As a frequent traveler I have amassed a small collection of important tips and strategies for making the most of my hotel stays and for saving money.

Avoiding The Queues When Checking-In Or Out

If you are arriving at a peak time, perhaps during a conference and the check-in line is going to take you some time, you can check your bags in with the bellboy immediately and then telephone reception to check-in by phone. State that you want to confirm your reservation. Usually you will need to provide you booking reference and your credit card details and you can then walk immediately over to reception to collect your key without any hassle.

When checking out of a hotel it is often possible to check out early but still have the use of your room until the official checkout time. Hotels will usually allow you to leave your baggage with the bellboy and use your room for relaxing and showering before the official checkout time. This is a great strategy if you expect that a large group of people will want to check-out at the same time as you.

Free Hi-Speed Internet

Take your own RJ-11 ADSL cable with you to your hotel. This is a standard cable that connects your computer to an Internet socket. You will be surprised to learn that many hotels do not have effective controls of their Internet service. Often a hotel only monitors your Internet use by letting your rent the ADSL cable for a period of time. Hotels might tell you that you need to purchase a password and enter it into a webpage but you may find that you can access the Internet without it or that any password is accepted. You may find that there are restrictions on web browsing but none for checking and sending emails through a POP3 account. For the small effort of bringing your own cable you may save a lot of money.

Discounted Business Services

Rather than put up with the high price of a hotel’s business services locate a ‘convention bureau’ near to where you are staying. There are convention bureaus in almost every town and they are designed especially for business travelers who require services such as; photocopying, faxing, photo developing and typing. They will be a lot cheaper and more efficient than in the hotel.

Bluff You Way To A Hotel Discount

Nearly all hotels, which host wedding parties, will have a discounted rate for friends and family. Look for welcome signs at the hotel to see if they are currently hosting a wedding and enquire if friends of the wedding couple receive discounted rates.

This might also work for business conventions but try your best to look like a businessperson if you are going to bluff you way for this.

Before booking your hotel room, check on the Internet for discount rates. Recently I arrived at a hotel in Asia, asked at reception for the walk-in rates, went immediately to the lobby’s Internet café and booked my room online for less than half the cost.

Get A Replacement Cellphone Charger

Cellphone chargers are commonly left in hotel rooms and reception should be able to lend you a replacement if you have forgotten yours. The chargers are usually lost property and you may be able to keep it after use.

Make Discounted International Phone Calls From Your Hotel Room

Hotels are notorious for their expensive phone charges. They often bill for toll-free calls that prevents people using traditional calling cards. International calls are often only available via an operator.

Before you travel, register for a free account with a callback provider such as United World Telecom (see the link below). United World Telecom’s International Callback service is designed especially to work around hotel restrictions. Their international callback service requires you to set up the hotel room you wish to call from in advance which can be done in just a few seconds online or by telephone. Once set up, you inform United World Telecom’s computer that you wish to make your phone call and they will telephone to you. Their service is especially well designed for hotels as you can set the service to work with both automated switchboards and with live telephone operators.

It is completely free to register with United World Telecom’s Callback Service without obligations. Whilst international callback is a great way to beat the hotel’s high charges it is completely legal and will never present you with a problem using it. You will also save as much as 80% on your telephone costs with this service.