Whether you are travelling for business or on your holidays, our accommodation travellers tips is packed with useful tips, hints and advice on getting the best from your accommodation stays. Our concise guide outlines great tips on planning your accommodation, tips for when you arrive at your hotel/hostel and tips when checking out of your hotels/hotel rooms. The guide provides a useful checklist for travellers helping to ensure they do not miss anything important. We hope you find the guide of use and that it helps with the planning and organisation of your own trips.
Accommodation Tips for Travellers
Before You Begin Your Trip
In Your Hotel Room
Safety Tips & Considerations
Leaving Your Hotel Room
Before You Begin Your Trip
Do your research prior to booking your accommodation to help get the most suitable accommodation for your needs. Compare prices for a range of hotels &/or Hostels to get a good idea of the market rates. Using the internet (and other means) is a good way to research more about accommodation in the places you are going to be wishing and learning more about what is on offer. Properly research the places you are thinking of booking, look for their website, look for independent reviews from travellers to get the full picture.
Check the room rate prices on the hotels official website and compare them to other Hotel Reservations websites for the best deal, you may find extra discounts are given going hotel reservations websites. Whilst other times the hotels themselves may be offering exclusive deals.
Use the travel experiences of your family, friends and colleagues; they may have some valuable insight and information on accommodation in the areas you will be visiting.
If you are unsure of anything regarding the hotel/hostel/Accommodation provider, call them and talk through your queries to double check they can adequately meet your needs. If you have special requirements such as those with disabilities or those on special dietary requirements it is especially important to confirm everything to avoid disappointment.
For extra safety you may wish to consider asking for a room that is not on the ground floor or the first floor. Rooms on the ground and first floor can be easier targets for thieves.
You may wish to request a room that is further away from access to the pool and the beach. More people use these access areas and may have an increased risk of rooms close by being targeted.
In Your Hotel Room
Check that your hotel room is the type that you actually booked and if not why the hotel cannot provide the correct one.
Check that all the doors and windows in the room work properly and have locks in good working order.
Ensure you do not leave any doors and windows open when you are not in the room.
Even when you are in the hotel room you may wish to lock the room door for added security. If you have a room on the ground or first/second floors, be careful of keeping the windows open and it prudent to keep the windows closed and locked to deter thieves.
Check the charges of services before you use them, services such as using the telephone especially for international calls can be exorbitant and there may be much cheaper alternatives.
You can also incorporate some simple responsible travel tips such as using your towels for more than one day; hotels often have system where you can let them know when you would like new towels.
Be responsible with your water use, do not waste water unnecessarily and do not leave the tap running when not using water.
Be responsible with electricity and power use; do not leave the lights, air conditioning, fans and other energy intensive appliances on when not using them.
Safety Tips & Considerations
Check that the room safe is working properly and try it out before putting valuables in there. If it is not working correctly let the hotel know and ask they ensure it is working correctly and is secure.
Use the room safe and do not keep important travel documents i.e. passport & tickets and valuables i.e. jewellery, money, travellers cheques and keys lying around in the hotel room. Put them in the safe and check the safe is securely closed.
Ask the hotel staff for local knowledge they can provide good tips on things to do, places to see and places to avoid and safety tips. If you are going to areas you do not know, ask for advice on how to get there, transport and local tips to minimise encountering difficulties on your trip.
Do not walk around the hotel with valuables i.e. money and valuables visible.
Look after your room key, do not give it to anyone else and avoid displaying it in public. Do not leave it lying around for thieves to steal and for others to see the room number.
When in your hotel room, do not open the door without checking through the keyhole. If it is someone you do not know or someone arrives unexpected or you are in any doubt, it is much safer not to open the door. You can call reception and check the identity of someone if in doubt.
Leaving Your Hotel Room
When preparing to check out of your hotel room, leave plenty of time to pack your things away.
Do not rush; it increases the chances of missing something and leaving it behind.
Thoroughly check through your hotel room, including the bathroom, balcony and any other rooms/areas your may have and ensure you have taken everything and packed it away and not left anything.
Ensure you check you have your important travel documents i.e. passport, tickets etc and have not left behind any valuables such as your wallet/purse, money, travellers and keys.
You may wish to consider settling your final bill with the hotel front desk before you take your bags out of the hotel room. It is easy to miss something when you are in a rush or feel anxious about checking out, settling the bill and having to catch a bus/taxi for the next part of your trip. Settling your bill before there is a huge line in the morning when everyone else is trying to do the same can save you time and worry.
When settling the final bill, check it thoroughly do not just sign it without checking everything on it is correct. Beware of charges for services you did not use or incorrect charges of any other nature. Let the hotel know if anything is incorrect and speak to the manager if you feel your complaints are not being taken seriously.
Upon returning home from your trip, check thoroughly your card statements (if you used your cards on your trips), to ensure the correct amounts have been charged for your accommodation and services used. If you see any false entries or suspect any fraudulent use of your card inform the card provider straight away.
The accommodation travellers tips provide travellers with a good checklist of accommodation considerations to ensure you get the best out of your accommodation stays and avoid common pitfalls. Our tips offer good guidelines on important considerations regarding your accommodation and provide some practical solutions on ways to better enjoy and enhance your stay.
Disclaimer: The information given in on this website is given in good faith and to the best of our knowledge. If there are any discrepancies in no way do we intend to mislead. Important travel details and arrangements should be confirmed and verified with the relevant authorities.
