Staying in a hotel should be a relaxing experience. But when you are in a hotel that continues to surprise you with a lack of quality, your stay will quickly turn ugly. Considering the high costs of hotels, you want to get the most for your money. The centsmarketplace advise below will help you do just that.

To keep your family active and engaged when you are in a hotel far from home, talk to the concierge when you check in to get a list of nearby attractions. At the end of each day, sit down and map out a plan for the next morning. This gives you more vacation time and less time sitting in front of a television waiting to decide what to do.

When you are staying at a hotel, it is a good idea to leave a small tip for the housekeeping staff. It is best to tip daily instead of waiting until the entire trip has come to an end since there is a chance that the same person will not be assisting you every day.

When planning a vacation, be sure to make all of your hotel reservations well in advance. In this way, you can lock in lower rates. If you have some flexibility regarding when you take your vacation, be sure to find out about off season rates. Very often, the rate you pay in non-peak times of year is significantly lower.

If you belong to any organizations, check with them for travel deals. Some organizations will receive discounts for different reasons from different hotels. It is easy to forget about the discounts. This can result in significant savings, especially for longer stays. It can add up to almost a free hotel night!

When traveling with a pet, your choices of hotels will be limited. Once you find a hotel that is pet friendly, find out what the policies are with regard to pets. Most hotels charge an extra fee for pets, and they may have designated areas in which to walk your pet. Be sure you know the particulars ahead of time to avoid potential problems later.

When get to your hotel, inspect the room before unpacking. Make sure the room is entirely clean and free from any mildew or mold. Does everything work? Do you have enough towels and linens? If you find obvious problems, notify the front desk right away so the hotel can correct the problems or they can assign a different room.

To get the best possible rate for a hotel room, book well in advance of your trip. Rates are markedly higher if you just get the room at the desk. In addition to saving you a lot of money, advance booking will also ensure you aren't left without a room.

To keep from paying through the nose for dry cleaning services from a hotel, ask what the costs are before you send your clothing out. If you need cleaning done, it's often cheaper to walk down the street to a nearby dry cleaner. People who are in town on business often benefit greatly from these savings.

If you are a daily runner, make sure you pack exercise clothes and a GPS watch. Try enjoying an early jog at your new destination. This can be a great way to stay in shape while seeing some of the local scenery. Whether you are running on roads or city streets, you will gain more knowledge about the city you are visiting while you run.

As demonstrated above, there are many things you can do to make sure that you are not being overcharged for a substandard room in an undesirable part of town. It just takes a bit of research and using the advice in the hints above. So keep them in mind the next time you are booking a room and have a enjoyable stay.