Any trip is an exciting event to look forward to. Part of the enjoyment of a trip is the comfort and luxury of a good hotel room. But you often don’t know what you are getting until you unlock the door to your hotel room. here are some ways to help take the mystery out of booking a great room at the best price.
To keep your packing to a minimum on a long trip to one destination, choose a hotel that offers a coin laundry facility. This way, you don’t have to pack as much, and when you are about halfway through your trip, you can wash and dry everything. When it’s almost time to go, repeat the process so you don’t get home with a bunch of dirty clothes.
Use Orbitz or Expedia to find a great deal. If you belong to a hotel’s loyalty program, be sure to input that information when checking rates. Also, as an added bonus, you may get discounts from other companies such as AAA or AARP.
To minimize your travel expenses when you are staying near a resort area like Walt Disney World, choose a hotel that offers a complimentary shuttle to nearby attractions. In this sort of area, you shouldn’t need to rent a car. Instead, use a cab to get to your hotel and then use the shuttle to enjoy the fun.
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.
Look for a closet safe in your hotel room, and use it for any expensive electronics you may have brought with you. Place all electronics there along with important documents, such as your passport or plane tickets.
Check your hotel room prior to unpacking. Is the room clean? Does the plumbing work right? Count how many linens and towels you were given and make sure there are enough for everyone traveling with you. If you notice a problem, be sure to inform the front desk right away to have these problems resolved.
If you plan on bringing your family to a hotel, you should look for family-friendly policies and special deals online. Try using family vacation review sites. You can find many family hotels and resort reviews. Searching through these sites should help you also locate deals to make your trip more enjoyable and affordable.
If you want to save some serious money on your hotel reservations, get the price bundled with something else. This is typically done through an online travel site. When bundled with airfare, hotel room rates drop dramatically, sometimes by over half the list rates that are publicly advertised elsewhere on the Internet.
Make location a top priority when it comes to searching for hotels. If you are going to be staying in a city and want to sight-see, it may not be wise to stay in a hotel 30 minutes away from all the action. Ask the hotel about attractions close by or look up their location on the Internet.
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.
Be sure to avoid hotel transfer fees by asking about them in advance. It is not uncommon to find that greatly discounted bookings may have a hidden cost for the transfer. You save the most money when you ask about this beforehand.
Use social media to your advantage if you want to get fresh deals on hotel stays. Many hotels offer deals and freebies to people that “Like” their page. In addition, giving them praise on social media is a great way to snag an upgrade and/or a special rate that has not been advertised.
To get the most out of a hotel room on a business trip, look online at the various choices to see which places offer a free happy hour. At the end of a long day of meetings, having a free margarita or beer at your hotel before getting ready for dinner can be quite pleasant.
Planning a trip should be a pleasure and your stay should even more pleasurable. So finding the best room at the right price is essential to your enjoyment. By using the hints from above, you will be able to find a comfortable and enjoyable hotel at a price that is right for you.