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We Know: Tips on Making Online Hotel Reservations
Why make hotel reservations online?
Making hotel reservations online can be fast, convenient, and economical. Many hotels offer discount rates online that
are not available to walk-in customers. In addition, it's faster than waiting for confirmations and receipts to arrive
by mail. In addition, most hotels have websites that feature pictures of what their rooms look like. This can help you
decide what to choose.
Tips for Making Online Hotel Reservations
Before making your hotel reservations online, consider these suggestions:
- Research the best rated hotels by unbiased customers. TripAdvisor is an excellent way to do this.
- Shop around for the best rates and deals among hotels. Sidestep is a site that will compare the best
deals from various travel sites in one search.
- If you have special needs, such as wheelchair access, refrigeration for medications, or any other requirements, be sure
to ask up front if these will be available to you with the room you'll be renting.
- When you make the reservation online, print out the confirmation receipt. You'll want to bring it with you to the
hotel.
- Whether you make the reservation through a third party, or directly with the hotel, wait a day then call the hotel
directly. Confirm that they see the reservation in their computer system, and also confirm that they've reserved the correct
room size or type, the dates, smoking preference, and all other details. If you make the reservation through a third party,
it can take more than a day to show up in the hotel's system. In that case, give it another day or so and then call them
again.
- If you need to make any changes to your reservation, call the hotel's customer service department right away. If you
wait until the last minute, they may not be able to accommodate you, or they may have to charge extra.
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