From small motels to five-star hotels, the US is home to thousands of accommodations. Choosing the wrong hotel is a surefire way to turn any trip into an epic disaster. If you need help choosing a hotel, this article is full of useful advice.

When thinking about selecting a hotel, there are quite a few salient points to consider. Of course price is a big deal, but a hotel close to where you are head is a big consideration. A pool, a gym, a restaurant, free breakfast, free local calls and free Wi-Fi are other amenities that may be important to you. Look for a hotel that provides you with the amenities that are a priority to you.

The Internet is a great place to research hotels. These websites can help you quickly find the best value. They can provide you with an idea of the average rate charged by each hotel, so you will have a good idea as to whether or not the deal you are being offered is good. They also can help with figuring out when the ideal time to go on vacation is and what you can do once you are there.

Before you book a hotel, look for deals online. Hotels don’t usually advertise their lowest rates, so you may have to ask. So you should always search on your own for discounts prior to booking. Look at Jetsetter, RueLaLaTravel or similar websites for discounts.

Be aware of when you can check into your room. Many hotel guests will forget their check-in time; therefore, they will arrive at the hotel just to discover that they cannot check in yet. If you will be arriving early, call and ask if this is okay.

If you tend to return to the same family of hotels for your vacation, consider joining their membership reward programs. Many hotels offer membership programs that allow you to earn points for each of your stays. Use them for discounts, entertainment tickets and other things.

What you will be charged for a room, depends on when it’s booked. Rooms are often priced in accordance with availability. Whenever you can, maker your room reservation no more than a day ahead of time. Doing so will ensure you get the best possible price on a hotel room. Empty rooms don’t earn a hotel any money, so they are willing to slash the price.

In order to avoid an unwanted expense on the hotel bill, inquire about any hotel transfer fees prior to booking them. Hidden transfer costs can really make a room not worth it. Inquiring in advance will mean more savings for you.

To make reserving a hotel easy, use AAA. Members of AAA will get additional hotel discounts up to five percent, but you’ll also get discounts on rental cars as well. Those who have small children will be pleased to find car seats available for free.

Call ahead of arrival to see if the pool is open to keep the family happy. Nothing is worse than having excited kids who find out they cannot go to the pool.

The bathroom is the first place to go when checking for bed bugs in your hotel room. This is probably not where you will find bedbugs. Stow you suitcases and other items here and then take a good look at the rest of your room. Kids and pets can safely wait there too.

Do you smoke? If so, it is important that you are aware of a hotel’s smoking policy in advance. Certain hotels provide rooms that are specifically for people who smoke. If that is the case, you should ask for one of those rooms. Otherwise, you might find yourself paying a high fee for smoking in a room that is designated as non-smoking.

If you will have children during your hotel stay that need a crib, you must bring this up when you are booking the room. Most hotels only have so many of these items to go around, and some hotels may not have any at all. Also, you may get charged extra for these types of things. Discuss these needs when making your reservation to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

Early Departure

Try to avoid checking out of the hotel ahead of your scheduled checkout time. If you do, you may be charged a fee for early departure. A booked hotel room is taken off the market, meaning your early departure would cost them money. As a result, hotels will attempt to regain some of this lost revenue by charging you a fee for leaving early.

You may wish to use a different blanket than the comforter that is in your hotel room. The bedspread usually isn’t washed like the linens are. That can mean it is full of germs, bacteria or who knows what else. Just get that blanket off of the bed.

Do not give in to the temptation to run off with hotel towels or sheets. Even though you might like the pillows, washcloths, or towels, the housekeeping staff will probably figure out you left with something and they might charge you. If you truly love them, ask the hotel about buying them.

You can save quite a bit on your next vacation when you choose to bundle your hotel room and flight. It is not unusual for travel websites to provide large savings when a hotel is booked along with a rental car or a flight. Make sure you do your research, though, to ensure you are getting a good deal.

Some people rush while looking for their hotel, and often take the first room they find. Taking this approach can lead to disaster. You don’t want a dirty room or one without proper amenities, so checking it beforehand can remedy this.