Have you ever reserved a hotel room, only to arrive and find the place is a dump? You know, then, that the bad room can quickly ruin your trip. Still, you’re not exactly wanting to pay tons of money for a better room. Read on to learn how to locate a good hotel at a good price.
To help you make a good choice, you should check out hotel review websites like TripAdvisor online. These websites have reviews and comments from people who have recent experience with their stay. What people say about their experiences at the hotels you’re thinking of booking can aid you in coming to the right decision.
Online travel websites can offer you a great deal on hotels with lots of choices, all on the same website. If you are a member of a loyalty program, use that info when checking rates. Also, you might be able to get some discounts offered by organizations that you might be a part of like AAA or AARP.
Make sure you put your valuables inside the safe in your hotel room. You can put your iPad, GPS watch, and other small, costly items into the safe, and then head out for the day with peace of mind about their security.
Consider your organizational memberships. There are times when an organization will give you great deals on the price of hotels. People frequently forget these discounts are available, and they can be 10 percent or more. If you are planning to stay a few nights, this can really add up. A stay of 5 days or more could add up to one free hotel night stay!
Prior to making a hotel reservation, do some research online in order to discover the best deals. It’s not uncommon for a hotel employee to not mention to you that it is possible to receive a great discount online. You have to look for the discounts. Look to websites like RueLaLaTravel or Jetsetter for more help.
Know when you are able to check in and get your room. If you show up too early for check-in, then your room may not be ready for you yet. Therefore, if you anticipate arriving early, call the hotel in advance and see if it is possible to check in early.
Plan your trip as far in advance as possible. Many locations offer discounts if you are willing to book more than a month or two ahead of time. You may find yourself saving as much as half off of the room’s typical rates.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking all hotels will accept pets. Therefore, make sure you call the hotel staff to confirm that they will allow pets. Even if they have a website that states pets are allowed, you should still call to confirm this. Also, find out if there are any size or breed restrictions.
If you book accommodations often, hotel loyalty programs are good to participate in. They offer perks to folks who frequent their hotel. Some of the useful things that you can earn are extra upgrades, free nights, and late check-outs.
If you want to work on saving the environment, a green vacation is something to look into. Luckily, there are a lot of green hotels out there in this day and age. Some new hotels are built to green standards and are certified green. Eco-friendly strategies are also now commonly adopted by many older hotels. Your travel agent can help to identify the environmentally friendly hotels.
You should always find out how much hotel transfers will cost before you book a room. If you are getting a very low price on the room, it is especially important that you ask about any hidden fees that might be tacked onto your bill. Ask about this beforehand to save more.
Aaa Membership
Get an AAA membership for hotel perks when you travel. The discounts at many hotel chains and deals on car rentals can more than pay for the AAA membership fees. Many car rental agencies add perks, such as a child car seat at no charge, for AAA members.
In hotel rooms, avoid calling long distance if possible. If you don’t have a cell phone or the Internet, buy a calling card to keep with you during your trip. A lot of hotels offer wi-fi, making it possible for you to use Skype. You can stay connected with friends, family and business colleagues this way, rather than making expensive long distance calls.
Call the hotel before you arrive to make sure the swimming pool is in working order. It can be extremely frustrating if you arrive at your hotel only to find out the pool is shut down for maintenance.
If you are going to inspect if your hotel room has bed bugs, then start looking in the bathroom. This is the place least likely to have bedbugs. It makes a safe place to keep your luggage when looking for bedbugs elsewhere in the room. It can be a temporary haven for children and pets.
Smoking Rooms
Ask if your possible hotel reservation is either smoking or non. 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. Nonetheless, if there are smokers in the hotel, you may have problems with odors. In addition, previous travelers could have smoked in the room, even if it is a non-smoking room. Too avoid exposure to the smell of cigarette smoke, it may be best to stay at a non-smoking hotel.
Now that you have the right advice, you should be able to figure out how to find an exceptional hotel. It’s easy to come up with good hotel deals when you have an idea of how to proceed. Follow the tips presented here to get great accommodations.