If you arrive late, ask if the hotel has a room for the physically challenged that has not been booked for the night. Many hotels will hold this room until late in the day — but if it isn’t booked by someone who needs it, they will release it to a latecomer.
These rooms are larger than regular rooms, with added space around the beds and in the bathroom to accommodate wheelchairs.
The benefit to the traveler is less of a feeling of being stuffed in a sardine tin.
There’s no sadder sob story than the one that involves showing up at a hotel only to discover there’s no room reserved for you. To avoid that scenario it’s a good idea to double check your reservation.
You can do this online, or you call the hotel 24 hours before you arrive. If the booking never went through, this will give you plenty of time to reserve a room there — or to reserve a room elsewhere, if that hotel is booked.
It’s also a good idea to bring a copy of the transaction or online confirmation page just to verify that you did, indeed, pay for a room. Being able to prove the rate you paid may help protect you from any “gotcha” fees the hotel tries to levy.
In an effort to keep a hotel stay low key and peaceful, many parents may opt to downgrade from premium accommodations. However, this is one of the worst things a parent can do.
Children, like adults, can enjoy a dip in the hot tub, room service, and other amenities of staying in a four star hotel. Allowing the child to partake in these simple luxuries can help diffuse the restlessness that may often accompany a hotel stay.
In addition, it teaches children how to behave properly in “grown-up” situations, which is key for travel.
The best way to get extra special treatment during your hotel stay is to remember the names of the hotel employees who assist you.
People love it when they’re acknowledged in a more personal way. Instead of the usual “Sir” or “Ma’am,” make it a point to address them by their first names (as in, “Thanks, Robert, I appreciate the fast and efficient check-in” or “Thank you, Angela, for sending extra towels to my room.”).
By adding the personal touch, they will be more likely to remember you and make your stay as pleasant as possible.
You’ve turned up the thermostat and called hotel management but your room still won’t get warm. A chilly hotel room can make for an unpleasant night’s sleep but there’s a simple — albeit goofy — solution to this frustrating problem: Find the iron, and warm the sheets.
Right before crawling into bed, pull back the comforter and iron the sheets. Set the iron on its lowest setting to avoid potential scorching.
The sheets and mattress pad will lock in the iron’s heat for several hours, allowing you to get a good night’s sleep in a cold hotel room!