Whether you are headed for the beach or the mountains, you want your vacation to be special. Part of making your vacation special involves choosing the right hotel. This may seem a daunting task, but once you’ve done it a time or two, you can get it right every time. Keep reading to find out more.
If you are traveling for work and staying at a hotel, ask for a room at least some reasonable distance from the pool area. You will probably want to be in a room where you can concentrate. The noise levels near a pool can be distracting. Pick a quiet room where you can be productive.
Do comparison shopping online. Often you”ll need to do some comparison shopping to find the best deals out there. Some quick web searches can do you a lot of good. There you’ll see who has the best prices for hotels in the areas you are considering. It can save you some real cash.
After you check prices for hotels online, call the hotel’s direct number. Sometimes you can get a better price when you reserve directly through the hotel rather than through the company’s website or toll-free number. In addition, you can make any special requests during this call, such as requesting a quiet room or a crib.
To help your family get into the hotel as comfortably as possible when you are pulling in for a late-night checkin, pull the car under the porte cochere, and leave the engine running while you go inside to check in. Even if you don’t get lucky enough to get to have a room close to the front and have to drive to another entrance, this minimizes the traipsing that they have to do.
Once you get to your hotel, do not unpack until you check the room. Is the room clean? Do you see any mold or mildew? Check the toilet, the shower, and the sink to make sure they are clean and function properly. Count how many linens and towels you were given and make sure there are enough for everyone traveling with you. If you spot any problems, immediately notify the hotel staff so they can fix it or move you to another room.
If you have a AAA membership, look into hotel discounts included. It may be surprising that auto clubs members receive hotel deals, but they do. It can save you 5% or more on hotels all around the nation. These savings really add up.
Join a frequent customer program if you stay at the same hotel chain a lot. You should be able to earn points every time you are visiting one of the hotels. These points can be traded in for restaurant discounts, tickets to shows, free nights at the hotel, and much more.
If you don’t have your heart set on a certain hotel, try using a website like Hotels.com. These types of sites let you put in bids and then return a list of hotels in your price range. The only drawback is that they may not reveal which hotel you have booked until after you have committed to staying there.
To save money on a trip when you are traveling with a large family, choose a hotel that offers a free breakfast. Even if it’s just continental fare, you’re saving a significant amount of money by cutting out having to pay for that one meal each day on the road.
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.
Know that you may not be able to check-in early at some hotels. Plan to get there at the right time if you don’t want to wait. Most hotels clean and prepare rooms at a certain time, so that they are ready for check-in. You can request an early check-in ahead of time, but it may cost more.
If you checked out a hotel price a few weeks ago, be sure to check it out again. Prices for hotel rooms fluctuate not only week to week, but also day to day. There could be a new price available just because you waited. This is especially true if there’s a lot of extra room inventory.
To be a “green” hotel guest, check your bathroom counter and bed for a sign about how to keep the maids from taking your towels away each day. Usually, if you hang your linens up, they will stay in the room, but if you leave them on the floor, the maids will take them and give you clean ones.
As you can see, choosing the right hotel just requires having the right information. Now that you have it, you are fully prepared to pick a great place to stay. Make your reservations so you can cross that task off your list. Then, sit back, relax, and vacation time will be here before you know it.