A hotel room might be for business or for pleasure, but either way, you want to be comfortable and satisfied with your stay. Choosing the wrong hotel can be costly and regrettable, not to mention uncomfortable. Luckily, the tips below are here to help you avoid the nightmare of an overpriced horror of a hotel.
To accommodate a small family without having to pay for more than one hotel room, look for a location that offers suites. Often the rates are competitive with single-room rates at other hotels, but the addition of a living area (and a fold-out bed) means that more of you can sleep comfortably.
Use online travel sites, such as Expedia and Orbitz, to find the best prices at the hotels you want to stay at. If you are in a hotel loyalty program, put your information in. You may also be eligible for deals that are offered to members of certain organizations, like AAA or AARP.
To ensure that you get the best service from the custodial staff at a hotel, leave a few dollars each morning for each bed that you use. This nominal cost will help you get rooms that receive the little extras, such as a towel or two more, or even an extra pillow.
Room service is one of the best parts about a hotel. How else could you possibly enjoy a midnight snack without leaving your bed? Although you’ll probably pay more, it is worth being able to comfortably dine in the room while in pajamas.
When planning a vacation, be sure to make all of your hotel reservations well in advance. In this way, you can lock in lower rates. If you have some flexibility regarding when you take your vacation, be sure to find out about off season rates. Very often, the rate you pay in non-peak times of year is significantly lower.
If you are out of the room for any length of time, protect the valuables you leave in the room. In addition to leaving expensive items in a safe, leave the television on when you are out of the room. That will make it look like you are still there and thieves will move on.
When traveling with a pet, your choices of hotels will be limited. Once you find a hotel that is pet friendly, find out what the policies are with regard to pets. Most hotels charge an extra fee for pets, and they may have designated areas in which to walk your pet. Be sure you know the particulars ahead of time to avoid potential problems later.
If you’re taking your pet with you, do these things in advance. Check to see if the hotel actually permits pets. Gather plastic grocery bags so you are able to clean up any pet messes. Ask for a corner room so that your pets’ noise doesn’t bother anyone else.
Use your AAA discount at hotels. You might be surprised to learn that your membership to the auto club also includes discounts on hotels. You may save 5% or even more on nationwide hotels. This can add up in time!
If you are planning to stay in a hotel for an entire week or longer, ask the hotel about long term price discounts. Hotels will often have weekly and monthly rates which are unpublished. These can offer significant price breaks for your hotel stay. Be sure to mention it upfront.
If you are going to stay in a hotel, be sure to give them a call the day before you are due to arrive. Hotels are not responsible for calling guests to confirm their reservation; that is up to the guest. Always call the hotel to be sure your room is still reserved.
Talk to a travel agent about potential hotel deals. You may think you’ll be paying more by going through a travel agent, but more often than not the opposite is true. Travel agents typically have access to unpublished deals not only for the hotel, but also for airfare and vacation activities.
If you plan to use the telephone provided in your hotel room, know what to expect as far as charges. Some hotels offer free local calls, but others charge for each call. In addition to any long distance charges, the hotel usually adds an extra fee. Use your cell phone to make calls from your hotel room when possible.
GUests should be aware whether or not the hotel allows pets. If you fear or are allergic to pets, you might want to avoid pet-friendly hotels. Hotel floors and linens can glean unpleasant odors from pets. Some hotels may charge you extra for pets, and some may not charge at all, or the fees are lower. Depending on what the hotel is like, you might have to pay an extra cleaning fee.
Whether your stay is for business or pleasure, you want to have a pleasant stay. You also want the satisfaction of knowing that you got a good deal. So keep the hints listed above in your bag of tricks as you book your next stay. You will find that it pays off in saving and in satisfaction.