Your vacation’s success depends on the hotel you choose. A place that is very pricy can drain your finances and leave you with very little money to enjoy other things in the area. 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.

Make sure you check out online review websites prior to making a reservation for a hotel. These offer feedback from those who have recently stayed at the hotel you are considering booking. What patrons have to say about the hotels you are considering can help you make the best decision about where to stay.

If you wish to keep things safe in a hotel, use the hotel’s safe that’s in the closet of your room. You can place your small, expensive items such as your iPad in the safe, so you can enjoy your day knowing they are safe and secure.

In order to get the best hotel deals, always plan your trips weeks ahead of schedule, or even a few months. Many locations offer discounts if you are willing to book more than a month or two ahead of time. You might only pay half price for premium hotels.

If you need to have a pet stay with you in your hotel room, do a few things ahead of time. Make sure the hotel is actually pet-friendly. Gather plastic grocery bags so you are able to clean up any pet messes. And, ask if your room can away from guests.

If you run regularly, continue your routine when traveling by bringing running clothes and your GPS. Go for a run when you wake up in the morning. Even if your route takes you through the street of a city, at least you will get a glimpse of the area you are visiting.

Being a member of AAA can save you money on hotels. AAA members can receive great hotel discounts as well as locate a rental car much more easily. It’s great to know that you can count on both of these things.

You don’t want to make too many long distance calls while you’re staying in a hotel room. You can use the Internet to make these types of calls. Skype connections that are accessed through Wi-Fi are offered by many hotels. Take advantage of these options to keep in touch with family, friends and coworkers rather than incurring high costs by using the hotel’s phone system.

If you are bringing your kids along for the trip, then it’s a good idea to call a hotel in advance and make sure they have working pools. There is nothing worse than having to tell your excited kids they cannot swim.

Smoking Rooms

Make sure to ask up front if the hotel you’ll be staying in allows smoking or does not. If you are a non-smoker, you may not want to stay in a smoking room. Although certain hotels that allow smoking will provide guests with non-smoking rooms, smoke will still be in the air. Sometimes, smokers rent non-smoking rooms and smoke in them. To avoid the experience of breathing in smoke during your stay, try to stay in a hotel that doesn’t allow smoking.

Smokers should always learn the smoking policy at any hotel before they book a room. Most hotels have designated smoking rooms. So be sure to request one of these rooms. Some hotels fine guests if they find that they smoked in a designated non-smoking room. This means that you must be sure to obey the hotel’s smoking rules.

Be aware that it is normally not possible to check into a hotel early. Plan for this, or you may risk waiting in the hotel lobby for an hour or more. Hotels need the time to clean your room so it is ready for you to check in. If you happen to show up early just ask if your room was prepared early, but they’re most likely going to say no.

If you will have children during your hotel stay that need a crib, you must bring this up when you are booking the room. Some hotels don’t have these things, while others do have a few. Sometimes, they cost extra, too. Discuss these needs when making your reservation to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

Departure Fee

Unless it is an emergency, always stay for the total number of nights that you have booked. If you do, then you could be charged an extra departure fee for early checkout. When you book a hotel room, the hotel takes that room off the market; thus, if you depart early they will lose money. Therefore, they have to make up for the loss by charging an early departure fee.

To be safe, avoid the top bedspread that is provided by the hotel. The bedspread is one item that does not usually get washed between bookings. Therefore, you don’t really know what is on it. Therefore, as soon as you walk into your room, take the bedspread off the bed.

For a cheaper room, don’t book during a busy tourist season. Rooms typically cost the most during this time. If you book your rooms outside of tourist season, then you’ll get a better price because hotels are struggling to fill their empty rooms. You should get a much better price.

If you’re trying to get into a hotel while you’re out and about, check out rest areas or gas stations to find tourist books which will have maps, prices, and great discounts. This will save you time and money.

Service Bill

You can make the stay at your hotel go well if you tip people at the right times. Your room service bill may automatically include a tip, but your maid service bill probably does not. Good tipping means you get better service on future stays or additional nights.

As was mentioned before, you can free up more funds for your vacation if you avoid paying too much for your hotel. Take the information that you learned here to locate a hotel that is affordable, and one that offers a peaceful sleep. Refer back to this information when you are working on your travel plans.