GET A TRAVEL REWARDS CREDIT CARD
You can rack up points for free hotel stays even faster if you get a hotel-branded credit card.
With the Hilton HHonors Card from American Express, for example, you can earn seven points for every dollar you spend on Hilton properties, five points for every dollar spent on gas, grocery and restaurant purchases, and three points per dollar for all other purchases. There’s no annual fee, and you can get 50,000 bonus points if you spend $1,000 in the first three months after getting your card.
GET MORE SAVINGS WITH YOUR CREDIT CARD
Even if you don’t have a hotel-branded credit card, your credit card might offer savings and perks at hotels. For example, American Express Platinum cardholders can book through Amex Travel’s Fine Hotels & Resorts service for benefits such as room upgrades, free internet, food and beverage credits and more.
GET AIRLINE MILES FOR BOOKING HOTEL ROOMS
You can get a lot more value for your hotel dollar by using a travel booking site that gives you airline miles when you book through them, said Jared Blank, past CMO of deal and coupon site DealNews.
Rocketmiles.com, Pointshound.com and Kaligo.com are three sites that offer up thousands of miles per night for your favorite airline frequent flyer program when you book through them. And room rates are generally the same as those found on other travel sites, he states.
GET FREE — OR DISCOUNTED — FOOD WITH YOUR STAY
Several hotels offer guests free food, so you can eliminate the cost of some meals if you stay at these chains.
Comfort Inn & Suites and Hampton Hotels, for example, offer guests free, hot breakfast. Embassy Suites offers guests complimentary breakfasts and free drinks in the evening. And kids younger than 12 can eat free at Holiday Inn on-site restaurants.
Also, ask the hotel staff about whether it has deals with nearby restaurants that will give you a discount for being a guest at that hotel.
BE NICE TO THE STAFF
When you check into a hotel, treat the staff well to get better treatment. Being nice to hotel employees might get you a room upgrade or other perk at no extra charge.
In addition to being polite, Avery of Solo Trekker 4 U said that if you’re staying at a hotel in a foreign country, try speaking to the hotel staff in the local language. When she was in the Middle East, for example, she spoke in Arabic during check-in and was upgraded to a suite — for free.
AVOID RESORT FEES
Resort fees are extra charges hotels levy for amenities such as the use of gym facilities or pool towels. Ek of Priceline said that travel sites are required to disclose the additional fees that hotels and resorts charge. Sometimes this information is limited, because it’s based on what the properties disclose to the third-party sites.
If these charges show up on your bill and you weren’t aware that you were going to be hit with them — or if you’re charged for amenities you didn’t use — ask to have the resort fees removed. Just remember to be polite about it.
GET FREE WIFI
If your hotel doesn’t offer free WiFi, you might be able to get free access if you join the hotel’s loyalty program — which should be free.
Or, if you have an ample data plan for your smartphone, you can use your phone as a mobile hotspot to connect to the internet. Check your phone’s settings for the personal hotspot option.
PAY LESS FOR PARKING
Some hotels in metropolitan areas charge outrageous parking fees. You might be able to find cheaper parking at a nearby parking garage or lot — and there might be coupons that let you save more.
DON’T CHECK IN EARLY
Find out what time you can check in at the hotel you’ve booked before you arrive by calling or looking online. Otherwise, if you show up before the designated check-in time, you could be charged a fee.
DON’T OVERTIP HOUSEKEEPING
Before you leave money in an envelope for the person who cleans your room, ask whether a housekeeping gratuity is automatically included in your bill so you don’t spend more on tipping than necessary. Resorts, in particular, are prone to adding this charge.
