As a seasoned traveler, you may have some hotel hacks up your sleeve. But do you know all of them?
Traveling is a lot more fun when you know the little tips and tricks to elevate your stay without additional charges to your card. In this article, I break down some of the common (and uncommon) hotel hacks that have helped me in my traveling throughout the years!
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By far the riskiest thing on the list, some hotels will put up throwaway prices for their vacant rooms at the very last minute. I have walked into hotels and hostels on the night itself to see if they have vacancies for the next couple of days and often get a better deal at half the price. You can even monitor the price online on the hotel's website to see if they have any immediate deals.
It is one of my hotel hacks to save money especially when I am doing a two-week trip. Do note that this method works if there are plenty of hotels in the area and you have a backup hotel on standby, otherwise you may end up with no accommodation for the night! Also, hotels are usually cheaper if you book directly on their website instead of third-party websites.
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Did you know you can collect plenty of points if you are a frequent traveler? If you are wondering how to get hotel deal hacks, sign up for a travel points credit card or your hotel's loyalty program. Most of these miles or points collected from your flights and stays can be converted into a free hotel upgrade or stay so your accommodation is covered.
Additionally, there may be perks such as early check-in and late check-out, welcome amenities, and complimentary breakfast. Check with your favorite hotel to see if they have any loyalty programs or credit cards for you to enjoy these rewards!
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You have been planning your travel months in advance only to realize that there are no hotel availabilities in your area. Or you may need to fly to a city during peak seasons when hotels are full.
One of the best hotel hacks for booking a room when the hotel is full is to call the hotel personally and speak to the manager to see if there is availability. Most of the time, they will allocate vacancies for walk-ins. These deals are more likely to happen with less-popular hotels compared to destination resorts.
However, if you happen to have a loyalty program or an elite status card that allows you to even walk in 48 hours before your arrival, you may be able to book a nice hotel room in a sold-out venue.
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If you are celebrating a wedding anniversary, honeymoon vacation, or a birthday for a loved one, let the hotel management know and they will know what to do! Most hotels will go out of their way to make your stay memorable so don't be surprised when you enter the room and see a gift, cake, and some decorations to fit the theme of your day.
If you are lucky, you may even get a free upgrade!
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Need to charge your laptop and camera while you are out? Why not leave it in your room for all-day charging? One of the simplest hotel room hacks is to request two key cards (or an extra one if you are sharing with a person), leave one key card in the power wall slot, and voila! Your devices will be charged the moment you are back.
This is also a great way to keep your room ventilated at an optimal temperature.
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The shower cap in the toilet is more useful than you think. If you dislike wearing muddy or dirty pairs of shoes in your room, you can use shower caps to wrap your shoes before you enter. Some hotels may not provide bathroom slippers, so this hotel room hack is a great alternative.
If there aren't enough shower caps, you can always request more from the hotel's room service (most people don't use shower caps anyway!).
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This trick is about hotel room safety hacks to protect you and your belongings. You may need to charge your devices like #5 but you are not too comfortable leaving them in the room away from your sight. What can you do?
You can use the hotel's "Do Not Disturb" sign and place it at the door. This will alert the hotel staff to avoid your room until the next day. If you intend to leave the room unattended for more than a day, it is best to let the hotel management know so they will not enter your room for housekeeping or safety reasons.
The views are always better on the highest floor but when it comes to emergencies, it will fair the worst. Most safety experts claim that the best floors in a hotel are between the 3rd and 6th floors. That way, floors are easily reachable by any fire engine ladder but too high for any burglar attempts from the window.
There you have it, the 7 hotel hacks to enhance your stay when you are traveling. I used these tricks often and have found them effective in almost every unknown country I have visited. If you have more hotel hacks to add, do let us know in the comments below!
Do you know someone who is traveling soon? Share this article and check out our awesome travel hacks for Muslims!
