Hotel Secrets You Must Know

It is estimated that nearly 100 million Americans travel each year and most stay in a hotel. Here are some valuable hotel travel tips that hotels would rather you didn't know:

1. Call the hotel's local number for the best rate. The 800 number will link you to an off-site, centralized call center. Ask to speak with the Manager on duty. They have the authority to negotiate room rates.

2. Rooms are more expensive in the morning. The best time of the day to make a reservation by phone is right after 6pm. This is when hotels wipe out all the no-show reservations that were unsecured by a credit card. They then offer these rooms at bargain rates.

3. Everything is negotiable. If the parking lot looks half empty, offer less than the daily rate. Planning to make a lot of phone calls? Ask for a per-day flat fee.

4. Rooms are available even when a hotel has no vacancies. In any large hotel, there will be rooms listed as "out of order". The problems are usually something simple. Tell the manager you are willing to take an out-of-order room that has only a minor problem.

5. Hotel rooms are infested with germs. Many items in hotel rooms never get cleaned. The biggest trouble spots include the TV remote control, telephone, and clock radio. Travel with a package of antibacterial wipes, and clean these items when you arrive.

6. A thief takes one credit card, not your entire wallet. Smart hotel thieves now take just one credit card when they find an unguarded wallet in a room. Often, the victim doesn't notice the card is missing until the credit line is maxed out.

7. It pays to tip the housekeeper every day. Housekeepers are the most overworked, underpaid and under appreciated people in the hotel. Leave a $2 or $3 tip for them each day. You'll get better service and knowing the housekeeper also reduces the chances that your room will be burglarized.

8. Your bags aren't safe with the bellhop. Luggage can get stolen right off the luggage carts in the lobby. Even though these bags are in possession of the bellhop, the hotel assumes no legal responsibility for the loss. If your bag is going to sit for more than a few minutes, ask that it be placed in a secure room.

9. The lost and found is a great resource for cell phone users. If you use a cell phone, odds are that someday you'll forget to bring your recharging cord or lose it in transit. Recharging cords are the No. 1 item left behind in hotel rooms. Most hotels are willing to lend cords from their lost and found.

10. Never pay for the minibar. Minibar charges are, without question, the most disputed charges on any bill. That's because the process for applying those charges is horribly inexact. Keystroke errors, delays in restocking, double stocking, and hundreds of other missteps make minibar charges the most voided item. Just say "I never had those items" and they will most often be removed from your bill.