You have to consider many factors when planning to travel. It is crucial that you know the location of your destination. In addition, you must figure out your means of transportation. Additionally, you must plan for accommodations and that’s not always easy. In this article, we offer sound advice for booking good accommodations.
Prior to booking a hotel, refer to TripAdvisor and similar online travel review sites. These types of sites let you read about real customers’ experiences with each hotel. Consider what they say to help you make your decision.
Use travel websites, like Expedia and Priceline to find great hotel deals. As you check your rates, don’t forget to include that you’re a loyalty program member. Also, you may be eligible for discounts through other organizations to which you may belong, such as AARP or AAA.
Consider ordering room service during your stay. This will cost you a little extra, but the convenience it provides is worth it.
Use the closet safe to protect your electronics. You can use it to store your tablet and other expensive items to keep them secure.
What groups are you a member of? Some organizations offer discounts on hotels to their members. Some discounts can be over ten percent! These discounts can save you quite a bit of cash, particularly if your stay involves several nights. That’s almost an extra free night throughout an entire week.
Many factors come into play as you choose a hotel. Price is important but a shabby, dirty hotel room is no bargain at any price. Internet access, pools, fitness centers and breakfast offered are a few other things to consider. Try to find a hotel that offers as many of your desired amenities as possible.
Look for deals online. Sometimes, the person at the hotel desk might forget to mention a discount for booking online. This leaves the job of finding discounts entirely up to you. Check websites like Hotwire.com, Kayak.com and Priceline.com for great discounts.
Know when check-in time is. If you don’t check, the room may not be ready when you arrive. Call and ask if you think you’ll be early.
Think about these three things if you plan to bring a pet with you during your hotel stay. First, inquire as to whether the hotel really is a pet-friendly place. Pack a supply of plastic grocery bags with you – you will need to clean up any pet waste. When you go to make the hotel reservation, see if there is room on the end that would prevent the other guests from hearing a noisy pet.
Book massages as early as possible. Many of the top masseuses out there are booked far ahead of time.
For members of AAA, hotels offer discounts that are exclusive to members. It may surprise you that AAA gives hotel discounts, but most of them do. It will let you save 5% or so on hotels that are around the nation. This can add up on a long trip.
If you tend to return to the same family of hotels for your vacation, consider joining their membership reward programs. They work a lot like frequent flier miles do with airlines. You earn points in a similar way. These points can quickly add up to many perks such as a free night, discounts at the hotel restaurants, spa deals and much, much more.
Think about going on a “green” vacation. Luckily, there are a lot of green hotels out there in this day and age. Many new hotels are constructed to meet green standards, earning green certification. Many older hotels are environmentally aware and have eco-friendly measures in place. You can ask a travel agent to pinpoint eco-friendly hotels, thus making sure your vacation doesn’t hurt the environment.
Timing matters when booking a hotel room. The price of a hotel room varies with availability. Try to always book your hotel room only a day in advance. This will usually ensure that you receive the best available price. Hotels would rather discount the price because an empty room does not earn them any money.
Check with the hotel to make sure the pools are ready to go if you are traveling with children. It can prove rather frustrating when you check in to your room with the kids screaming “pool” only to find out it’s closed.
Know what the pet policy is before you book. It may be best to stay clear of hotels that accept pets if you are afraid of dogs or are allergic to pets. They may have a hidden smell that the hotel tries to mask with a strong fragrance, which is also an irritant. Extra fees are sometimes imposed by hotels for guests who bring pets, but sometimes the fee is not too high. The fee charged may not be adequate to cover the extra cleaning needed to completely remove the odors.
If it all possible, never check out before your scheduled departure date. The hotel might charge you an early departure fee. You reserve a room when you book it, so if you leave early they lose money. As a result, hotels will attempt to regain some of this lost revenue by charging you a fee for leaving early.
Booking your flight and hotel at the same time may save some travel expenses. A lot of websites for travel will give you quite a bit of savings for you if you reserve a hotel and a rental car or flight together. If you want to maximize your possibilities, comparison shop the rates of multiple hotels and airlines.
If you want an upgrade, use an approach that may snag it for free. Arrive right at your check-in time. Often your room has not yet been cleaned, so they might give you a room upgrade at no extra charge.
After reading this, you now know how to choose the ideal hotel room at a great price. Once you understand what to look for, you can start planning ahead. It’s time to plan your travels and have an enjoyable stay. You are bound to have wonderful stories to tell when you get back!