Finding the right hotel can make or break your travel or vacation. If your hotel is costly, it will consume money you could be using to enjoy your vacation. Use these tips to help you get just the right hotel room for your situation. It is not rocket science and you should be able to book the right room with just a little work.

Check online hotel reviews prior to booking your stay. These provide you with first-hand information about people’s recent experiences at each hotel. The information provided by patrons of the hotel will help you make a good choice of where to stay.

If you take a lot of electronic gadgets with you on a trip, lock them up in the safe when away from the room. Put all of your valuables and small electronics into the safe, such as your jewelry and iPad. They’ll be safe in there and you can leave the hotel room without worry.

Look at organizations you’re part of for discounts. Many clubs, groups and organizations are able to get members discounted hotel rates. These discounts can be as much as 10 percent or even more. This is a good discount that only gets better the longer you stay in a hotel. It can add up to equal a free night!

Use hotel search tools online. You will typically find websites that provide deals on certain hotel chains. They also list the average cost of a hotel room, allowing you to ensure you are receiving an acceptable deal. Finally, by using these websites, you can learn the best places and times to take a vacation.

Always check for online deals prior to booking your hotel room. Many times, the reservation specialist won’t tell you of discounts when you call to book your room. This leaves the job of finding discounts entirely up to you. Websites like Orbitz, Travelocity and Hotels.com usually have some great discounts.

Be sure you inspect the room you are given at check in before you start unpacking. Is it clean and free of mold and mildew? Do the plumbing fixtures function properly? Do you have an adequate number of towels? If there are any obvious problems, report them to the front desk immediately so that they can be taken care of or you can be moved to a different room.

Make sure that you know the check-in time for the hotel that you book. If you are early, your room may not be ready. If you will be arriving early, call and ask if this is okay.

There are three things to do ahead of time if you want to bring your pet to a hotel with you. Confirm that pets are allowed in the room you are staying. It is also a great idea to bring along some plastic bags to clean up when your pet makes a mess. You should also see if you can get a room near the end part of the hallway to make sure other guests don’t have to put up with pet noise.

Hotel Discounts

If you have a AAA membership, look into hotel discounts included. You could also get a surprise that you have an auto club membership that gives you hotel discounts. You can save five percent or more on certain hotels. It’s a way to save money that can add up fast.

It is wise to join a hotel loyalty program if you travel frequently. A loyalty program offers many benefits. The rewards can include free room upgrades, free meals and movie or show tickets tickets. The points can add up.

If you do a great deal of traveling, consider joining hotel chain loyalty programs. The more points you get, the more free stays you can use for vacations.

Look into the smoking policies in the hotel you are considering. If you are a non-smoker, you will enjoy a non-smoking room more. You may be able to ask for a non-smoking room, however smoke can still travel through the air, settling on your clothing. Sometimes a smoker will get a non smoking room and still smoke in it. To be sure you don’t absorb cigarette smoke, think about staying at a nonsmoking hotel.

Smokers should always learn the smoking policy at any hotel before they book a room. A lot of places have specific rooms just for people who smoke. You should try your best to book one of these if they are available. Otherwise, you might find yourself paying a high fee for smoking in a room that is designated as non-smoking.

It’s not often possible to check in to a hotel room early. Be sure to plan your arrival with that in mind, or you may be sitting in the lobby area for some time. Usually, hotels have your room cleaned prior to check-in time. If you should happen to get there early, ask at the desk about early check-in, but your request may not be granted.

Do not check out prior to your agreed upon departure date if you can avoid it. This could result in a charge for early departure. When you make your reservation, the hotel can’t offer the room to someone else, so they lose money if you leave early. This is why they usually charge you an fee for early departure.

As you read in the above article, depending on the hotel costs, it can really cut into the amount of money you had available to do other things. Take the information that you learned here to locate a hotel that is affordable, and one that offers a peaceful sleep. So, remember the advice from above and start planning your next getaway.