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Going on vacation or business trip, we dream of having the most comfortable accommodation at the lowest price. However, there may be unpleasant surprises: breakfast may not be tasty or extras may be overpriced. Is it possible to avoid these situations and get maximum comfort for the price you pay? There are a few tricks you need to know that are not easy to find on the internet.
Here, we decided to study this issue thoroughly and collected interviews of real hotel employees. We learned what things deserve our attention when choosing a hotel and checking in.
The best way to book a room
1. Before booking a room in the selected hotel, compare the prices for rooms in different booking systems. To find the best price, use dedicated apps like Trivago. In most cases, booking systems offer prices lower than on the hotel website. In addition to this, some services such as Booking.com give additional discounts for tourists if you use their services frequently.
2. If you find a good deal on the site, you can try to call the hotel and ask the booking agent to book a room for you at the price you found. Chances are they will book a room for you. It is more beneficial for the hotel to book directly for you than through booking engines because they pay a 10-20% commission.
3. If this is not your first time staying at this hotel, tell the booking agent about it. Hotels value their regular visitors and you can get an additional bonus or discount.
4. Not everyone knows that in most hotels you can book half a day - only 12 hours of stay or even less. The price will be correspondingly lower . Booking systems do not offer such options, so you must contact the hotel directly or use the app.
Important tips and facts
1. If you are planning an early check-in or late check-out, you will need to confirm the possibility of doing this in advance. Check-in time usually starts at 14.00 or even later. Until this time, the room may be occupied by other guests. The room is considered free after check-out on the day of your departure. Please note that early check-in and late check-out may incur additional charges.
2. You must tell the hotel how many guests will be staying in the same room, how many beds you need, and whether you need a crib or extra bed. Sometimes people book a single room but they travel as a couple. In this case, you will have to pay extra for the second guest.
3. You must have your passport with you . Many hotels also accept other forms of identification, such as a driver's license, for example. You should contact the hotel staff in advance and find out what documents they may need.
4. If you find yourself in a hotel in your home country without any documents , you could ask your relatives to take a picture of them and send it to your phone . Please show these photos at check-in. This can help, especially if you have been to this hotel before. But remember that the hotel may refuse to check you in if you do not have your ID.
Additional services
1. If your birthday or honeymoon is during your stay at the hotel of your choice, do not forget to inform the hotel management about it. As a rule, hotels try to congratulate their guests on their birthdays or honeymoons by decorating their rooms, leaving gifts, or offering free services.
2. Find out what attractions your hotel has. It is better to visit the sauna, swimming pool or playroom for children in the morning . There are usually many fewer guests, and if the hotel charges for these services, the price is usually lower than in the evening.
3. You get some services for free. You can request a call, ask them to call a taxi or book a table in a restaurant. The concierge will provide you with information about the city and available excursions.
4. In most cases, in many hotels, you can get things such as a portable heater, fan, kettle, iron, telephone, charger, sewing kit, umbrella and many other things that you can use for free. However, if you are heading to a small, cheap hotel that is not part of a large hotel chain, you will probably not be provided with the amenities mentioned above. In any case, it is best to find out in advance what you may have access to at the hotel and what you will need to bring with you.
5. If you need an extra blanket, pillow or towel, feel free to ask the hotel to provide it for you. Every hotel has them in abundance.
6. Most hotels do not allow pets. However, sometimes it is acceptable to leave a deposit in case the animal damages the property . During check-out, a staff member will check the room and if the pet has not scratched or chewed anything, the deposit will be returned to the owner.
Food
1. Many hotels already include breakfast in the room rate. If you don't need this service, ask to have it removed from your bill and you can pay less.
2. Before ordering food at the hotel, read the reviews of other guests about it. In large chain hotels, food must meet some special requirements. However, smaller, private hotels may surprise you. For example, a hotel may promise a buffet and only have a small snack table, and not all hotels have a vegetarian or children's menu, so it's always best to find out ahead of time.
3. For those who have paid for their stay with breakfast but do not have time to eat it, the hotel staff can order a packed breakfast to go. I will tell the employee in advance about your early departure, otherwise they may forget to prepare it.
Housekeeping Standards
1. Every hotel has strict cleaning schedules and standards. However, there are some housekeeping codes and standards that most hotels must follow.
2. Do not worry that the maids did not change bed linen after previous guests; because it is simply unacceptable. However, if this happens to you, report it to the front desk immediately, because this is a gross violation.
3. It is the generally accepted standard that while the Guest is staying in the room, it must be cleaned daily . The maids clean up the room while the Guest is absent. If you are in the room, the maid will knock on the door and ask if she can clean your room at the moment. If you hang a "do not disturb" sign on the doorknob, no one will enter the room. While the sign will hang on the door, no one will clean the room.
4. You usually have to pay for extra cleaning and laundry and ironing of your clothes.
5. Towels and change of bed linen and towels for guests during their stay is carried out, as a rule, every 3-5 days . This rule works for 2 and 3 star hotels. In 5-star hotels, bed linen and towels are changed daily upon request.
And what little tricks do you use to make your stay more comfortable and cheaper? Share your tips with us in the comments.
author Women's Magazine