Nearly everyone has experienced the nightmare of staying in a bad hotel. It can be a costly and unforgettable mistake that nobody wants to repeat. Follow the tips presented here to get excellent value in hotel accommodations.

Before you choose a hotel and make reservations, check online review sites, such as TripAdvisor. Here you can get first-hand reports of the experience people had staying at different hotels. Patron reviews can give you valuable information that will help you make a good choice.

Room service is great for late meals. Sure, it might cost a bit more, but it is completely worth it to be able to kick back and relax, while your food comes to you.

Look for a closet safe in your hotel room, and use it for any expensive electronics you may have brought with you. Place your iPad, GPS and other small electronics in the safe when you are not in your room.

Check with any membership programs for deals. Sometimes you can get discounted hotel prices through these organizations. Some discounts can be over ten percent! They can save you plenty of money, especially for prolonged stays. This can rack up a free night over the entire course of a whole week.

Always see if you can find deals online when you’re thinking of getting a hotel room. The reservation clerk won’t offer these details to you over the phone. For this reason, making a proactive search is advisable. There are many travel websites that offer discounts.

It may be wise to look into loyalty programs that your favorite hotels offer. This type of program provides discounts and benefits for frequent visitors. You can earn things like free upgrades, complimentary late check-out times and free stays if you accrue enough loyalty points.

If you often stay at a certain type of hotel, ask about the “frequent stay” program. They work a lot like frequent flier miles do with airlines. You earn points in a similar way. As a result, you could have your next stay discounted or receive other benefits, like tickets to a show.

The cost of your hotel will vary depending on when you make your reservation. Hotels give rooms a price based on what’s available. If possible, book your room no more than 24 hours in advance. You’ll end up with a great deal this way. Hotels don’t earn money on empty rooms, so they are often willing to reduce the price.

Inquire about the price of a transfer before you place a booking. If you’re getting what appears to be a nice deal on the room, these types of hidden charges can sometimes surface. Asking about this ahead of time helps you maximize your savings.

To get the most out of your hotel stays, particularly if you travel a great deal for business, join a membership program such as that offered by Choice Hotels or Marriott. Each hotel stay can accrue points towards vacation perks.

Get a AAA membership to facilitate the process of booking a hotel when you travel. Members of AAA get discounts at lots of hotel chains which more than makes up the membership to AAA, plus it is easier to rent a car anywhere you go. Parents can also often enjoy a free car seat that comes with some rentals.

Smoking Rooms

See if the hotel is non-smoking or smoking. If you are a nonsmoker, you may want to avoid hotels that offer smoking rooms. You may be able to ask for a non-smoking room, however smoke can still travel through the air, settling on your clothing. Sometimes, smokers rent and smoke in non-smoking rooms. To avoid the experience of breathing in smoke during your stay, try to stay in a hotel that doesn’t allow smoking.

No one looks to stay in a bad hotel. Big discounts can’t beat a poor experience. You won’t have a very good vacation. This is why you should use these tips to help you find a hotel that’s right. By selecting the right hotel, you are more ensured to have an excellent trip.