Melo Villareal
10 Tips for a Trouble-Free Hotel Stay
Your hotel stay can make or break your vacation. If the unfortunate and unforeseen circumstances happen during your vacation, the holiday will be a source of memories you wish you never had. Making sure you choose the best hotel for your needs is a recipe for distressing, a perfect holiday, and some savings too. Here’s how you can make your hotel stay an oasis of peace:
Research goes a long way
Hotel rates have never been as competitive as they are today, thanks to best-rate guarantees, more hotels competing with each other, and the marketing use of discounts. Hotels not only try to compete using their price points but through customer experience as well. With the rating system in place, hotels try to be the total package for tourists. Some hotels will be more expensive than others by just a little bit with more to offer, making them a better option in the grand scheme of things.
During your research, checking what your credit card has to offer can be beneficial. A lot of credit cards have home-and-away programs giving you discounts on certain flights, hotels, and an upgrade on Grab. If you’re lucky, your credit card may even have a lounge pass that will make your vacation more trouble-free. It pays to check and to get yourself informed.
Location is key
List all the places you want to visit and consider your hotel vis-a-vis your transportation expenses. Depending on the country, transportation can be costly, and this expenditure can overlook the savings you get by lodging at an inferior area.
A lot of hotels can give you convenient access to a lot of tourist spots and the train station too. With a heftier budget on the hotel, you can save time and money on transportation. Hailing a cab when you give off an obvious tourist vibe can mean surplus charges just because.
Also, hotels from faraway land are potentially less safe than hotels in the metro. Hence, leaving your valuables inside the hotel room protected by inferior security systems can mean losing your valuables and getting traumatized in the process. Doors and windows that are poorly maintained will put you at risk of being robbed. If you want nothing to do with these, going online and checking reviews will save you a lot of hassle. These reviews from customers are very telling, especially when hotel rooms look differently in photos than in reality. Preventing stress around matters like these are ultimately better than crying over spilled milk later on.
Phone the hotel for confirmation
Some hotels do not particularly have well-maintained websites. Others have systems that are susceptible to human or computer error. Instead of putting the fate of your entire vacation on the hands of booking websites, get peace and assurance by calling the hotel for confirmation. The more guests you have with you, the handier this step becomes. No one wants to be told that their booking is invalid. This is especially the case when you’re traveling as a big group. Claim tranquillity by sealing your reservation.
Avoid checking-in late
Depending on the booking system of the hotel, being late for your check-in may mean transferring the rights to your room over to someone else. Being earlier than your time of booking is ideal for securing your reservation.
If your hotel overbooked and is now full, this problem is harder to sort at the wee hours, say 1 in the morning. This is another reason to attend hotel matters as early as possible. If you don’t make it on time because of compelling circumstances, you can at least make a phone call to let the hotel know that you are interested in keeping your booking.
It helps to be friendly
If you want good service, be a good customer. Cultivating good relations with hotel staff creates mutual happiness. Staff who are pleased with your being a customer has perks too. Better hotels have concierges who can help you obtain hard-to-get concert tickets. Use these advantages when available.
Prioritize your security
When going on a vacation, tourists seek to distress, get around, experience new things, have fun, and have a relaxing time. The excitement can make you overlook the risk that comes with going on vacations and staying at an unfamiliar place–the possibility of getting robbed whether inside or outside the hotel.
To protect yourself from losing your belongings, bring only the important ones. Make sure that the belongings you have at home are also well-protected. If you’re bringing costly electronics, make sure you bring them when you go out or at least lock them safely in your room.
Also, avoid counting your money in public places and displaying items that are likely to attract pickpocketing and thieves, especially when traveling in smaller groups. Vacations are positively memorable without the drama caused by losing a passport and other valuables.
Use the “Do not disturb” signage
Most tourists spend more time outside than inside the hotel room. Inside the hotel room, as a tourist, you will probably be sleeping. Most theft occurs when the guests are snoozing or are out and about. To protect yourself, you can hang a Do Not Disturb notice so hotel staff won’t have to frequent your room. Limit their visit to only when your rooms need much cleaning.
Better hotels will seek to refill your toiletries every day while changing your towels too. If you don’t necessarily need new ones, putting a DND sign is a sustainable effort on your end also.
Keep your room tidy
It is safe to assume that most hotel staff would like to keep their jobs and are committed to helping their customers to have the most pleasant experience possible. However, even hotel staff can find it tempting, especially when your valuables are easy to access, and the theft is difficult to trace. To protect yourself and your belongings, you can keep your possessions safeguarded and locked in your luggage. Tie your stuff to the bedpost or lock them inside the cabinet. Make sure you bring reliable locks with you.
Keeping your room tidy will help make sure that you don’t leave valued items behind. Forgetting about essential items when you’re already running late for your flight is a recipe for disaster. Keeping your stuff organized ensures your stuff is clustered in one place instead of all over the place.
Verbalize your concerns
Hotel lodging is not always perfect. If there’s something the hotel can do for you, don’t be afraid to verbalize any concerns that you have. If your expectations are not met, or your neighbors are too noisy, these will negatively impact your hotel stay. Discussing your issues with hotel managers gives them the chance to make your stay better. Speak up, and a hotel upgrade may be around the corner. Hotels are committed to helping their guests build memories. Most will make up for the inconvenience caused by their shortcomings.
How safe is safe?
Safety deposit boxes in hotels are usually easy to unlock and could be quite portable. Using it to store your most valuable items is not always the best strategy unless any items lost inside the safe are covered by insurance. Checking the terms of your hotel stay will help you make more educated decisions around matters like this. It is indeed better to feel safe than sorry.
Searching for the best hotels and affordable flights for your next vacation? Check out our complete list of affordable hotels and resorts via Agoda or you may also see available Airbnb properties in the city.
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Also read:
- How To Choose A Safe AirBnB Host
- Eco-Friendly Travel: 5 Tips For Lowering Your Carbon Footprint On Vacation
- Going to Vietnam for the First Time? Then this is the Guide for You
- Why You Should Book Your Next Vacation Online
