8 Mistakes to Avoid While Booking a Hotel
Booking a hotel seems like a pretty easy task. However, certain significant mistakes you can be making with regard to hotel bookings might very easily make or break your trip. For instance, if you have pets and you book a hotel with no pet friendly policies, it is not going to be a pleasant experience dealing with it at the eleventh hour. This article discusses 8 common mistakes people make while booking hotels.
Only considering the looks and not the location aspect
Imagine you are looking for Vegas hotels with the most luxurious rooms, stunning views, and a private jacuzzi. However, when you reach there, you find out, it is not the most easily accessible hotel. In such a case, all its beauty goes down the drain. So, when scouring through the hotel options , you must always look for one well-connected to the attractions or the main city center. It can save you immensely on expenses and commute.
Also, if traveling for work, ensure your hotel is near the eateries or restaurants where you can order or dine in. When you plan a holiday, make a note of all the places you may want to visit and pick a hotel not far from there. However, you must always check with the concierge about the accessibility and transport arrangements in advance if you have to book specific pet-friendly hotels or have a particular place in mind away from the city.
Booking a hotel with no cancellation policy
Some hotels and websites offer a generous 15-20 percent off when you book a hotel room with them. However, they do not refund your money if you cancel the reservation later. Hence, you must always book hotels that have well-defined cancellation policies.
Not pre-informing the hotel about late check-out or early check-in
At times, your arrival time at the hotel is earlier than the usual check-in time, or you might want to stay two hours longer than the specified check-out time. In this case, you must always pre-inform the hotel about the timings so they can adjust accordingly. Usually, when you do not inform them in advance, hotels charge extra for these amends.
Not using credit cards while booking the room
When making hotel bookings, credit cards are the best mode of payment. They can fetch you cash-back bonuses, free night stays, and rewards like airline miles. Moreover, credit cards offer guarantees that cash or debit cards do not, such as immediate refunds for mischarges or fraud protection. But how do you find credit card offers? Usually, you can find them specified on the booking platform. However, if booking directly from the website, you can look for hotels offering credit card discounts in the search engine, and it will provide a list of all the credit card offers currently applicable.
You might not know that hotels also demand an incidental deposit when using a debit card as a safeguard against the overdraft fee if your account has insufficient money. While some, like E ncore Suites, will refund these incidental deposits, most of the hotels do not refund the money until two weeks. So, be wise and always make payments with credit cards to receive several benefits when booking accommodations.
Not requesting hotels for a price match
You can find several third-party, price-match portals online. While some are more trustworthy than others, you must always perform a price-match comparison to ensure you are locking the hotel at the best rate. However, please note some sites offer a relatively lower rate than others when booking a non-refundable stay. We do not recommend booking with such platforms, especially if your travel date is far. Instead, you can directly call the hotel and check if they match the price to the online listing. While most might not honor the price, some may discount the rate even further if you book directly with them. It does not hurt to ask.
Not requesting a specific room if you are a light sleeper
When traveling, it always helps to inform the hotel staff about your preferences. You travel to relax and recuperate and not live by the schedule. So, if you are a light sleeper, let the hotel staff know. They will accommodate your preferences and give you a room away from the elevator, facing the least busy courtyard or street, or on a higher floor.
Not paying heed to the reviews
When staying with the hotel for the first time, it is quintessential to check the reviews. With social media, it is today easier to find the good and the bad about any place in the world. So, please do not ignore the feedback from people who have stayed with them. You can find the reviews on booking platforms, Facebook, Google, and Instagram. Carefully read through what the other travelers have to say. However, some people are nasty and impossible to please, and some feedbacks are not directly relevant to the hotels. So, please be wise and skim through the vital information. In addition, you must also check how the hotels reverted to this feedback. Customers usually feel more confident staying with hotels that acknowledge their mistakes and work towards getting better for their customers.
Not confirming what’s included or excluded
Lastly, always ask the hotel what comes in your room fare. So from parking to internet, pool, gym, meals, and breakfast, you must know what you get in the price paid. Beyond this, you must also get a confirmation of the room’s features. For instance, if you specifically desire a king bed, ask them if it is guaranteed as part of your reservation. Similarly, is the refrigerator guaranteed to be in your room or subject to availability? It always helps to know what you can get and what’s free. Simultaneously, ask what’s chargeable or excluded. For instance, some hotels do not allow pets or children.
