When you are going on a family vacation, making a hotel reservation is an important part of the planning process. However, it is all too easy to end up choosing a shabby hotel that overcharges you. Use the following tips to make sure that you choose a great hotel at a good rate.
Prior to reserving a room at a hotel, look on the Internet for reviews. One great site is TripAdvisor. Online review websites will allow you to see previous guests' experiences at the hotels you are considering. What people say about a hotel can help you figure out where you should be staying.
To keep your drinking water clean in a hotel room, rinse out your drinking glasses, even if there is a paper cover or a plastic wrapping around it. Dust and debris from the plastic can settle in the glass, leading to an unpleasant first sip. Taking the time to rinse it out will make your experience better.
If you are a member of a frequent flyer program or travel a lot, try joining a hotel loyalty program. You can earn points and use them toward your upcoming stays. You can also gain airline miles if the hotel is a partner of a frequent flier program. Check the airline or hotel website to see what you're qualified for.
Check out priceline.com and other online hotel discount vendors to help you find the best deals out there. These websites can really bring hotel costs down to rock bottom prices. Even upper scale hotels can be found for more affordable prices. There's no reason you should be paying full rate.
It is often helpful to choose a hotel that includes a free breakfast. While many of the breakfasts are not elaborate, they offer you a way to start your day off right without having to search for a place to eat. Many hotels offer a continental breakfast that includes, coffee, tea and pastries while others offer cereal, eggs, pancakes, waffles and other breakfast foods.
Before you make your hotel reservation, check to see if any fees will be added to your bill. Many hotels charge extra for parking, Wi-Fi and even room cleaning. These charges can make your stay more costly than you anticipated, so be sure to ask about them before you make your decision.
To enjoy a tropical destination a bit more quietly, stay away from the large, all-inclusive resorts that bring in quantity but also feature nonstop partying. Instead, choose a smaller resort that also offers shuttles to the major local attractions. You'll have a stay that is more on your terms, especially when it's time to sit out on your patio in the quiet of the night.
Before you decide to book, always find out if there are any hotel transfer fees so you won't be surprised on your bill. Particularly if you are getting a discount, the fee associated with the transfer may be high. Getting this information ahead of time will maximize your savings.
There are websites available that offer you an instant discount if the hotel you have booked decreases in price before your stay. You may end up with a good amount of money back in your pocket. The best thing about this type of site is that the opposite does not apply. If the rates increase, you will only have to pay the amount you were originally quoted.
Try to avoid long distance calling in hotel rooms. Utilize the Internet, instead. Hotels usually have Wi-Fi, so you can call using Skype. This is much cheaper than paying for a bunch of long distance calls from your hotel room.
When staying in a hotel room, are you sometimes concerned with the safety and security of your room? For less than dollars you can alleviate these fears. Purchase a rubber doorstop and always pack it with your other essentials when traveling. It is simple to use and is highly effective. Simply wedge the doorstop under the inside of the door. Combined with the door's deadlock, no one stands a chance of coming through your door uninvited.
If you are traveling with children, make sure you tell the front desk about your needs when you call to make a reservation. For example, do you need a pack and play? Make that known before you show up at the hotel. Also, ask if there is space in the room to set up a crib. You may need to ask for a larger room so that your entire family can be comfortable.
Think about whether or not you are going to be staying at a smoking or nonsmoking hotel. If you're not a smoker, you might want to skip a smoking hotel. However, even with non-smoking rooms, there's no telling if the guy next door is smoking. Sometimes, smokers book rooms that are non-smoking and smoke anyway. To avoid cigarette odors entirely, opt for a non-smoking hotel.
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.
If you plan to use the telephone provided in your hotel room, know what to expect as far as charges. Some hotels offer free local calls, but others charge for each call. In addition to any long distance charges, the hotel usually adds an extra fee. Use your cell phone to make calls from your hotel room when possible.
Nothing can ruin a family vacation more quickly than a stay in a dirty, grimy hotel. You want your family to remember the good times about the trip, not the disgusting hotel room that you had to stay in. Remember the advice you have read here to make the right hotel reservation.
Orignal From: What A Lot Of People Didn't Know About Hotels
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