What should I verify before I make my reservation?

• Ask about any other groups or conventions that have booked the Hotel at the same time since any large group could effect your stay.

• If you plan on taking advantage of some of the Hotel’s services such as shuttles, babysitting, free meals or recreational facilities, make sure those services will be available when you will need them. You don’t want to arrive at the airport and be surprised to find out that the shuttle service ended two hours ago.

• If you are reserving a special room, make sure you know just what special really means. Is your "ocean view" room right on the beach, looking down on the ocean or can you just barely see the ocean if you look closely between several other buildings on a clear day.

• Check the Hotel’s check-in and checkout time. Hotels have started to offer various time packages to accommodate the traveler’s needs.

• Make sure you get the Hotel’s complete address and take it with you to get local directions.

What extra charges and fees should I ask about?

There can be charges, fees and extra taxes for everything. In some cases, the government’s percentage of your Hotel bill can be very high, so you’ll want to make sure you have budgeted for these items. Ask about any other extra charges if you think they will apply.

• Parking, is there a charge and can you park your big RV in the lot?

• Shuttle service.

• Phone calls, local and long distance.

• Extra people or beds.

• Local surcharges and taxes

What information will I need to reserve my room?

• The name of the person who’ll be staying at the Hotel.

• The number of guests staying in the room.

• Credit card type, number and expiration date of the card to be billed.

• The name of the location where you want to reserve a room.

• Date and time you’ll be checking in and checking out.

• The type of room you want to reserve, such as standard, business, suite, etc.

• Any special requests, such as smoking/nonsmoking, spa appointments, childproofing or room location.

• Any discounts or coupons that you are planning to apply to the stay.

• If you have it, some Hotels like to have your flight information. That way they can keep track of delayed flights.

• If you are reserving more than one room, have them give you a confirmation number for each room you reserve. Otherwise, your extra rooms may be listed in the special request section of the reservation, where they can be overlooked. Since you will have a separate confirmation number for each room, it will be clear that you’ll need more than one room.

How will I get to the Hotel?

• If you are flying in, find out where you are to meet the Hotel’s shuttle. Do they have a fixed meeting place or do you need to call someone once you arrive.

• If they use a shuttle, find out how often it runs and its hours of operation. See if they will still be running the shuttle if you are delayed, you might need a 24-hour service.

• If you are driving, get directions with the complete address and local phone number.

Where can I find information on airports so that it will be easier for me to find the rental car counter or meet the Hotel’s airport shuttle?

Go To:  US Airport & Foreign Airport Links

This page contains web links to many major U.S. and foreign airports. Although, each airport’s site is different many contain airport layouts and other information that could save you time and help make your visit a safe one. This links page also lists many airport codes that can be helpful when making Airline reservations so you and your luggage will be heading to the right airport.

How can I decrease the chance that the Hotel will break my reservation?

• Just like the Rental Car Companies, the Hotels must cover the costs of all those rude people, who reserve rooms, don’t cancel and never show up. This means that at certain times, especially during holidays and other peak travel times, they may get caught overbooking and have to break some reservations. Here’s a few ways to keep you at the top of the list for available rooms.

• See if the reservation center will guarantee your reservation. Some do offer this service and they will usually have a much bigger penalty for themselves if they don’t have a room for you. However, to get this guarantee, you are usually charged a fee if you don’t show or cancel within a certain time frame.

• Confirm your reservation. Make sure everything is correct and they are aware you’re coming.

• If you are reserving more than one room, get a confirmation number for every room you reserve.

• Arrive on time.

• Update your reservation. If you’re going to be late, call to let them know.

• Stay often with the same Hotel Chain. Some reservation lists show frequent guests, and management will know that you are not the type of customer they want to lose.

• Join their Premium Clubs. These groups include their frequent guests and their big corporate accounts. If it comes down to who gets the last few rooms, you probably won’t be seeing the Premium Club members waiting around.

• If you really fear that your chances of getting burned are high, you might call the location directly and speak with a manager. Let them know you will be there at a certain time and you want to make sure you’ll have a room waiting. If you’ve made that extra effort and they know you’ll be looking for them, most managers will also make an extra effort to have a room for you. If you do call and they do produce, don’t forget to thank them for their efforts.