Tips for Travelers

I know most people don't travel very often, and therefore do not know what to do when it comes to their hotel arrangements. The things I have learned while working in hotels will forever be embedded in my brain and I feel it is my duty to share the do's and don'ts of hotel reservations and arrivals.

1. Know the name of the hotel you are reserving a room at. Nothing is worse than getting to the hotel, trying to check in and then realizing you are not at the correct hotel. Believe me, it happens more often than you think.

2. Do not make the reservation under the name of a person that will not be accompanying you on your trip. A lot of hotels will only check-in the room to the person who's name appears on the reservation. If Grandpa Frank isn't coming, don't use his name to reserve a room. Also, please have a credit card with your name on it. Its for your own and the card holder's own financial security. Its like going to Best Buy and trying to purchase a tv or a laptop with someone else's card. If the ID doesn't match the card, please bring one that does.

3. Do some shopping around to find the best price. This includes calling the hotel directly, checking the hotel's web-site as well as third parties (Expedia, Hotels.com, ect.). Do not leave it up to the hotel staff to tell you which deal is best. You are an adult, only you can decide that for yourself.

4. DO SOME RESEARCH FIRST - READ the policies of the hotel you are interested in BEFORE reserving a room. I don't know about the rest of the planet, but if I'm going to reserve a room, or buy tickets, or anything involving payment, or policies, I read as much information about it as possible before I get there. I don't want to be surprised when I arrive by a bunch of information I could have easily known about had I just put the effort in. Each hotel has a different set of policies. Though they may be similar, contrary to belief they are not all the same. Some require a minimum age of 21 to check in, some 18. Its like renting a car. If you aren't "of age" according to their policy, you can't rent a car. Some make you pay for parking, some don't. Just read and you will be amazed at the information you find out beforehand.

5. Ask questions before you get there. Are there any extra fees or charges once we arrive? What's the cancellation policy? Do you accept pets? If wi-fi availability is required in the room because you are on business, make sure its available. If having a jacuzzi, or room service, or guest laundry facilities, or pay-per-view movies is on the list of must haves, verify that your hotel of choice has them.

6. Be honest. If you're going to have 6 adults in a room, just say so. You may not want to pay the extra fee for extra people in the room (if the hotel charges for additional adults, again READ the policies beforehand to find out, or ASK), but really, it isn't that big of a fee. At my hotel, its an extra $10+ tax per additional adult (after the first two) per night. If its that big of a deal, have them pay you back. Besides, if the reservation only says it has two people in it, most of the time housekeeping will only leave you enough towels and such for two people. Do you really want to have to call everyday for extra towels and amenities? Another reason for being honest, is that fire codes and regulations still exist in hotels (no really, they do!). There is a limit to the amount of people you can safely have in a single room. Sorry, its just not safe to have 8 people in a room made for 4, regardless of whether or not people are willing to sleep on the floor or 3 to a bed. It just is not safe. If there's an emergency, you're going ot have to climb over people in the floor to get out. They could get stepped on and injured, you could get injured, just don't do it folks. There's already an emergency, we really don't want to add any unneccesary injuries to the situation.

7. No, children do not count as pets. And no, this joke isn't and hasn't been funny for a long time.

8. If you are calling for directions to the hotel because you are lost, PULL OVER AND LISTEN CAREFULLY. You are already disoriented and in an unfamiliar place. Listen to the person who works and/or lives in the area. Figure out exactly where you are (cross streets, large landmarks, ect.) and they will do their best to get you to the hotel as simply as possible. Do not rely on a GPS. They lie.

9. Please bring your photo identification with you. As much as we wish it were true (it would make life SO much easier), Front Desk Agents are not psychic. We are not trying to inconvience you by making you go back out to the car to retrieve your ID because you failed to bring it in with you. We do not know who you are and just need to verify that we are giving the room to the correct person. Also, if we do not ask for your confirmation paperwork or itinerary number, please do not throw it across the counter at us or shove it in our faces. Please wait until it is asked for. It may not even be needed. Most hotels will verify all of your information (room type, date of departure, amount of people, ect) while checking you in. I think that is why it is refered to as "checking in," because the agent needs to check the reservation information.

10. If nothing else, when checking in PLEASE focus! We understand that you are excited to finally reach your destination, and that it was a long journey to get here, but please just focus for the 5 minutes it takes to check you in. Please keep your children under control (and please use "inside voices"). The more you interrupt with questions the longer its going to take. If you focus and listen, your questions may be answered before you even ask them (like where is my room? what room number is it? where do I park? where am I? what's my name?). And if there so happens to be a policy that you do not like or agree with, please don't take it out on the person checking you in. They are just doing their job. As much as you don't like whatever it is you don't like, they don't like being yelled and cursed at for enforcing something they had no decision in. If you had done some research before your arrival, you may have already known about said policy (please refer to numbers 4 and 5 for further elaboration).


Okay, I hope this has helped some or any of you. Believe me, there are many more items to add to the list, and it will be growing as the days come.