The place you stay can be the difference in having a good or bad vacation. Staying in a place too expensive can drain your budget and leave you too broke to have the fun you want. Read on to find out how you can locate affordable, high quality hotels.
Check online reviews before booking a room. This lets you know what others’ experiences have been like. Other customers can give you some valuable insight and help you choose the right place to stay.
Don’t think every hotel is pet-friendly. So call ahead and make sure you understand if there are extra fees or a limited number of rooms available. Ask about their pet policy. Many hotels have restrictions on the breed and size of pet allowed on the premises.
If your pet is coming to a hotel with you, there are a few things you need to do in preparation. First, inquire as to whether the hotel really is a pet-friendly place. Pack a supply of plastic grocery bags with you – you will need to clean up any pet waste. You should also see if you can get a room near the end part of the hallway to make sure other guests don’t have to put up with pet noise.
Are you a AAA member? If so, hotels may provide you a discount. It may come as a surprise to find that an auto club membership offers hotel discounts, but that is the case. It will let you save 5% or so on hotels that are around the nation. This is a savings that can really add up over several nights.
If you travel often, it’s a great idea to enroll in a hotel’s loyalty program. There are many benefits you may be able to get. You might earn a free upgrade, late checkout time, or other great perks.
Green Hotels
If you care quite a bit about your environment, consider taking a “green” vacation. There are plenty of “green” hotels that take the environment into consideration. Certain hotels provide green rooms, and in fact, some are even certified as green hotels. Some of the older hotels do implement green practices to be sure they are eco-friendly. Ask your booking agent about green hotels.
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. This allows you to earn point you can redeem for vacation freebies for you and your family.
To make reserving a hotel easy, use AAA. A membership with AAA not only provides you with hotel discounts but a guaranteed piece of mind when trying to rent a vehicle. In addition, free car seats are usually provided, which parents are certain to enjoy.
Never use the hotel phone for long distance calls. Instead, use the Internet. Some hotels now provide Skype via Wi-Fi. Use these to keep up with loved ones or colleagues back home from the comfort of your hotel room instead of racking up costly phone calls from the nightstand.
Checking in early may not be available. You need to plan appropriately to avoid waiting in the lobby all day. Before you can enjoy your room, hotels need to clean the room properly. If you are early, don’t expect miracles.
If you’re going to need to get a crib or a rollaway, you need to let the people at the hotel know before you arrive. They may not have any available. On occasion, these services may require an additional charge. Talk about your needs when you reserve a spot so you don’t get surprised with something you won’t like.
Whenever possible, do not check out prior to the scheduled date of your departure. If you check out early, you could be liable for early checkout fees. By booking a room, you are preventing other potential guests from staying in the hotel. Therefore, by leaving early, you are costing the hotel extra revenue. Therefore, they have to make up for the loss by charging an early departure fee.
If you are concerned about germs, you might want to take the bedspread off of the bed. The top bedspread usually isn’t cleaned as often as the sheets or blankets underneath. This can mean that the comforter has tons of germs and bacteria. So take it off the bed, fold it up and stash it in a corner of the room.
As you read in the above article, depending on the hotel costs, it can really cut into the amount of money you had available to do other things. Therefore, book the best hotel by utilizing the excellent tactics provided above. Check this article out again when booking future stays.