Have you heard your friends and family discuss having a great vacation, but the hotel was awful? Part of having a good vacation depends on the hotel you choose. You probably would like an affordable place with excellent service. The following information can help make hotel booking easier.

You can find a lot of great deals on hotels if you go online and check out some of the travel sites out there. If you are a member of a particular hotel’s loyalty program, remember to include that information when you are checking on rates. You may also qualify for discounts from other organizations you belong to such as AAA or AARP.

It’s important to make sure that your valuables are safe during a hotel stay, so make use of the room’s safe. Putting these items in the safe ensures that you can go out and have fun, not worrying about what you’ve left in the room.

Check with any membership programs for deals. Many of these places will give you cheaper hotel prices. People frequently forget these discounts are available, and they can be 10 percent or more. These discounts can save you quite a bit of cash, particularly if your stay involves several nights. Over the course of a week it’s nearly a free night!

Take advantage of online hotel searching tools. These sites can help you get good deals. They can provide you with an idea of the average rate charged by each hotel, so you will have a good idea as to whether or not the deal you are being offered is good. Finally, they can also help you figure out when you want to go on your vacation and what you want to do there.

Be sure to look at your room before unpacking your suitcase. Make sure there is no mold or mildew anywhere in the room. Does the plumbing work right? Does your room feature the linens and towels you require? If any issues are immediately prevalent, call the front desk that instant so they can address them or move you to another room.

Part of trip planning is knowing what time check-in is at your hotel. Many people show up before check-in time only to find out their room isn’t ready. Call the hotel desk and find out if your room has been prepared if you know that you’ll be arriving early.

To benefit from the best prices at hotels, start planning your trips several weeks or even months in advance. Most hotels have serious discounts for early booking customers. You might only pay half price for premium hotels.

Do not make the assumption that your pets are welcome at all hotels. Call before you book so that you know for sure. Make sure that you ask ahead what pet-friendly means to the hotel because this is a loose term that may still mean there are certain restrictions.

There are three things you must do before bringing your pet along on your vacation. First, you’ll need to find out if a hotel is even pet-friendly. For easy cleanup, make sure that you have brought along an adequate number of plastic bags. Ask for a corner room since this can reduce the number of guests disturbed by a noisy pet.

If you want to arrange for a couples massage at your hotel, be sure to book the appointment right away. Often the best masseurs and masseuses at top resorts are booked by name, so if you do your planning early, you can make your experience sublime.

If you’re a member of the AAA, you should see what your hotel membership discount will be. You would be surprised where hidden discounts may be lurking. It will let you save 5% or so on hotels that are around the nation. It really is a savings that adds up over time.

If you want to keep up the running regimen you have while traveling you should get your GPS watch packed with some running clothes. When you wake up in the morning, throw on your gear and head out for a morning jog. Whether you are running on roads or city streets, you will gain more knowledge about the city you are visiting while you run.

It is possible to stay within a budget when booking a hotel. The article above gave some great suggestions on how to approach looking for the perfect hotel. You will not have to spend much money at all. If you keep these tips in mind, you should be able to get a great deal on an affordable hotel.