Thanksgiving is practically here only to be followed by a wide assortment of other amazing holidays. So, you’ve probably taken some time to book a hotel room near relatives or your exciting vacation spot. Hotels during the holidays can be pricey and crowded, which never helps with the holiday spirit, but there are a few ways for you to get more for your money when it comes to your stay at just about any hotel you book. These ten tips will make your stay away from home actually feel like a getaway, so you can feel the joy of the holidays without stressing over the financial loss of the hotel.
1. Be Loyal
The first step you can take to make your trip better is to be as loyal as possible. Choose a hotel that you know you love and that you’ve stayed with before, so you can choose a rewards card through them. This will allow you to receive benefits from the hotel service long before you step foot in your room. Many of these hotel chains will offer free rooms after so many nights spent in the hotel, which comes in handy if your holiday stay is going to be a bit long, or you plan to stay with the hotel more than once during the holiday season. Many hotel chains will also provide their reward customers with special treats during the holiday season, so you might find a little more warmth to your stay than you otherwise would. Make sure you provide your rewards card when you sign up though as this will qualify you for all of the rewards the company has to offer. If you don’t already have a rewards card, then take to the website or ask a local chain to help set you up.
2. Use the Gym
Chances are, you’re going to be pretty busy when it comes to the whole holiday festivity thing, especially if you’re spending your time with family. However, if your hotel comes equipped with a free gym or pool, you may not want to pass up the opportunity to use it. Usually, the amount of amenities gets added onto every bill to help upkeep things like pools, gyms and so on, so you’re technically already paying to go. By skipping your visit, you’ll be throwing away money that you paid, which is never a good idea. Plus, even if you’re busy, you may want to take some time to get in a workout. It can help reduce stress that holiday visits often bring. Not to mention, it will boost your energy, so you’ll be ready to take on the next day even if you were feeling particularly drained.
3. Check In Early
Most hotels will give you a set check in time which is pretty standard in the hotel community. However, most of the time the rooms are ready at a much earlier time, so you can always see if you can check in at an earlier time. You may want to request this when you make the reservation though as some desk managers may allow it while others won’t. If it is in your records, then you won’t have to stand around arguing about who told you what when you do go to check in. This will allow you to get a little more out of your room and will help you relax after traveling and before you wind up visiting with loved ones. Of course, there are times when you simply can’t check in early, but if you express a need the desk manager may be able to move you into a different room so you can enjoy this feature.
4. Skip the Websites
You’ve probably booked a hotel or an entire vacation on a website, at one point or another. These websites are very convenient and claim to help you save a bundle of money on the best rooms around. Although the rooms may be cheap, you will generally end up with some of the worst rooms in the hotel. This is because chains tend to see customers who shop this way as a one-time customer, so they aren’t as eager to impress. The best thing you can do is hop on these websites to get a ball park figure of what you will be paying for them. You can also use the sites to check out reviews, look at photos and map the location of the hotel. Once you decide on a place then call the hotel up directly. Try to avoid calling toll free numbers too, as these number will lead you to operators who will give you a flat rate. Calling the hotel directly will give you to a floor manager who can negotiate price with you and ensure you have everything you will need for your stay.
5. Continental Breakfast
This can be one of the biggest money savers available, especially if you have a hotel that offers more than just dry cereal. Before you book, look around for a hotel that does offer a hot breakfast, so you can fill up for the day and save a bit of money on meals. Some hotels will offer some of the better deals on breakfasts by serving eggs, bacon, waffles and more. Even if they only offer bagels and fruit you’re still set up to keep going for a few hours during the day. You may find that this will help you even go past lunch for a little while which will save you even more money. Most hotels will even offer breakfast until 10:30 of 11 in the morning, which is a great late start to the day, so you can fuel up until midday or whenever your family decides to serve meals at your get-together. Some hotels will even allow you to take food up to your room, which can serve as a great snack for later in the day.
6. Think About the Pets
If you didn’t want to or couldn’t leave your pets home alone for the holidays, then you will want a hotel that is considerate to the furry members of your family too. Luckily, there are a lot of hotel that will offer a pet friendly policy when they check in. Many hotels won’t even charge you the extra amount, which is sure to make your stay even more pleasant. The key is to look into which hotels are pet friendly though, as this will ensure you won’t end up paying a huge pet deposit when you check in. Some places will even offer special signs for the door, so you won’t have to worry about the staff coming in while you’re away. Better yet, some hotels have nearby dog parks or an area to walk your pet, so they will feel more comfortable too.
7. Ask For Fresh Items
When you’re staying in a hotel, you shouldn’t hesitate to ask for fresh items as the hotel won’t charge you for this. One of the main things you should ask for is a fresh bed spread. These aren’t always swapped out between customers and sometimes aren’t cleaned, so don’t use them if you don’t have to. Instead, ask housekeeping to bring up a new bedspread or spare blankets to help you get a more hygienic stay out of your hotel. You can also ask for towels as much as you need to. Usually, leaving the towels in a pile will help housekeeping know you’re hoping for new ones, but if they don’t comply then call down to the front desk. You shouldn’t have to reuse towels if you really don’t want to. Last but not least, feel free to ask for extra soaps, coffee or tea packages and any of the other complementary items. The hotels usually don’t care about this, and they come in handy on road trips or for guests in your own home.
8. Draw Attention to Celebrations
When it comes to traveling for a special occasion, you never know what kind of goodies you can get simply by letting the front desk know what’s happening when you book your room. For instance, if you’re on your honeymoon, you may be privy to free wine or champagne, a room upgrade or even special treats left in your room. Anniversaries, especially those celebrating a milestone, are also a good reason to share for the free items. Even birthdays can get you’re a few extra bonuses in your room. You may have to remind the front desk when you check in why you’re traveling though, so don’t be afraid to over-share when it comes to checking in. If you’re a rewards member you may already get special items for your birthday too, so make sure to check your email when the big day comes around.
9. Dispute Charges
If you’ve ever stayed at a hotel and found out there were charges on your bill that you didn’t make, then you may have gone from pleasant to irate in a few seconds flat. Minibar charges are one of the main complaints for people in hotels, but luckily they are simple to dispute. Most people at the front desk won’t want to argue with you over these items, so make sure to call in if you see something on your tab that you didn’t touch. Another option is movies. You can easily get out of movie fees by calling the front desk. If the movie didn’t work, paused a lot or was of lower quality than advertised then you can get it taken off of your bill in no time flat. Many people will do these things just to save money, but that is up to your moral compass. All the same, most hotels don’t like wasting time over these disputes, so call it in if you feel you shouldn’t pay for it.
10. Complain
A lot of people don’t bother to complain when there is a problem with the room or those surrounding the room. Rather, they just have a bad time and blame the hotel for it later. Most hotels are willing to meet their customers’ needs if they are told what they are doing wrong. If there’s an issue with the room, go down to customer service and politely explain what’s happening. You may be surprised as to how quickly they fix the problem. You may even get a few freebies out of the deal too, which is sure to make your stay even better. If you have a loud neighbor or they are smoking in areas in which they shouldn’t then let the front desk know. They will get to the bottom of the problem or move you to another room so your stay will be more comfortable.
Spending time in hotels doesn’t have to be a huge burden on your budget and your good time. With these ten tricks, you should be able to get a lot more out of your time in the hotel. Now, you can feel like your favorite hotel is your home away from home for the holidays, which is sure to make you feel a little bit better about spending the money.
