5 Tips to Avoid Booking Mistakes

Booking hotel online is easy, but ensuring everything is all fine requires more effort.

Have you ever experienced to be charged for additional extra bed while you had been so sure you did not exceed the maximum occupancy? Have you ever been charged for additional service charge while you think it is compliment service from the hotel? Or, you have arrived at the hotel, but finding your reservation was not in their system? Well, if you answer is yes and you do not want to experience the same in the future, or, if you never experience that and certainly you do not want that happen to you, then, I suggest you read these tips to avoid any booking mistakes below.

      1.      Find more information about your destination

If you visit an area for the first time, you should spend more time to search any important information regarding the area. For example, if you are going to visit Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia, you should know what Seminyak is like. Find about the weather forecast, tourist attractions, tradition, hotel, restaurants, medical facilities and transportation.

      2.      Find the most suitable flight and hotel type

After collecting some basic information about the area you are going to visit, you can go searching for suitable flight and hotel. Usually, many online travel agents provide travel package where you can conveniently book a complete package that includes flight and hotel.

To get the most suitable package, you should consider your decision based on your budget, hotel’s location, people who are going to travel with you (if you are going to travel with other people) and the length of your stay. Package that includes hotel villa, for example, is a good choice to make if you are going to travel with your family or a group of friends.

      3.      Directly contact the hotel

I recommend you to directly contact the reservation staff of the hotel you are interested in. They may have special offer that they do not publish online. Or, if you travel with little children, the disabled or the elders, I reckon you ask them in detail about the hotel’s facility and safety. For example, if you are going to book a hotel villa with private pool, do not forget to ask whether they provide pool fence for more safety of your little children. You may also ask the depth of the pool, the bathroom’s feature, the living room and the bedroom.

     4.      Read carefully and thoroughly

Read condition and terms of any travel package carefully before deciding to book it. Once you are sure everything is right, then, you can make the reservation.

After getting the booking confirmation, be sure to read it thoroughly. Check about any term and condition applied in it. And, should you find difference or something not in place, feel free to contact the hotel or your travel agent.

Pay attention to room policy, amendment and cancellation policy. In the room policy, usually the hotel states about the maximum occupancy of each room and additional charge should any guest exceeds the maximum occupancy. There is also option in adding extra bed here.

As for the amendment and cancellation policy, it usually depends on your booking type and season. If your booking is non-refundable type, any amendment or cancellation may result to cancellation fee. The amount of the cancellation fee varies based on the hotel policy. Since this point if crucial, be sure you get it well.

      5.      Re-confirm your booking to the hotel before your arrival

When it is close to arrival, like three or four days prior to your check-in date, it is better for you to directly contact the hotel again. You can just mail them to inform about your arrival and if you need airport transfer, for example, they may be able to pick you up freely. This kind of confirmation is also very useful to ensure you have room ready for you in the hotel. Although you have already booked via travel agent and everything seems to have been well arranged, sometimes due to high traffic or system error, your booking may not be recorded in their system and this will make you do not get room ready on your check-in. Never let this occurrence happens to you by re-confirming your booking before your arrival.