Nearly everyone has experienced the nightmare of staying in a bad hotel. This can be expensive and unpleasant, so you need to avoid it if you can. So use these tips to help you avoid a nightmare hotel and plan a dream trip.
Use travel websites, like Expedia and Priceline to find great hotel deals. Input your loyalty info when you are looking for rates online. You can also get additional discounts from any organization you are apart of, such as the AAA or the AARP.
Take advantage of the safe you have in your room, especially if you have electronics with you. Place all electronics there along with important documents, such as your passport or plane tickets.
See if your organizational memberships offer any benefits. Some may offer discounts on hotels. You may save ten percent or more. They can save you plenty of money, especially for prolonged stays. A stay of 5 days or more could add up to one free hotel night stay!
Deals Online
Search for hotel deals online. The hotel representative is unlikely to inform you there are better deals online. This leaves the job of finding discounts entirely up to you. There are many travel websites that offer discounts.
Know when check-in time is. You don’t want to arrive early only to find out your room isn’t ready yet. If you find you will be arriving early, call the hotel in advance and find out if you will be allowed in.
If you want to get a low rate at your hotel, start planning early for your vacation. Many locations offer discounts if you are willing to book more than a month or two ahead of time. Doing this could save you up to 50 percent off your room, and this holds true with the more elite brands as well.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking all hotels will accept pets. Be sure to ask even if the website says it’s ok to bring a pet. Also, ask what their definition of pet-friendly is, as there may still be restrictions on size or breed of pet allowed at the hotel.
If you are an AAA member, check into your membership hotel discount. AAA members actually receive hotel discounts at specific hotel chains! You can save upwards of 5% on your hotel stays. Over multiple nights, that five percent will really add up.
If you travel frequently, it is wise to enroll in hotel loyalty programs. They provide benefits to anyone who stays at a hotel chain frequently. You can earn things like free upgrades, complimentary late check-out times and free stays if you accrue enough loyalty points.
Green Hotels
You may wish to consider a “green” vacation if the environment is one of your concerns. Fortunately, there are many green hotels available nowadays. Many new hotels are certified as green hotels. Some older inns just select one or more of several eco-friendly strategies to show environmental awareness. A travel agent or similar source can help you find hotels that are considered ‘green’.
The price of a hotel room is often a mix of many factors. Availability sets pricing. If you can, make your reservation no earlier than 24 hours before you arrive. This will usually ensure that you receive the best available price. An empty room will earn the hotel no money; so, they generally slash the price.
Discuss what a hotel transfer will cost you prior to actually booking anything. Especially if you’re in a situation where the room’s price is a really good deal, the price of your transfer can make a big difference. Ask about this beforehand to save more.
Try not to make long distance calls from your hotel room. Instead, you should try the Internet. You’ll often find hotels have free Wi-Fi, which allows for Skype calling long distance numbers for free. 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.
Call the hotel before you arrive to make sure the swimming pool is in working order. It can prove rather frustrating when you check in to your room with the kids screaming “pool” only to find out it’s closed.
Check in the bathroom first for bed bugs. Bedbugs usually won’t stay here. This is why you should keep your luggage in there while you go on a search for bedbugs. Kids and pets can stay there as well.
Find out what the policy on pets is. If you don’t like pets or are allergic, you want to avoid pet-friendly hotels. Not to mention, you’ll definitely notice unwanted smells in the floor or in the linens if you don’t own a pet yourself. Some hotels charge extra fees for pets, but some do not charge much. It might not be adequate to the cost of cleaning demands.
In most cases, checking into a hotel room ahead of schedule 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. If you’re going to have to show up early, speak with the people at the front to see if you’re able to get into the room, but don’t think that it will happen.
Don’t give into the temptation to take hotel linens home. If housekeeping notices that you’ve taken towels or linens, you may be billed for those items. If you find you really like these items, then ask the hotel if you could purchase them instead.
No one should have to spend their vacation in a bad hotel. Even getting a complete refund doesn’t erase the trouble of having an unpleasant or uncomfortable stay at a substandard hotel. Either way, your trip could be ruined. So planning ahead and using the tips above is surest way to ensure a pleasant stay. You can get some great discounts to make your experience even better.