You will no doubt be booking hotel rooms at certain points throughout your life. Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, it’s important to understand how to book a hotel. Following is some advice that should help.
Check online reviews before booking a room. These provide you with first-hand information about people’s recent experiences at each hotel. These reviews can aid you in your decision about whether to book the hotel.
Room service is great for late meals. Although you will probably have to spend more money to do this, it’s usually worth the cost because you have the luxury of receiving excellent food without having to leave your hotel room.
Use the closet safe to protect your electronics. You can stash your expensive electronics and jewelry in the safe and go about your day without worry.
Consider your organizational memberships. Some organizations will receive discounts for different reasons from different hotels. A lot of people don’t use these discounts, and you may save 10% or even more. These discounts can save you quite a bit of cash, particularly if your stay involves several nights. Within a week’s time, you are basically getting a free night’s stay.
Use hotel search tools online. These websites can help you get great deals quickly. They can also show you what the hotel’s average rates typically are, allowing you to see whether you are actually getting a good deal or not. These travel sites also list activities available in your area.
Check the Internet for the best deals before you book a hotel room during your next trip. A lot of the time, when you book a room with someone, they’ll tell you there aren’t any online discounts. This leaves the job of finding discounts entirely up to you. Look to websites like RueLaLaTravel or Jetsetter for more help.
Inspect your room before unpacking your bags. Is it clean? Check the shower, toilet and sink to ensure they work properly. Do you have the blankets, pillows and towels you need? This quick check can keep you from discovering a problem later, after you have unpacked and all other good rooms are taken. Tell the front desk immediately.
Be aware in advance of the check-in time. Some people fail to check when they will be able to access their rooms. They arrive at the hotel but find that their room isn’t ready yet. If you might be arriving before the check-in time, ask the hotel whether it’s okay to come.
Plan your trip as far in advance as you can to ensure best rates. Most hotels have serious discounts for early booking customers. You might even be able to save up to 50 percent off at some very exclusive hotels.
Not every hotel allows pets. Call them ahead of time to see if they are even if the website they’re on says yes. Also, find out if there are any size or breed restrictions.
If you like running and frequently stay in hotel rooms, be sure and pack up a GPS watch, along with your favorite running clothes. You can still enjoy your early morning jog while on vacation if you have your gear and the right room booked. When you go running in a new city, you will get a free tour, up-close and personal.
Environmentally Friendly
People who care about the environment may be more comfortable staying in a hotel that is eco-friendly. Fortunately, there are many green hotels to choose from today. Some of the newer hotels were built with green standards in mind. Older hotels can go green by making environmentally friendly choices in energy use. Your travel agent can help to identify the environmentally friendly hotels.
The amount you pay for the hotel room is determined by when you book it. Rooms are priced based on availability. If you can, make your reservation no earlier than 24 hours before you arrive. In this way, you will get good rates. The hotel will earn no money at all if the room is empty, which gives you a much better bargaining position.
Be sure you know the cost associated with hotel transfers when booking a room. Especially in situations where the price of the room represents a major deal, the hidden cost of the transfer can often make the difference. Asking about this beforehand will help to maximize your savings.
Know what the pet policy is before you book. If you dislike or are allergic to pets, you should avoid hotels allowing them. These hotels may also have an odor due to the smells sinking in the floor and linens. While some hotels charge fees for pets, they don’t always charge a lot. The fee might be too low to cover the extra cleaning costs.
You should know that it is not usually possible to check into your hotel early. You need to plan appropriately to avoid waiting in the lobby all day. Hotels usually need to get the room cleaned and ready before you check in. Check with the front desk if you arrive early, but do not be angry if they can’t get you in early.
For hygienic reasons, it might be best to avoid the provided bedspread in your room. Most hotels only wash the sheets on the bed; however, the bedspread is normally not washed. It can carry a lot of germs. Just remove it from the bed.
As was stated earlier, most people will stay at a hotel at some point in their lives. Regardless of your reason, you will enjoy your stay more if you book knowledgeably. This article has the advice you need, so use it!