When you plan a vacation, there are many details that require your attention. You need to get transportation and pick just the right destination. You also need to make reservations for your accommodations, this this may be difficult if you are unfamiliar with the area. The following tips should help you make an informed choice.

Use online travel sites, such as Expedia and Orbitz, to find the best prices at the hotels you want to stay at. When making hotel reservations, be sure to include information regarding hotel loyalty programs in which you may hold membership. You may also be able to get good discounts due to AAA or AARP membership.

If you wish to keep things safe in a hotel, use the hotel’s safe that’s in the closet of your room. Putting your valuable jewelry and electronic items in the hotel safe allows you to feel secure as you enjoy your vacation.

Take advantage of online hotel searching tools. They allow you to quickly locate great discounts. They also list the average cost of a hotel room, allowing you to ensure you are receiving an acceptable deal. They also help you decide the dates for your vacation and the activities you’ll want to partake of.

Make certain you know when your check-in time is. If you are early, your room may not be ready. If you can’t help your arrival time being early, you can ask for an early check-in but it might cost a bit extra.

Never make the assumption that all hotels allows pets in your room. Ask the hotel if pets are allowed, no matter what their site says. Also, ask what their definition of pet-friendly is, as there may still be restrictions on size or breed of pet allowed at the hotel.

If you’re taking your pet with you, do these things in advance. Make sure the hotel is actually pet-friendly. For easy cleanup, make sure that you have brought along an adequate number of plastic bags. See if you can stay in a room toward the end of a hall so your pet does not disturb guests.

If you want to arrange for a couples massage at your hotel, be sure to book the appointment right away. In order to get the best masseurs at these top hotels, you must plan early to ensure that you get a good experience.

If you are an avid jogger, a GPS watch is a great investment so you can always find your way back to your hotel. Also, don’t forget your exercise clothes! Jogging around the city before you start your day will add enjoyment to your vacation. 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.

Loyalty Programs

If you travel frequently, sign up for loyalty programs at your favorite hotels. Loyalty programs provide frequent guests benefits for booking with them on a regular basis. The rewards can include free room upgrades, free meals and movie or show tickets tickets. The points can add up.

The timing for your booking of a hotel room has much to do with what you pay. The prices are based partly on availability. Book your room more the day before you need it if you can. This gives you the best prices in reserving hotel rooms. Empty rooms earn no money, so the hotels often slash the prices.

Don’t call long distance in your hotel room. Use the Internet, instead. Many hotels now offer Skype connections via Wi-Fi. Use these connections to keep in touch instead of costly long distance calls.

The bathroom is the first place to go when checking for bed bugs in your hotel room. This is the least likely place for bedbugs to be. This makes the perfect location to place your belongings while you inspect your hotel room for bedbugs. Kids and pets can stay there as well.

Review the pet policy at the hotel. If you don’t like pets or are allergic, you want to avoid pet-friendly hotels. If the hotel does not have good cleaning practices, you may be bothered by pet odors. You may get charged extra for having a pet, but a lot of places don’t charge all that much. Depending on what the hotel is like, you might have to pay an extra cleaning fee.

Arrive Early

You should be aware that early hotel check ins are not always possible. If you are going to arrive early, plan on doing something to fill your time. The hotel must clean each room prior to the next visitor taking it. Should you arrive early, ask at the desk if it is possible to check in, but do not be surprised if they say no.

If you will be needing a rollaway or a crib, alert the hotel to this fact when making your reservation. Not every hotel is going to come with cribs or rollaways. Certain hotels will even charge a fee for these things. Make sure these needs are discussed during the initial reservation so you don’t get any surprises.

Don’t check out early, if possible. The hotel may charge you a fee for your early departure. If you check out too early, the hotel will lose money because they remove the room off the reservation list. They charge a fee for early departure to help compensate for the lost revenue.

Know what the hotel’s policy is for overbooking. Hotels sometimes over-book, and this can leave you without a room. This will require that you have to stay at a different hotel. If you can’t avoid this make sure the room you get there is better or comparable and that they pay for the travel there.

You now see that you can find a nice hotel easily. Now you know how to do it, and you’re ready to book. Plan your trip and enjoy your stay. It will surely be a memorable trip!