Maximize Your Hotel Experience

1. Ask and you might receive

When you book a hotel room, ask about every possible discount. Do they offer a corporate rate? If you have a business card and you're not staying in a resort property, you probably qualify. Are you a government employee? Do you qualify for a military service rate? AARP? Local resident rate? (Hawaiian hotels offer steep discounts to island residents). If you don't qualify for any of these reductions, politely say "What's the absolute best rate available for the days I want to stay at your property?"

2. Use any available means

If you are attending a convention, trade show or exhibition, check the event's Web site. Chances are the organizers have arranged discount lodging with local hotels and perhaps discounted airfares. Some of these deals are so good it may be worth checking out a trade show in your area of interest while you're on holiday just so that you can legitimately qualify for the lodging discount. Big cities always have a full calendar of shows and conventions. To figure out what's on when you're in town, check the convention center's Web site.

3. Call early, call late

If you want to stay at a specific property, reserve as soon as you can. If there are no rooms available, book a room somewhere else and check your chosen hotel's cancellation policy to find your window of best opportunity. If bookings need to be cancelled 48 hours before arrival, for example, call the hotel again about 72 hours before you'll be in town, and then call back a few times over the next day to see if anyone has cancelled. Don't forget to factor your own reservation's requirements into this equation, of course.

4. Invest some time

Whether you're looking for a bargain or a special room in a special hotel, don't rely on just one source. Check the hotel's Web site and don't forget to scan the special offers/promotions page. Those rates may not be listed if you go directly to the reservations page. Check travel booking sites and airline sites -- sometimes a package deal can save you plenty and get you into a fully-booked hotel (properties often reserve blocks of rooms for "travel partners" such as airlines and agencies). And even if all the Web sites insist a hotel is sold out, call the direct reservation number (not the 800 number). The hotel's own reservationists have the most current information on booking status, and if someone just canceled you'll get their room if you call, not if you book online.

5. Don't beg for upgrades

You'll get upgraded without asking if you're a frequent guest or if it suits the hotel's needs. But do let the hotel know if you're celebrating a special occasion such as a honeymoon or anniversary. This usually just nets you a nice fruit basket, if nothing else. If you're a frequent guest, however, you might get an upgrade if a nicer room happens to be available and the powers that be know you're celebrating something special.

6. Follow the seasons

Hotel rates are based on supply and demand. Book just before or after the peak periods to get the best rates and beat the crowds (you rarely see a city or the locals at their best during peak travel times). Check your guidebook or the hotel's Web site for peak period time frames. If there isn't a chart on the hotel's site with off-season and on-season rates, enter the dates that you're planning to visit into the online reservation system, and then see if the rates go down appreciably if you enter dates a week or two earlier, or a week or two later.

7. Know your options

The cheapest rate may not be the best rate. Sometimes booking a slightly more expensive room on the "club" or "executive" floor can save you money if you'll use the included services. Business floors may offer free high-speed Internet access in a hotel that normally charges a fee for 'net connections, free in-room faxing, and free use of business center or translation services. Club floors often boast a private concierge and a plethora of free food -- continental breakfast, mid-afternoon tea, and late night noshes. Conversely, don't book into a hotel that has amenities you don't need because the cost of providing them is factored into your room rate.

8. Say "thank you"

We often gripe with great gusto over substandard service, but we don't always say thank you with the same enthusiasm. If a hotel staffer goes out of their way for you, send a thank you letter or email to the property's manager and let them know about it. Kudos for good service usually leads to even better service, and that benefits everyone who travels.

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