While some travel sites advertise that they offer the lowest fees you’ll find, you have to keep in mind that the majority of those sites, along with travel agents, etc., are taking a cut of the transaction fees, so it actually makes it more expensive to go through a third party booking site.
Call the hotel directly or visit their official website and look for the “deals” section to find the best prices. Sometimes, there will be deals listed that third-party sites weren’t even made aware of yet.
Air Freshener
You’ve likely found yourself in at least one hotel room that smelled a little…off. Some can be worse than others, and some can be so bad you’re forced to ask for a change of room (and hope they actually give it to you.) But if you find that your room just smells a bit stale, or something else that can be easily dealt with, you can try this tip to freshen up the air.
Use one of the clip-on air fresheners that are made for cars and put it directly on your main AC unit. And if you need to, use a couple of them. If the smell is truly overpowering though, just ask to move!
Noise/Smoke Blocker
Whether you’re a smoker yourself or not, it may surprise you to know that there are plenty of hotels in existence that still allow smoking in some (or all) of their hotel rooms. If you happen to be staying in one of these smoke-friendly resorts and the smell bothers you, you can stifle the stench by laying a towel under your door to stuff the open space.
This trick is also great for blocking out light from the hall, as well as some of the noise from people partying throughout the night while you’re trying to sleep. If you’re using the towel to block smoke, get it wet in the tub and ring it out before placing it under the door for an extra-strong effect.
Phone Chargers
In this day and age, people basically use their cell phones for everything. A lost or dead phone could breed devastating results, so keeping them handy and charged up is crucial to ensuring your vacation goes smoothly. But what happens when you start unpacking your belongings only to find that you’ve forgotten your phone charger?
You could run to the drug store and buy another one if you’ve got the time and the cash. But if you’re lacking either of those things (or if you just don’t feel like going to the store after your long trip) just call the front desk from your room phone and ask them! Most hotels keep some chargers around for the most popular types of cellphones.
Sink Cooler
Depending on what hotel you’re staying in, you may or may not have access to a mini-refrigerator to cool your drinks. But even if you do, they’re often small and you can’t fit too many things in it at once.
To remedy the situation and keep your sodas (or beers) ice-cold, just head to the ice machine. When you get back to the room, dump the ice in the sink, and voila – you’ve got a cooler. Plus, it’s free and easy to keep using. All you have to do is make another trip to the ice machine when yours starts to get low.