When planning a trip, choosing the right hotel is one of the most important decisions you have to make. Staying in a smelly or poorly located hotel with no internet can easily ruin your trip. The worst thing is that you will have to pay for the room every day. Choosing a cheap hotel can often end up costing you more than a hotel that includes complimentary everything. So, if you want to get the best online hotel deals and learn how to book a hotel online, keep reading. We’ve prepared some tips which will help you book a hotel online hassle-free.
1. Know Best Booking Websites
There are plenty of hotel booking sites which offer excellent deals for certain destinations. If you want to save big on hotels in destinations around the world, you should definitely visit Reservations. However, if you want to find an excellent price for a hotel in Asia, visit Agoda which specializes in those destinations. Wotif, on the other hand, focuses on family holidays and short trips. You can also use aggregator sites, such as Trivago, TripAdvisor, and HotelsCombined, which compare prices at various hotel booking sites. By comparing hotels that offer similar experiences, but at different price points, you’ll be able to make a budget-wise decision. There is also a site, Roomer, which offers rooms that have been canceled by someone else at up to 80 percent of the original rate.
2. Always Check the Exact Hotel Location
Prior to booking the hotel online, don’t forget to check the exact hotel location. So, not only determining how far it is from the city center and from the main attractions, but you should also check the lay of the land. You can easily check a map view and take advantage of Google Street View or Bing’s Bird’s Eye view to examine everything thoroughly. This link will help you find the exact location as it shows where exactly the Best Western Plus Vineyard Inn & Suites is situated on the map.
3. Call or Email the Hotel Directly
Booking and comparison websites offer great deals, but sometimes contacting the hotel directly means getting the best deal. Calling is a fast and immediate option, but you can also email them. So, you can ask for any special packages and discounts and book directly without using a booking site.
4. Sign Up for the Reward Program
According to DollarWise, airlines aren’t the only ones that value loyalty. So, loyalty has its own rewards with hotels and booking websites. You shouldn’t forget to sign up for a hotel’s loyalty program and enjoy the rewards which come with it. Many booking websites offer discounts, free airport transfers, or secret exclusive deals. The hotels’ reward programs also offer many perks, such as complimentary Wi-Fi or slightly better rooms.
5. Don’t Skip the Review Sites
When looking for the perfect hotel to book online, you should know as much as possible about any given property. The best way to learn is by reading the genuine reviews of travelers who have already stayed at a property. So, you’ll learn about the noise level, the Wi-Fi connection, the quality of the rooms, and other things you would never know. Hence, you should always check review sites which will show you the reality of the hotel you’re about to book.
6. Check Parking Availability and Cost
If you’re about to go on a trip by car or hire a car there, you should definitely check the availability and pricing of parking at the hotel. Besides the fact that hotels often have available parking, it usually comes with a price tag that can add a lot of money to your daily hotel cost. However, if there isn’t any parking available, you will have to use private lots, which only adds to your worries and inconvenience.
7. Beware Hidden Fees
When booking a hotel online, you usually pay for the booking fees, but there are plenty of other fees you should be aware of. So, many booking sites have cancellation charges and resort fees. There are many hidden charges you should discover before booking, such as how much is the booking site’s rate per room. There are many online booking sites that fail to show the total cost. Thus, they only charge 10 to 15 percent of the room rate, requiring the guest to pay the rest of the amount upon check-in.
These tips will help you have an enjoyable hotel booking experience and always stay on the safe side, even when you’re tempted by what you think is a bargain.
