Always have a copy of your confirmation and receipt
When it comes to online reservations, anything can happen. You may find yourself a victim of electronic glitches and without a hotel room on your next vacation. This is why you want to make sure that you print out your confirmation for your booked reservation and, if you have already paid in advance, you need to have a copy of the receipt with you as well. You need these documents with you to prove that you really made that reservation.
Call the hotel after you book your reservation
Right after printing your hotel reservation confirmation, the next step is to make phone calls. Call the hotel to confirm that they have your reservation and that it is confirmed. Inquire about anything else that you need to do to straighten everything out so you aren’t faced with hassles when you arrive.
It is also a good idea to take this opportunity to address any personal requests that you may have. For instance, you may want to be assigned to a non-smoking room or you may want a king-sized bed. There are no guarantees that you’ll get your requests but it doesn’t hurt to ask in advance to allow the hotel staff to make arrangements if they can.
The good thing about advance arrangements is that if you specify them ahead of time, they are more likely to be honored. However, you want to wait until you have arrived at the hotel to ask for free upgrades.
Take advantage of the perks
Another tip to make your stay at the hotel more comfortable is to sign up with the frequent guest program, particularly if you’re staying at a top-rated hotel. This is a good way to get free upgrades, express check-out services, and a variety of other exclusive perks.
Check-in guidelines
Since hotels tend to overbook, you do not want to check in late in the evening when everyone has already arrived. The later you are, the higher your risk of encountering room hassles, especially if you’re visiting cities that accommodate tourists that stay for a few days, such as Thailand or Hong Kong.
It is also important to dress appropriately when checking into a good hotel. While you do not have to wear a business suit to get into a four-star hotel in Macau, for instance, you want to wear something better than if you were going on a backpacking trip. Unfortunately, appearances can influence impressions and hotel desk clerks are more likely to do you favors if they find that you look like somebody who can afford their hotel rooms.
Another tip to getting people to treat you well when you’re traveling is to use your airline frequent traveler credit card when checking into hotels. This gives the impression that you travel frequently so hotel staff will be more inclined to treat you properly. Also, do not ask for free upgrades when you check into first-class and deluxe hotels, unless you are a recognized patron of that hotel.
Instead, you politely ask how much it will cost for an upgrade to a room with a view. If you ask nicely, you may even get the room upgrade free of charge. And while on the subject of views, partial ocean views are generally better than full ocean view rooms, even when the latter costs more because there’s always a lot for you to look at.
Finally, use the hotel’s storage facilities in lieu of in-room safes for your valuables. You can have bell captains put your laptop and other relatively larger items in the hotel’s safe while you’re out exploring the city. This ensures that you have a smooth and comfortable hotel stay wherever you may be in Asia.
When it comes to online reservations, anything can happen. You may find yourself a victim of electronic glitches and without a hotel room on your next vacation. This is why you want to make sure that you print out your confirmation for your booked reservation and, if you have already paid in advance, you need to have a copy of the receipt with you as well. You need these documents with you to prove that you really made that reservation.
Call the hotel after you book your reservation
Right after printing your hotel reservation confirmation, the next step is to make phone calls. Call the hotel to confirm that they have your reservation and that it is confirmed. Inquire about anything else that you need to do to straighten everything out so you aren’t faced with hassles when you arrive.
It is also a good idea to take this opportunity to address any personal requests that you may have. For instance, you may want to be assigned to a non-smoking room or you may want a king-sized bed. There are no guarantees that you’ll get your requests but it doesn’t hurt to ask in advance to allow the hotel staff to make arrangements if they can.
The good thing about advance arrangements is that if you specify them ahead of time, they are more likely to be honored. However, you want to wait until you have arrived at the hotel to ask for free upgrades.
Take advantage of the perks
Another tip to make your stay at the hotel more comfortable is to sign up with the frequent guest program, particularly if you’re staying at a top-rated hotel. This is a good way to get free upgrades, express check-out services, and a variety of other exclusive perks.
Check-in guidelines
Since hotels tend to overbook, you do not want to check in late in the evening when everyone has already arrived. The later you are, the higher your risk of encountering room hassles, especially if you’re visiting cities that accommodate tourists that stay for a few days, such as Thailand or Hong Kong.
It is also important to dress appropriately when checking into a good hotel. While you do not have to wear a business suit to get into a four-star hotel in Macau, for instance, you want to wear something better than if you were going on a backpacking trip. Unfortunately, appearances can influence impressions and hotel desk clerks are more likely to do you favors if they find that you look like somebody who can afford their hotel rooms.
Another tip to getting people to treat you well when you’re traveling is to use your airline frequent traveler credit card when checking into hotels. This gives the impression that you travel frequently so hotel staff will be more inclined to treat you properly. Also, do not ask for free upgrades when you check into first-class and deluxe hotels, unless you are a recognized patron of that hotel.
Instead, you politely ask how much it will cost for an upgrade to a room with a view. If you ask nicely, you may even get the room upgrade free of charge. And while on the subject of views, partial ocean views are generally better than full ocean view rooms, even when the latter costs more because there’s always a lot for you to look at.
Finally, use the hotel’s storage facilities in lieu of in-room safes for your valuables. You can have bell captains put your laptop and other relatively larger items in the hotel’s safe while you’re out exploring the city. This ensures that you have a smooth and comfortable hotel stay wherever you may be in Asia.
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