Former hotel managers and hospitality business professors share on Yahoo Travel what they learned from their years in the biz. Here are the tricks to make your next trip easier, cheaper and more comfortable.
The bellman is your bestfriend
'I don't care if I'm in this country or another around the world, I always try to look for the local flavour,' Bonnie J. Knutson, a professor at Michigan State University's School of Hospitality Business, said. 'You can do the London Tower and the Empire State building, but that's not seeing and experiencing the culture of the people.'
To get to know the best hole-in-the-wall breakfast spot, talk to the bellman. They know the area more than you do.
Timing is everything
Michael "Doc" Terry, an associate instructor at the University of Central Florida's Rosen College of Hospitality Management who also managed hotels, said that hotel rates are mainly based on one factor: demand. "If you went to Disney World on December 20th, you would have no wait at the parks and no crowds at the hotel; if you wait until the 26th, you'll have huge waits at the park and huge crowds at the hotel," he noted.
Plan your trips two weeks before Christmas, the end of August, or the first few weeks of September for the cheapest and quietest experience.
Ask questions
When booking a hotel room, there are questions you should ask. Corporate rate? AAA discount? AARP special? Any specials? 'When a hotel in New York City couldn't find me a discounted rate, the woman on the phone asked me what colour my eyes were. When I told her brown, she found the 'brown-eye discount rate' Daniel J. Mount, an associate professor at Penn State University's School of Hospitality Management, said.
Late check-out
You can usually stay at a hotel until 3 p.m. and all you need to do is ask. "Late checkouts of up to 3pm or even 4pm (depending upon the location) are generally not a problem,"Amit Sharma, PhD, director of the Food Decisions Research Laboratory and an associate professor of hospitality finance at Penn State University's School of Hospitality Management, said.
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