While hotels all offer the same thing (a safe place to spend the night), they can vary greatly, from location to amenities to size and more. In this two-part blog (click here for Part 1), our EWR Airport parking company shares some tips you may not know about hotels:
Parking isn’t always free
If you’re renting a car to get to your hotel, you’ll need to park it while you stay. Since most hotels have their own parking lots, most travelers don’t think twice about the parking situation. However, you may actually be charged (usually per night) to park there. This most often happens with hotels in major cities.
Being rude can mean a more unpleasant stay
This should go without saying, but whenever you’re dealing with hotel staff members, remember to be polite. They’re the ones who can make your stay unpleasant if they want to. For example, some employees have confessed to deactivating a rude guest’s keycard or giving them the worst possible room just for the inconvenience.
You can take the toiletries
When hotels stock your room with shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, soap, face towelettes, and other toiletry items, you’re more than welcome to take them with you when you go. Just don’t take large things like towels, robes, the hairdryer, etc. or your credit card will be charged.
Be wary of the in-room safe
Most hotel rooms have in-room safes where you can store your valuables. However, these safes aren’t always the most difficult to crack – some digital models can be easily reset while others are simply easy to break into. To make sure your valuables are safe, consider locking them in your suitcase or investing in a portable safe.
Hotel loyalty pays off
If you travel on a regular basis, our EWR Airport parking company recommends choosing a hotel you like and joining their loyalty program. You’ll rack up points every time you stay, enjoy special promotions, and when you’re a member, you’ll immediately gain a positive reputation among staff members.
5-star doesn’t always mean cleaner
When you think about hotels, you probably think that the luxury of a 5-star hotel room means it’ll also be cleaner than a 3-star or 4-star hotel room. However, in a study done by Travelmath, 3-star hotels were actually cleaner than 4-star and 5-star hotels.
Booking directly can save you money
At our EWR Airport company, we always recommend booking your flight or hotel directly through the airline or company. This way, if something goes wrong, you can deal directly with their customer service and not with the run-around of a 3rd party. Most times, hotel room rates are the same or cheaper when you book directly and if they’re not, you can always ask them to match a 3rd party price. In addition, if you call to make your reservation, make sure you call the phone number for the actual location. A 1-800 number usually brings you to a corporate headquarters where room rates may already be set.
Do you have any other hotel tips? We would love to hear them!
