Anyone who’s ever taken a trip, big or small, knows that your hotel stay is a critical part of travel. Your hotel room acts as your home base during your travels and provides you with a space to do the most important things: sleeping and getting ready for each day.
Since this aspect of your trip is so important, it’s crucial that you prepare for your stay as best you can. And, luckily, we have a few secrets of the industry that are going to help you do just that.
Here are 9 tips to planning your best hotel stay ever.
1. The Best Way to Get Upgraded
People think that the whole “slipping a $20” move is something that you can only pull off in the movies, but this is a real-life way to get a room upgrade. According to Mental Floss, hotel staffers are encouraged to upgrade rooms for “special occasions,” and they get to choose what those occasions are. That $20 just might make their day special enough, if you catch our drift.
If they can’t get you a better room, it’s possible that they could get you things like free movies, free minibar, or free room service.
2. Check the Minibar First
Most of us are trained to avoid the minibar at all costs; touching anything in there could get you smacked with high fees and no one wants that. But, in this case, it’s important that you check the minibar before you even put your bags down.
You’ll want to make sure that everything in the minibar is CLOSED, otherwise, you could get charged for the last tenant’s splurging.
3. Sundays Early in the Month are Best
4. Book Rooms at THIS Time
It might be surprising, but booking your room months in advance isn’t always the best way to get a dirt-cheap room. Hotels want all their rooms to sell out, so any rooms that they have available two days before your stay they’ll be willing to give away for an extremely low cost. Sometimes, you can get a 50% discount by booking closer to your travel date.
5. These are the Dirtiest Parts of Your Room
6. Avoid Three Part Booking Sites
Sites that offer “the best prices for hotel rooms” are sometimes not where you’ll get the lowest rates. Seasoned industry veterans suggest calling the hotel directly and asking for the “basic” or “rack” rate. This won’t just get you an inexpensive rate, but it will start a positive relationship between you and the hotel.
7. Always Ask the Front Desk
8. The Trick to a Quiet Stay
Request a room on a higher floor if you want a nice, peaceful stay. One hotel desk manager shared that they usually put “party rooms” on the lower floors so people looking for a little quiet can be separated by a few floors.