Checking into a hotel is such a common part of the travel experience that you might think the process is foolproof. Still, when it comes to booking travel accommodation, many people make mistakes, sometimes costly ones.
Whether these missteps end up costing you valuable time and money, or simply making your vacation experience miserable, it’s worth taking the time to avoid such troubles.
From choosing the wrong cancellation policy to grossly underestimating the final cost, here are 12 hotel booking mistakes, along with some tips for avoiding them on your future travels.
Choosing A Hotel Solely Based On Price
While it may be tempting, don’t just book the cheapest hotel. Before choosing a hotel, you need to read reviews from a variety of different sources.
Keep in mind that there’s probably a good reason this option is so cheap, whether it’s poor reviews or an inconvenient location.
You’ll need to check its location on Google Maps and decide if it’s a good place to base your base.
Saving some money by staying away from your favorite neighborhoods and activities may seem tempting at first, but it can lead to frustration and increase the time and money you spend on transportation while traveling. When choosing a hotel, prioritize convenience and proximity to your desired destination.
Forgetting To Take Resort Fees Into Account
Search for resort fee information before starting the actual booking process. This will give you a better idea of how much you’ll actually pay each night.
You can often find them listed at the bottom of the list on third-party booking sites. If you don’t see them, just click through to the final booking page. Some hotels charge resort fees of $40 or more per night. That equates to multiple nights, and many times you don’t get much benefit from paying what you need.
Assuming Parking Is Included
Even if you pay an expensive resort fee, parking is not necessarily included in the extra cost.
If you have a car, be sure to check the hotel’s parking availability. Some hotels don’t have parking, so you’ll be forced to find and possibly pay expensive public parking rates. Other hotels don’t offer self-parking and instead charge hefty valet parking fees. There are even tips of over $60 per day.
Selecting The Wrong Cancellation Policy
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when booking a hotel is not checking the cancellation policy.While a non-refundable rate may save you a few dollars, if you need to cancel your reservation, the hotel will not refund your money under any circumstances.
Since unexpected changes and delays seem to be more common than ever, it makes sense to opt for flexible rates just in case. However, make sure you understand the timing correctly.
Travelers often don’t realize that a hotel’s cancellation policy deadline is always set in the hotel’s local time zone. If you need to cancel or modify your trip, please make sure you do so before the local time deadline. Set a cancellation deadline reminder in your calendar to avoid any last-minute surprises.
Booking With A Debit Card
In addition to earning points, credit cards offer protection on purchases that cash and debit cards don’t.
Additionally, it offers trip cancellation/interruption insurance, which provides great peace of mind when booking a hotel. Other travel credit cards with annual fees offer more benefits when booking hotels, but there are also many no-annual-fee cards that most people can use.
In addition to airline miles, room upgrades, and cash-back bonuses, credit card benefits like fraud protection and instant refunds on erroneous charges make planning a vacation a lot easier. When using a debit card, you may also need to worry about not having enough funds to cover a temporary hold fee that the hotel may require upon check-in, which may accumulate and take time to be refunded.
Using A Third-Party Platform Incorrectly
One of the biggest mistakes people make when booking a hotel is not booking directly through the hotel itself, but using a booking engine.
For example, if you book directly through the Marriott or Hilton website, if a problem arises, you can contact Marriott or Hilton directly and get immediate assistance.
If you use a booking engine like Expedia and something goes wrong, the hotel chain usually can’t help you. You need to use Expedia as a middleman to resolve the issue with the hotel instead of going directly to the hotel. As long as you know this up front when making your choice, you’ll be better prepared than many others who may be caught off guard in the event of an emergency or cancellation.
Book directly with the hotel to cut out the middleman if you need to change or cancel your reservation. Book direct to guarantee you’ll earn hotel rewards program points and, if you already have membership, the chance to take advantage of benefits.
Many hotels guarantee the cheapest rates when booking directly with them. Unless you have a special promotional code on a third-party booking website, it is recommended that you book directly with the hotel to get special deals and better service.
Booking The Wrong Location
It is recommended that you double-check that you have booked the correct location, as many countries and even cities have hotels with similar or identical names.
Since 24-hour cancellation policies are the norm for hotels, discovering on arrival that you’ve booked the wrong hotel means you’ll spend all the money you spent on that wrong hotel and have no choice about the hotel’s remaining room types. A place you really want to stay.Please be sure to confirm your address before departure.
It’s an easy mistake to make if you search for a hotel on a booking platform and then go directly to the hotel website to book. You can ignore this location when you simply google the hotel name and click on the first option.
Or The Wrong Dates
By far the most common mistake is booking for the wrong dates. Please be sure to double check your dates before finalizing your reservation. This may sound obvious, but it happens more often than you think.
As with your hotel address, just take extra time to review your chosen dates and make sure they fit with your travel plans. Long overnight flights and major time zone changes can make things confusing.
Overvaluing Loyalty Programs
Many travelers overestimate hotel loyalty programs.
It’s important to know the actual value of your points and status, and be careful not to spend more money just to book a specific brand of room unless it actually adds value to your stay. Take a step back and evaluate the benefits you will receive versus the additional costs you may incur.
Failing To Plan Ahead
A major problem is not investing enough time in proper planning and not starting the process well in advance of your trip. Planning ahead is crucial, as trying to arrange accommodation at the last minute can mean sacrificing a perfect trip or more expensive options.
There are several theories about the best time to book a hotel at the best price, depending on location and time of year. Do your research and give yourself as much time as possible to make your decision to ensure your vacation meets your expectations. You can even adopt a “book now, cancel later” attitude to give yourself flexible options, which is especially helpful if you find that prices drop as your travel date approaches.
Overlooking Amenities
To ensure you get the most out of your stay, it’s recommended that you research where you want to stay and what amenities are important to you.
Assessing your needs and answering these questions can help you have a smooth, stress-free vacation. Also try to book in advance if certain hotel facilities require reservations.
With travel demand at an all-time high, be sure to book in advance any add-on experiences such as spas, tours and restaurants, especially those that offer these services to guests outside of the hotel.
Not Asking For A Room Upgrade
Most travelers overlook the simple step of calling the hotel the day before check-in to confirm the room and ask about a free upgrade. While upgrades are not always available, they are worth the effort as it can really improve your stay. A quick call can allow you to create a personal connection with hotel staff and may lead to surprises.
Even if an upgrade feels unlikely, it never hurts to ask.
Still, just the thought of receiving some special perk can provide a good morale boost and make your vacation more enjoyable.