and staying at a hotel should be relaxing, and you should never feel unhappy or uncomfortable with your hotel room.
Want a free upgrade? An easy way to get this to happen is to show up on time for when you’re supposed to be checking in. Your room may not be ready, so the hotel could offer to switch you to something more expensive as a result.
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