Hotels can be simple and inexpensive or they can be luxurious and pricey. The cost of a hotel and its service may vary. During your vacation preparations, find a hotel that will make your vacation even better. Then, utilize the information from this article to enjoy your stay.

Do some research on travel websites before you book any hotel. These will give you some information from people that have stayed at that certain hotel. These reviews can aid you in your decision about whether to book the hotel.

Be sure to put all valuables, such as jewelry and electronics, in the hotel safe. Your small electronic devices can be left in the safe when you are out, so you will not have to worry about them.

Check with the organizations that you are a member with. Some organizations will receive discounts for different reasons from different hotels. A lot of people don’t use these discounts, and you may save 10% or even more. This can add up to big savings, even more so if you will be staying for many nights. It can add up to equal a free night!

Know the check-in times. If you don’t check, the room may not be ready when you arrive. Call the front desk to find out if it is alright for you to arrive before check-in.

Planning for a trip months or even just weeks in advance can often get you a better rate for your hotel room. Quite a few locations will give discounts if you choose to book a room a month or more in advance. You might only pay half price for premium hotels.

AAA members get an extra discount at certain hotel chains. It may come as a surprise to find that an auto club membership offers hotel discounts, but that is the case. It will let you save 5% or so on hotels that are around the nation. The savings can really add up if you’re staying multiple nights.

If you want to keep your regular running routine, pack your GPS and running clothes. If you want to jog early in the morning, don your gear and then go for it. When you go running in a new city, you will get a free tour, up-close and personal.

If you travel often, it’s a great idea to enroll in a hotel’s loyalty program. They provide benefits to anyone who stays at a hotel chain frequently. These loyalty programs allow you to earn free upgrades, late check outs and even free stays.

If you go to the same hotel often, see if they have frequent stay programs you can become a member of. They work a lot like frequent flier miles do with airlines. You earn points in a similar way. You can exchange these points for discounts and freebies at the hotel and its restaurant. You may also be able to use them on local amenities.

If you care quite a bit about your environment, consider taking a “green” vacation. The number of “green” hotels is steadily growing. Some hotels are certified to be green. Some of the older hotels do implement green practices to be sure they are eco-friendly. Talk with a travel agent to find green hotels.

The price you are charged for your hotel room is partly dependent upon when you make the reservations. Hotels price their rooms based on how many rooms are available. If possible, don’t make your reservation more than a day in advance. You can often get the best price if you do it this way. Hotels don’t earn money on empty rooms, so they are often willing to reduce the price.

Join a membership program if you travel frequently. This allows you to get more points with each stay that you can convert into free rooms and other benefits on your next family vacation.

To keep the kids in your family happy when you are on the road, call ahead and make sure that the pools in each hotel are in working order. It can prove rather frustrating when you check in to your room with the kids screaming “pool” only to find out it’s closed.

If you are searching a hotel for bed bugs, you should check the bathroom first. This is the place least likely to have bedbugs. This makes it an ideal spot to put your luggage as you check out the rest of your room for bedbugs. Kids and pets can stay there as well.

Find out how the hotel handles pets. If you dislike or are allergic to pets, you should avoid hotels allowing them. These hotels might also suffer from odors sinking into the floor and bed linens. There may be an extra fee to have a pet stay. The fee might be too low to cover the extra cleaning costs.

Keep in mind that hotel check-ins are usually very strict; therefore, you probably won’t be able to check-in early. Be sure you plan according to this rule unless you desire to sit in the lobby for quite some time. The hotels need a chance to clean up your room prior to check in. If you do arrive before the normal check-in, you can ask if it’s possible to do so early, but this should not be expected.

A large part of having a great vacation is choosing the right hotel. Don’t just pick randomly. Research and think about your decision. It’s important that you find one that comes with a great price and great service. Use the above tips to make wiser choices.