Hotel Booking: 4 Hot Tips For Booking a Hotel

One of the best things when taking a vacation is booking that fancy and cozy hotel. Although there’s certainly more to traveling than just conveniently staying in a hotel, your hotel nonetheless can play a big part in your travel or holiday experience.

Unfortunately, hotel horror stories aren't that uncommon. And no, we’re not talking about seeing a strange figure walking in the hallway or something; we’re talking about disappointments after seeing that the room you booked for isn’t as good as what you thought it is. Or it could be that the amenities that the hotel is supposed to offer aren't available.

So, when booking for a hotel, be sure that you first know what you’re getting into before paying that downpayment reservation. And with that being said, here are some of our hot tips to consider when booking your first (or next) hotel.

Be sure that what you think you’ll get is really what you’ll get

Have you experienced booking a hotel because it has a beautiful room with a great view – of at least, as the pictures show? Then, when you went there, you’re disappointed to find out that the hotel isn’t as great as you once thought? If so, you know what we’re talking about.

Don’t just fall for the pictures and great descriptions. Go for reviews to see the actual experience of visitors there – in terms of staff treatment, hotel cleanliness, amenities availability, etc. Also, feel free to ask the hotel for more information about their place – for instance, you may end up booking for a date when a certain amenity is not available. By knowing what you need to know, you can decide to make adjustments or be prepared for them.

Try to get the best price or rate

Most people think that the hotel price they say is the average rate. In reality, there could be discount coupons just floating around the internet to get special offers. So, take a little Google search before booking your room. In some cases, you can simply ask the hotel for potential discounts; some are actually willing to give you a special offer. Aside from hunting discount coupons, there are other ways to save money when booking a hotel such as being an early bird and avoiding hotels located in central hubs of the city.

Let the hotel know in advance if you’ll have a celebration in their place

If you’re planning to have a special celebration in a hotel, let them know in advance. This is to let them prepare for the celebration and have everything ready for you. If you only let them know once you’re already there, they’re less likely to be able to do the celebration for you – for instance, special celebrations are already fully booked for the day and won’t be able to accommodate yours.

Be respectful to the staff

Aside from showing courtesy, there’s no point in being rude to staff – be it the front desk, waiter/waitress, or anyone who’s working in the hotel. Most hotel staff are willing to show respect and be helpful to their guests. So, show respect, and they’ll surely return the courtesy – you may not know it, but sometimes, hotel staff is more than willing to give the best to courteous guests than the disrespectful ones, and it’s understandable why.

Conversely, if the hotel staff are rude, then it’s best not to book there, to begin with and just find another hotel to book to. You can sense the attitude of the hotel staff and management when you’re talking to them. Also, you can find out about guest treatment in a certain hotel through reviews, although reviews aren’t 100% accurate of course.