Having the right hotel room can make or break your stay. You have to know what’s important to search for and what really isn’t important when you’re looking for the best hotel. The tips below will help you book a great hotel.
Use websites like Orbitz and Expedia for great prices. If you are a member of the hotel’s loyalty program, don’t forget to add that information as you check rates. Some organizations like AAA and AARP offer lodging discounts for a variety of hotel chains.
To keep your family active and engaged when you are in a hotel far from home, talk to the concierge when you check in to get a list of nearby attractions. At the end of each day, sit down and map out a plan for the next morning. This gives you more vacation time and less time sitting in front of a television waiting to decide what to do.
If you are interested in “going green” when traveling, try going to a “green” hotel. Start by looking for these hotels online. There are several organizations that let you search for these hotels easily like Green Hotels Association and Green Globe. They will have a comprehensive list of green hotels in different locations.
Be sure to look at your room before unpacking your suitcase. Your room should definitely be neat and should not have any odd smells, suspicious stains or mildew. Do the sink, shower and toilet work properly? Do you have enough towels and linens? If you notice a problem, be sure to inform the front desk right away to have these problems resolved.
Know your check-in time in advance. 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.
If you travel often, it’s a great idea to enroll in a hotel’s loyalty program. Loyalty programs provide frequent guests benefits for booking with them on a regular basis. The rewards can include free room upgrades, free meals and movie or show tickets tickets. The points can add up.
If you don’t have your heart set on a certain hotel, try using a website like Hotels.com. These types of sites let you put in bids and then return a list of hotels in your price range. The only drawback is that they may not reveal which hotel you have booked until after you have committed to staying there.
When you first arrive, inspect your hotel room’s bathroom. You probably won’t find any in there. Therefore, you can put your luggage here while you look over the remainder of the room. Put kids and pets in there, too.
There are many hidden fees that can substantially increase the cost of your hotel stay. For example, many hotels deliver a newspaper outside of your room and charge you for it. To ensure you are not charged for any unwanted items carefully read the contract before signing for your hotel room.
If your hotel offers a kid’s club, and you are considering leaving your child there, take a few precautions. Find out if the staff has undergone background checks and ask about the child to adult ratio. In addition, ask what the procedure is for picking up the child. You want to make sure that someone can’t just walk up and leave with your little one.
As you have seen from the above article, if you take the time to do some research, then you can get a great rate on a great hotel room. You have to know the right times to book and what you should look for. So keep the tips from above in mind and you will be sure to find a hotel that is perfect for your needs.