When it comes to a hotel stay, you probably prefer to be treated like an important guest rather than having to make your own way. Unfortunately, if you choose the wrong hotel, you could wind up paying a lot of money for a fairly unpleasant experience. Read on to find out how you can get great value at fine hotels.
Check online reviews before booking a room. This lets you know what others’ experiences have been like. Consider what they say to help you make your decision.
Don’t book a hotel room without looking for online deals. Sometimes, the person at the hotel desk might forget to mention a discount for booking online. You have to look for the discounts. Look to websites like RueLaLaTravel or Jetsetter for more help.
Planning for a trip months or even just weeks in advance can often get you a better rate for your hotel room. You can get some great discounts if your trip is booked several months into the future. This will allow you to save up to 50 percent even when staying at an elite hotel.
Most hotels are not pet-friendly. Call ahead to their service desk and make sure, even if their website listing says they are. Find out what their rules on pets are also, as they may not let large pets or certain breeds stay with them.
If you want to have a massage with your partner on your vacation, make sure that you schedule an appointment with a masseuse as early as possible. Resorts that have masseurs often have very fully booked massage schedules, so it is important to plan ahead.
If you belong to the AAA, see what kinds of discounts the hotel offers. You would be surprised where hidden discounts may be lurking. You can save more than five percent on hotels all over the country. This is a savings that can really add up over several nights.
To keep your running regimen up while you are traveling, pack your GPS watch and plenty of running clothes. Enjoy a morning jog each day while on vacation. Even if you stick to city streets, you will gain a better perspective on your destination city before you leave.
The price you are charged for your hotel room is partly dependent upon when you make the reservations. The prices are based partly on availability. Try to book a specific room at least 24 hours ahead of time, but it’s even better if you book weeks ahead of schedule. This can net you a great deal. An empty room will earn the hotel no money; so, they generally slash the price.
You should always find out how much hotel transfers will cost before you book a room. Particularly when the room price is a big deal, the hidden fee of transfer often can be the difference. Asking these things before anything happens will allow you to save more.
Try to avoid long distance calling in hotel rooms. Use the Internet, instead. Hotels usually have Wi-Fi, so you can call using Skype. Take advantage of these options to keep in touch with family, friends and coworkers rather than incurring high costs by using the hotel’s phone system.
To keep the kids in your family happy when you are on the road, call ahead and make sure that the pools in each hotel are in working order. Nothing is worse than having excited kids who find out they cannot go to the pool.
Cigarette Smoke
If you’re a smoker, then make sure you get a hotel with a smoking room. If cigarette smoke bothers you, look for a hotel that doesn’t have smoking rooms. You may be able to ask for a non-smoking room, however smoke can still travel through the air, settling on your clothing. Sometimes, smokers book rooms that are non-smoking and smoke anyway. To be sure you don’t absorb cigarette smoke, think about staying at a nonsmoking hotel.
Know what the pet policy is before you book. If you fear pets or have allergies it may be best to make reservations at hotels that have a strict no pets policy. The hotels may have the smell of pet odors on the linens and floor. Some hotels are pet-friendly and don’t charge for it, while other hotels will add a hefty fee for keeping a pet. The fee might be too low to cover the extra cleaning costs.
In most cases, an early check-in just isn’t possible. Be sure to plan your arrival with that in mind, or you may be sitting in the lobby area for some time. Hotels need this time to clean and prepare your room. You can see if your room is ready should you arrive early. However, do not count on it.
When making your reservation for a room, specify when you need a roll-out bed or crib. Not every hotel will have these items available, and the ones that do only have limited quantities. Also, these things can cost extra. Let the hotel know what you need to avoid anything that you will turn in a bad surprise.
Resist the temptation to indulge in your hotel’s bottled water! When you arrive at your hotel, you might be very thirsty. That’s what the hotel owners had in mind when they packed the min-fridge with delicious, yet expensive, refreshments. Hotels are really aware of this, and the water will cost you quite a bit more than it really should. You might be able to get free bottled water in the hotel gym. The best option, however, it to bring your own bottled water.
If you want to be thrilled with your hotel, don’t set yourself up to be disappointed. With the tips that have been discussed in this article, you’re sure to fare better at the next hotel stay. There are some great hotels out there, and you just need to find them.