Here are some great hotel tips to make your next vacation that much easier for you and the family! Feel free to leave your own helpful tips for other future travellers in the comment section below.

Tips Before Booking

1. Check the hotel’s amenities prior to booking.

If you are looking for specific amenities make sure to visit the hotel’s website or call the front desk. It is important that you don’t assume that the hotel will automatically have the amenities you desire as every hotel is different.

Here are some ammenties you may want to consider before booking:

• Laundry facilities
• Free breakfast/continental breakfast
• Business centre
• Free WiFi access
• Room service
• Cribs & cots
• Restaurant/Bar in-house
• Paid or free parking
• Fitness center & swimming pool
• Airport shuttle service
• Pet-friendly hotel
• Microwave, mini-fridge, and/or coffee station

2. Make sure your hotel is in the right location.

There have been many occasions where people have booked their hotels in the wrong location in their chosen city, the wrong city altogether and believe it or not, the wrong country. This can be quite a hassle to rebook a new hotel and cancel your incorrect reservation; especially last minute. It is much easier to simply avoid this messy situation by double-checking that you have selected the correct hotel right from the start.

3. Check transportation access in the city.

Do they have Uber, Lyft or easy access to a metro or bus? If the city does not have easy access to the downtown core or your designated travel area, make sure to book nearby! This will help you save lots of money on inner-city transportation. Just a quick search on Google can let you know the nearest hotels to your travel destination.

4. Read the hotel’s reviews.

Read reviews online to make sure that other guests have enjoyed their stay at your potential accommodations. If you don’t know where to start, you can often find great hotel reviews on Google Reviews, Trip Advisor, and Yelp!. Reading reviews is also a great way to learn about key problem areas in the hotel and potentially even bed bugs.

Time to Book Your Stay

1. Sometimes it’s better to book directly through the hotel rather than discount sites such as Expedia, Trivago, Kayak, etc.

Although the deals are amazing on travel discount sites, sometimes it is better to book directly through the hotel. This can make it easier to make direct changes to your booking, get a refund when cancelling your stay, or even get a free upgrade.

*If you do end up booking through the discount sites, I would personally recommend paying the few extra dollars for the refundable option. You never know when plans may get cancelled or changed!

2. Have a credit card for the incidental security deposit.

Many hotels will not rent rooms to people who do not have a credit card. It definitely makes it easier to have a credit card on hand. Additionally, make sure to respect your hotel room or be prepared to lose your deposit that can range from $50- $300 dollars per night.

3. Join the hotel’s loyalty program for future free-upgrades and free reward nights.

Make your purchase count. Loyalty programs are a great way to save up points and eventually get free reward nights and upgrades. In general, it is best to become loyal to one specific hotel brand to allow your points to increase faster. This is also important if you want to avoid joining too many loyalty programs and thus receiving too many promotional emails and loyalty cards.

4. Ask for a corner room!

This is a great way to ask for an upgrade without paying more. Unknown to many travellers, corner rooms are almost always bigger than non-cornered rooms in hotels.

5. Let the hotel know you are celebrating a special occasion in advance.

They may upgrade you for free or provide special treatment for those celebrating their honeymoon, anniversaries, birthdays, and more.

Security Tips for Travellers

1. Keep your valuables with you at all times.

As much as you may want to trust your hotel, sometimes there can be break-ins or the unfortunate untrustworthy employee. It is always best to keep your valuables on you at all times.

2. Use the hotel safe for extra security.

If you must keep your belonging in the hotel, place your valuables in the safe found in your hotel room. This will provide extra security for important documents, money, and expensive technology.

3. Don’t be afraid to use the “Do Not Disturb” sign.

If you are the type of person who loves their privacy, don’t be afraid to use the “Do Not Disturb” sign on your door. This will let hotel staff known that you are busy and should not be interrupted unless there is an emergency.

The “Do Not Disturb” sign can also be used as a simple security hack! You can trick other guests and hotel associates into thinking you are still in your hotel room when you are actually out and exploring the city. This will deter potential thieves from entering your room and protect your belongings inside.

General Hotel Tips

1. Don’t be afraid to ask the front desk.

The front desk is a great resource for travellers. They have great tourist suggestions and tips for exploring your designated city.

The front desk is also a great place to ask for phone chargers, laptop cable chords, wine openers, or any other basic necessities that you may have lost or forgotten while travelling.

2. Try to be environmentally-friendly!

Does your hotel have a green-initiative? If you want to be more environmentally-friendly while travelling, make sure to ask the front desk if they have a green-initiative program. This a great way to support the environment and especially lower water usage throughout your stay.

For example, your bedsheets and towels would not be changed and washed every day, but rather after your stay or once a week.

3. Don’t be Ross Geller… resist being a kleptomaniac.

Try not to be a thief! As fun as it is to collect all the soaps and baby shampoos, try to not overdo it. The hotel is willing to provide many freebies to their guests (toothbrushes, shavers, coffee bars, etc.), but it is not right to take advantage of their business no matter how much you are paying.

Hotel Tipping Etiquette

1. Don’t be afraid to tip good service!

In luxury or high-end hotels, it is recommended to tip up to $5 each night per guest. For an average hotel, $2 to $3 per night is suggested per person.

But remember, don’t feel bad if you can’t tip! Instead, you could make sure the dirty towels are neatly together in the bathtub, the bedsheets aren’t all over the room, or the room is relatively easy to clean for the hotel staff.

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I hope that some of these hotel tips help you on your next travel adventure! I would also like to mention that if hotels are not quite in your price range, here is an article about alternative accommodations while travelling.

Safe travels,

Carina