Booking a hotel room can be overwhelming if you do not know what you are doing. Research proves crucial as a result. Write down what you want and how much you are willling to pay, then start planning. If you remember these tips during your vacation, then you’ll have a much better time.

Before you pick out your hotel you’re going to reserve a spot at, check out review sites online like TripAdvisor. This gives you first-hand accounts of people’s experiences in each hotel. Their opinions can help you decide whether or not a certain hotel is the right one for you.

Take advantage of the safe you have in your room, especially if you have electronics with you. Your iPad, watch, and other smaller, expensive items can be placed into the safe, then you can rest assured at their safety as you head out for a fun-filled day.

Double-check your organizational memberships. Some organizations will receive discounts for different reasons from different hotels. The discounts could be 10% or even higher! This can result in significant savings, especially for longer stays. That’s almost an extra free night throughout an entire week.

Make use of online tools to find a hotel. There are a lot of websites that have great deals and other useful tools to help you comparison shop to find the right hotel at the right price. You can see the average price of the rooms, and you can check to see how those rates stack up to the rates you’re being offered now. In addition, these tools can help you determine the best time to go on vacation and the things that you can do there.

Although many hotels have certain rooms that allow pets, never assume your hotel will without researching ahead of time. Call the hotel in advance to ensure the hotel is pet friendly. Be sure you know what pet-friendly means because there could be specific restrictions on sizes or certain breeds of dogs.

If you need to have a pet stay with you in your hotel room, do a few things ahead of time. You want to ensure you’ve chosen a pet-friendly hotel. In addition, you will need numerous plastic bags and cleaning supplies so that you can make sure you clean up any messes your pet makes. And, ask if your room can away from guests.

If you want to keep up your running regimen on the road, make sure that your packing list includes lots of running clothes and a GPS watch. Simply set an alarm or get a wake up call and take an early morning run. It will give you a perspective that you’ll never get while riding in a car.

Join a loyalty program to get deals on your stays. The more points you get, the more free stays you can use for vacations.

Avoid making long distance calls from the hotel room phone. Use your cell phone or the Internet. You will probably find that your hotel has Wi-Fi and Skype. You can stay connected with friends, family and business colleagues this way, rather than making expensive long distance calls.

If you wish to see if a hotel room has bed bugs, check out the bathroom. You probably won’t find any bedbugs in the bathroom. So, that means it’s the best place to stash your luggage and other belongings as you inspect the remainder of your suite. Not to mention a great place for your children and pets too.

Make sure to ask up front if the hotel you’ll be staying in allows smoking or does not. If you are not a smoker, you might want to avoid hotels with smoking rooms. Even if you book a non-smoking room, smoke can enter your room through air vents. Smokers often don’t care that their room is non-smoking, too. If you are a non-smoker, be sure to request a non-smoking room in a non-smoking area of the hotel or you can find a hotel that is completely smoke free.

You should be aware of the hotel’s policy concerning pets. If you fear pets or have allergies it may be best to make reservations at hotels that have a strict no pets policy. Usually, hotels that do allow pets will have a strong odor coming from the linens as well as the carpeting. Most hotels charge a pet fee; however, sometimes this is negligible. The fee charged may not be adequate to cover the extra cleaning needed to completely remove the odors.

You should be aware that early hotel check ins are not always possible. Plan your trip right or you might end up waiting in a hotel lobby. Hotels need the time to clean your room so it is ready for you to check in. If you do happen to arrive early, check with the desk to see if you can check in, but don’t expect that request to be honored.

When making your reservation for a room, specify when you need a roll-out bed or crib. The hotel may not have these items on hand. If they do, quantities may be limited. Hotels also charge extra for these items, sometimes. Let the hotel know what you need to avoid anything that you will turn in a bad surprise.

You know your rights if a hotel attempts to take advantage of you. This is when a hotel is overbooked and they have no accommodations for you. In these situations, the hotel may try to book you at another hotel, or “walk” you. This should only be a last resort and the other accommodations should be just as good or better and your trip there should be paid for as well.

There are a variety of ways that you can ensure a great stay in a fantastic hotel. Use the information located above to help you plan your next hotel stay. You will get to stay in a place that’s comfortable for a price that’s just right.