Does the thought of looking for a good hotel make you nervous? Have you made reservations before at what you thought was a nice hotel, only to find out otherwise? If so, you may need some useful advice on choosing a hotel. Keep reading to find out what you should know.

If you’ve left amenities at home, ask the front desk. Often you won’t need to go out to buy things like toothpaste and toothbrushes. The front desk typically has the staples available to customers at no cost whatsoever. Sure it’s only a few dollars saved, but every dollar counts.

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.

If you are traveling with pets, be sure to select hotels that have good accommodations for them. This is especially true if you are planning on an extended stay. A good hotel that allows pets should have amenities for them. These might include and groomer, doggy day care and special walking areas.

One way to save money when traveling is to search for a hotel that offers a free continental breakfast. This can save you a lot of money if you are staying for a week. Many of the top hotel chains offer large continental breakfasts consisting of breakfast meats, pastries and drinks.

To avoid having to iron your shirts when you unpack everything in your hotel room, pack your polo and dress shirts more carefully. Use a hanging bag, and stack your dress shirts together. Then, starting with the shirt in back, bring the arms around, stacking the arms and wrapping them around keeps your shirts in place.

If you travel often, it’s a great idea to enroll in a hotel’s loyalty program. They have benefits for those who frequently stay at a hotel. Some of the useful things that you can earn are extra upgrades, free nights, and late check-outs.

If you stay at the same hotels all the time, check to see if they have a frequent-stay program. Similar to frequent flyer programs with an airline company, hotel programs will typically give you points for each visit. You can exchange these points for discounts and freebies at the hotel and its restaurant. You may also be able to use them on local amenities.

Avoid using the phone in the hotel to make any calls. If you do not have a mobile phone, it would be a good idea to purchase a prepaid phone to make calls during your stay. The only exception should be if free local calls are included in the room rate.

When booking your room, get exactly what you want. If you want a good view, make sure you get one. If you want to be away from the pool area, make sure you get that as well. Look at a layout of the hotel before calling or booking so you have a good idea of what to expect.

Think about going on a “green” vacation. Luckily, many hotels are around these days for you to choose from. Many new hotels are certified as green hotels. Older hotels can go green by making environmentally friendly choices in energy use. Talk to your travel agent if you prefer to stay at this type of hotel.

To enjoy a tropical destination a bit more quietly, stay away from the large, all-inclusive resorts that bring in quantity but also feature nonstop partying. Instead, choose a smaller resort that also offers shuttles to the major local attractions. You’ll have a stay that is more on your terms, especially when it’s time to sit out on your patio in the quiet of the night.

If you must make a hotel transfer, find out about the fees. Hotel transfer costs can be extremely large, especially in hotels that appear to offer an incredible deal on their room rates. You should inquire about this before booking the hotel room.

Book your hotel room as far in advance as possible. You will be surprised at how quickly hotels fill up, especially in smaller towns with few hotels. If you wait until last minute, there is a good chance you may not even be able to book a room. So, be sure to reserve your room as soon as you know you need one!

Choosing the right hotel for your next vacation can be tricky, especially if you do not know that much about hotels. Many hotels appear nice at first, but really are not of very good quality. With the information that you have read in this article, you can avoid these hotels and find quality ones easily.