Getty Images/iStockphoto Booking a hotel seems pretty straightforward, right? And most times it is: Pick a destination, choose your dates, enter payment info and voila, happy travels! However, there are some big blunders you could be making when it comes to hotel reservations. From booking on the wrong sites to forgetting to check some vital information, these mistakes could easily make or break your trip. Read on to find out what you must avoid when booking that hotel room. Home›Wheelchair Users' Guide to Accessibility in Hotels›ADA Design Requirements for. ADA design requirements for wheelchair accessible hotel rooms. Disposable items that are provided free of charge to guests in rooms include. Merchandise withdrawn from resale inventory for taxpayer's business use. MobileConnect for Desktop User Guide If “Use default” is selected, then MobileConnect uses the default device set in the operating system preferences. For Windows, if “Default Communication Device” is defined, it is selected over the “Default Device”. Always expecting the best room I was recently chatting with a front-desk agent about how her hotel chain distributes rooms at check-in. Curious, I asked what method her staff uses to determine who gets the best-located rooms. 2017 accord coupe owners manual. She revealed this surprising tidbit: Those who book through the hotel website or are hotel loyalty members usually get first dibs on room assignments, with the better views and quieter locations. Travelers who book through online travel agencies (OTAs), like Priceline, often receive 'run of the house' rooms (what she called 'ice-machine rooms,' or basically whatever is left). The agent couldn't tell me just how many hotel chains do this, but she said it was a 'fairly common practice' and that it sweetens the deal for travelers who book at regular rates. The fix: Joining hotel loyalty programs is often free, and being a member can guarantee better room placement, free nights or helpful amenities like complimentary breakfast or Wi-Fi. Motel Room User GuideIf having the best possible room is key to happy travel, then book directly through the hotel's website. But when those low, low OTA prices can't be beat—we know the feeling—you can always make a request for a certain type of room or location. Expecting requests to be guaranteed King bed or two doubles? High floor or low? Three single red M&Ms? When reserving your hotel, most booking engines will allow you to make requests or add comments regarding your stay. However, in the teeny-tiny fine print, most hotels also say that your requests aren't guaranteed. The fix: The old adage 'Expect nothing and you'll never be disappointed' holds true here, but it's cold comfort when you really wanted a certain amenity. First, know that hotels will generally try to honor your requests. If, at check-in, you find your double beds have become one or you were placed in a smoking room, speak to the front-desk agent and request a change—politely. Also, it's well worth calling the hotel before you arrive to confirm your requests, especially if any were made for medical reasons. Using incorrect arrival and departure dates Of this travel sin, I am guilty as charged. On an overseas trip several years ago, I noted that my flight left on May 14th, so I booked my destination hotel starting the night of May 14th. Rookie mistake. I completely neglected to check that my flight was a red-eye that landed early in the morning of the 15th. This means I paid for an expensive (and nonrefundable) room that I didn't need. The fix: Unlike your hapless writer, make sure you have your flight itinerary on hand when booking, and double-check the dates of your arrival and departure. Also consider time zones. If you're crossing the International Date Line in transit, yes, your check-in dates could be different than you expect. It's also not a bad idea to have someone look over your booking before you hit 'confirm' or 'pay,' just to ensure that the dates you have selected are correct. Not using a credit card When booking a hotel, credit cards are king. Not only do credit cards offer rewards like airline miles, free night stays or cash-back bonuses, but they also offer certain guarantees that debit cards and cash do not (such as fraud protection or immediate refunds for mischarges). Another tip that many travelers don't know? Most hotels will require an incidental deposit if you use a debit card to protect themselves against overdraft fees if your account has insufficient funds. These additional deposits can add up: I once paid a $100 deposit in Las Vegas that wasn't refunded to my account for two weeks.
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