Aside from checking the website, be sure to call the hotel directly to verify all the listed amenities will be available to you during your stay. If you’re dealing with a chain, ask to be connected to the specific site you will be staying.
Nothing can be more disappointing than to arrive at your hotel, swimsuits in hand, only to find out the pool is out of service that week.
Pack one outfit for every two days of travel.
For instance, if you’re traveling for seven days, you only need to pack three outfits; you’ll actually be wearing a fourth outfit … that can be worn again.
You may also want to consider choosing to wear (or pack) a jacket that you can use with some of your other outfits, to help give them a “fresh” look.
Make the road trip as memorable as the destination itself.
Although car rides with the family can be a great experience, the road trip was designed for great friends to get away and escape everyday life. While traveling with friends, keep the radio off. Try playing a game like, “Top Five Celebrities I Want to Date.” Not only will games like this make the miles pass quicker, you can learn an awful lot about your friends. (Sometimes too much!)
Bonus Tip: Make frequent stops along the way for sightseeing, dinner, etc. This will provide the opportunity for new experiences and encounters.
Whether this is your first time at a hotel or you are a regular, you should always be a member of the chain’s loyalty program.
There isn’t a charge to join and – with your very first stay – you start gaining points. Points can be used for free nights and other perks. Some programs (like Hilton Honors) will even let you exchange points for miles in airline programs.
Members of the hotel’s loyalty program also have a better chance of getting upgrades, so make it a habit to join the program.
Locals are always the best resource for local information, naturally. But an answer is only as good as the question. Don’t just ask where the best steak house is, or the best sea food place. Ask something like, “Where would you go for steak if it were your birthday?” or “Where was the most romantic dinner you ever had in this town?”
You’ll get something other than the canned answer, and you may get a really great story in the bargain.