Our family loves traveling together. We love seeing new sights, meeting new friends, tasting new foods and all of the wonderful things travel allows. Aside from the gas, we put in our suburban; lodging is one of our most significant expenses. We are picky about where we will stay. We want it to be safe, clean, a continental breakfast is a plus, as is a pool and a hot tub. I have used Expedia, Orbitz, and other third-party sites to help us save money. However, after working at the hotel I have learned a few things I want to make sure I pass on to other travelers. These tips will save you and the front desk attendant a headache.
Check, Double Check and Triple Check the date
Make sure you have checked, double checked, and triple checked the date of your arrival. Once you push the check out button, many third parties have cancelation fees. The reservation is now between you and the third party you chose. The hotel you chose just happens to be the place you are attempting to land. If your reservation is messed up, you will need to call Expedia, Orbitz, etc. to get everything ironed out.
Make sure you’re booking the right hotel
Make sure you have checked, double checked, and tripled checked to make sure the hotel you are booking is actually the hotel you have clicked. This sounds funny, but I cannot tell you how many people have walked in confident they made a reservation at the hotel I work at, yet, the one they actually chose is a few doors down from us. As I stated in the first thing to do, if you accidentally chose the wrong hotel, the front desk attendant cannot fix this for you. You have to call them yourself to get it resolved. Hopefully, cancelation fees are waved and there is actually a room available at the hotel you thought you were booking.
Your agreement is with them, not the hotel
Hotels have to sign contract agreements with companies such as Expedia, Orbitz, and Kayak and as part of that agreement front desk attendants cannot give you a receipt. You must get them through the third party. Your agreement is with them, not the hotel. The hotel just happens to be the place you chose through the app.
Yes, you still have to have a credit card
When you walk up to the front desk and tell the attendant, you have a reservation they will ask for your ID and a credit card. Yes, I know, you already prepaid for the room. However, the hotel must be able to place a hold on your card for incidentals. Otherwise, your $85 hotel room, could cost them hundreds of dollars. Trust me, it’s happened.
Only if the hotel screws up can your room be changed
When you check in at the front desk, you cannot request a different room. Only if the hotel messed up and they need to make it right can your reservation be changed. The room you booked online is the room that will be given to you. You may also end up next to an elevator, ice machine, or other frustration as those requests are often not sent to the hotel.
Call the hotel to confirm your reservation is as you are expecting
It is a good idea to call the hotel after making your reservation online. If for some reason, your arrival date is wrong or you happen to book at the wrong hotel, this will give you time to call the third party company and get things figured out. It is better to over-communicate than to assume everything is fine and dandy.