Does just thinking about booking a hotel send chills up your spine? Is it tough to decide on a room that you think will suit your family’s needs? However, there’s no reason to freak out. The tips that follow will help you with all things related to hotels.

Use travel websites to find the most competitive prices for hotel chains online. If you are a member of the hotel’s loyalty program, don’t forget to add that information as you check rates. Also, you may be eligible for discounts through other organizations to which you may belong, such as AARP or AAA.

To enjoy a late-night meal with that special someone without having to leave the comfort of your hotel room, think about ordering some room service. Even though this will cost a bit more, the convenience and comfort are worth it.

If you have a safe in your closet, then you should use it to keep your valuables safe while you are outside of the room. Your small electronic devices can be left in the safe when you are out, so you will not have to worry about them.

Check with the organizations that you are a member with. Some of them may provide discounts on hotel stays. The discounts could be 10% or even higher! This can help you to save some cash, especially if you’re going to be staying for a few nights. This can also net you a free hotel night.

You can get better deals on hotel rooms if you book several weeks or months ahead. Most hotels have serious discounts for early booking customers. This can save you as much as 40 percent off of the cost of your hotel.

Do not assume that each hotel welcomes pets. Even if the website says they are pet-friendly, always call in advance to verify. Verify exactly what is meant by “pet-friendly” since certain breeds and pets over a certain size may not be allowed.

AAA members get an extra discount at certain hotel chains. Many people are surprised to see hotel discounts included with their auto club membership. You can save 5 percent or even more on hotels around the country. This can add up in time!

Be sure to follow your fitness regimen while staying in a hotel by packing your workout clothes and any other equipment you may need. Simply set an alarm or get a wake up call and take an early morning run. Even if you’re running down the city streets of roads, it will give you a new perspective of the city that you’re visiting.

Loyalty Program

It is wise to join a hotel loyalty program if you travel frequently. They have benefits for those who frequently stay at a hotel. You can score things like complimentary upgrades, later check-out options and even free nights once you accumulate enough loyalty program points.

If you often stay at the same hotel chain, check to see if they offer membership to frequent stay programs. Just like frequent flyer mile programs, these hotel programs offer you points for your stay. They can amount to show tickets, free nights, spa deals, hotel restaurants discounts and much more.

You may wish to consider a “green” vacation if the environment is one of your concerns. The number of “green” hotels is steadily growing. There are plenty of hotels built today with strong environmental standards. Other older hotels will just provide green options for you. You can ask a travel agent to pinpoint eco-friendly hotels, thus making sure your vacation doesn’t hurt the environment.

You can get great hotel discounts by becoming a member of AAA. Hotel and rental car discounts are available to AAA members. Those with youngsters will be grateful for the free car seats.

If you’re a smoker, then make sure you get a hotel with a smoking room. If you don’t smoke, you may wish to avoid those that have smoking rooms. Even if you stipulate that your room should be non-smoking, second hand smoke can still enter your room. Even if a room is designated as nonsmoking, sometimes people smoke in there anyway. Instead of choosing a non-smoking room, you can actually find an entire non-smoking hotel if you really want to avoid nasty, secondhand smoke.

Do you smoke? If so, it is important that you are aware of a hotel’s smoking policy in advance. Hotels normally have rooms set aside for smokers. So if you are a smoker, be sure to ask for one of those rooms. A few hotels will charge you in the event that they discover you’ve been smoking in their rooms where it’s prohibited, so abide by the smoking rules.

Check out the hotel’s pet policy. If you’re terrified pets or are allergic to them, it may be best to make reservations at hotels that have a strict no pets policy. If the hotel does not have good cleaning practices, you may be bothered by pet odors. Some hotels are pet-friendly and don’t charge for it, while other hotels will add a hefty fee for keeping a pet. The fee may be for any cleaning that needs to be done.

After going through this article, it shouldn’t be hard for you to get a hotel for a great price. Just do your homework and put in a fair amount of time in sifting through your options. Once you go over all your information, you’re in a good place from which to make a great hotel choice.