You will probably need to stay at a hotel during your life. Whether you want to stay in a hotel for business or personal reasons, you need to know what you’re looking for in one. Here is some information that can help you.
Prior to choosing and reserving a hotel room, check review sites online like TripAdvisor or Expedia. Websites like TripAdvisor will give you some first-hand accounts of hotel experience from actual customers. Factor former guests’ reviews into your final decision.
To enjoy a late-night meal with that special someone without having to leave the comfort of your hotel room, think about ordering some room service. The cost will be a bit higher, but not having to dress up and go out will be worth it.
If you have a safe in your closet, then you should use it to keep your valuables safe while you are outside of the room. Your small electronic devices can be left in the safe when you are out, so you will not have to worry about them.
Make sure you check with any organizations of which you are a member. Some groups provide members with discounts on certain hotels. The discounts could be 10% or even higher! You end up with an even bigger savings if your hotel stay is going to be for multiple nights. After a week has gone by it will add up to a free night almost!
Know the check-in times. If you don’t check, the room may not be ready when you arrive. If you will be arriving early, call and ask if this is okay.
Most hotels are not pet-friendly. Put a call into the front desk just to be sure, no matter what it says on their website. Ask about their pet policy. Many hotels have restrictions on the breed and size of pet allowed on the premises.
If you’re taking your pet with you, do these things in advance. Make sure the hotel is actually pet-friendly. In addition, take along some plastic bags to pick up your pet’s mess. Finally, ask the hotel staff if you can have a room on the far end away from guests so that you don’t interfere with their visit.
If you want to keep your regular running routine, pack your GPS and running clothes. Head out early in the morning after donning your running gear. Even jogging on pavement and alongside city avenues can provide you new perspective of any city that you visit.
For people who are frequent travelers, consider signing up for some loyalty programs with your favorite hotels. This type of program provides discounts and benefits for frequent visitors. You can score things like complimentary upgrades, later check-out options and even free nights once you accumulate enough loyalty program points.
If you tend to return to the same family of hotels for your vacation, consider joining their membership reward programs. These programs usually work by letting you rack up points. These points can be traded in for restaurant discounts, tickets to shows, free nights at the hotel, and much more.
The cost of your hotel will vary depending on when you make your reservation. Rooms prices are based on their availability. Try to always book your hotel room only a day in advance. A late booking when the hotel is slow often results in a bargain. A room that’s empty won’t help the hotel, so generally they will get the price lowered.
If you are a frequent business traveler, establishments like Marriott and Choice Hotels offer attractive membership programs. When you do that, you accumulate points for every stay, and that can add up to free nights or vacation discounts.
Be careful not to make long distance phone calls on the hotel phone. Instead, you should try the Internet. You can access Skype with the Internet connection at your hotel. In this way, you can stay in touch with friends, relations and colleagues without racking up a big phone bill.
If you smoke, you should understand the hotel’s policy about smoking before you book a room. Most hotels have designated smoking rooms. So be sure to request one of these rooms. A few hotels will charge you in the event that they discover you’ve been smoking in their rooms where it’s prohibited, so abide by the smoking rules.
Be aware that you can’t normally check-in early at your hotel. Be sure to not to show up early so you don’t have to wait. Before you can enjoy your room, hotels need to clean the room properly. Should you arrive early, ask at the desk if it is possible to check in, but do not be surprised if they say no.
If you’ll need a rollaway or crib, make sure you specify this when you reserve the room. Not all hotels supply these items, and those that do have limited quantities. Some hotels will include an additional fee if you want to rent these items during your stay. Talk about these things when you make your reservations.
Leave the bottled water alone in your hotel room! Sure, you might be a little thirsty after checking into your new room. You can be tempted to casually open that bottled water beckoning on the mini-fridge. Hotels take advantage of guests by charging ridiculous amounts for bottled water. You might be able to get bottled water in the hotel gym. Or, if you are thinking ahead, just bring a bottle with you.
As you know, staying in a hotel is a common activity. Regardless of the reason why, research is necessary. The previous article offered great tips for coming up with the right hotel, so implement those tips.