Tips for Booking Online Hotel Reservations
By Tara Roberts

Being able to book hotel reservations online is the best thing since sliced bread. You no longer have to hunt blindly for a hotel room. With online services, you are offered a choice of several locations in a variety of price ranges. Maps show you where the hotel is in reference restaurants, shopping and most importantly, local attractions. Travelers can also download detailed driving directions from their front door to the hotel lobby. You can even see pictures of the hotel exterior and rooms. Some Web sites also offer virtual tours where you can view the room as if you are already there.

If you have a credit card, reservations are just a few clicks away. With the endless number of sites available to peruse, the choices are equally endless. There are Web site that let clients set their own prices, and sites that offer discounts when hotel rooms are packaged with airline tickets or car rentals. There are even sites that claim to offer the absolutely lowest price for rooms, but the location and name of the hotel is not revealed until a booking is complete - honestly.

While these reservation sites strive to be user friendly, here are some tips that can make the process that much more satisfying.

How to get the most out of your online booking:

1. Know when you pay. There are can be difference between reservation services in how your credit card is billed. Some bookings immediately place the entire stay's charge on your card, while with others you pay at check out. This information should be provided on the Web site where you book your rooms. Look for links titled something like "User Agreement, " or "Customer Care" to read the payment policy for each reservation service.
2. Read the cancellation policy carefully. Typically, if a client cancels a reservation within a designated time period, usually within 24 to 48 hours prior to the arrival date, only a cancellation fee is charged - around $25. After the deadline clients can be charged one night's rental fee, plus the cancellation fee. A few locations do not accept cancellations and charge the entire amount and offer no refunds. To avoid these fines, it is sometimes possible to change the reservation dates without penalties.
3. Know where to call. If you have to cancel a reservation, in most cases, you must contact the reservation service directly and not the host hotel. Again, check the "Customer Care" link for this information. Follow the directions completely to avoid added fees.
4. Keep confirmation numbers and printout e-mail receipts. Once a booking is made, an e-mail confirmation is usually sent within minutes. The receipt should include a confirmation number and hotel information such as room specifications (number of beds, smoking/non-smoking), location, and will often include a cost breakdown for the entire stay - a per night room cost plus tax. The receipt will be invaluable if the hotel clerk claims to not have your reservation.
5. Do your homework. What the receipt doesn't include is a direct telephone number to the hotel. It may include a central booking number for the chain, but you may have to do some hunting to find your hotel's main telephone number. Go to the trouble of tracking this down and call the hotel directly to re-confirm the reservation and to get their confirmation number. This is a good time to double check on the room to make sure you will get what you booked.
6. Go to the source. Before you book your room online, check the hotel's own homepage to find out if the online price is really the best rate for that location. Sometime the hotel offers special packages that are lower than other online booking services.
7. Check the mileage. If you are booking a specific hotel because it is listed as being close to a particular attraction, remember that these mileage numbers can be extremely generous estimates. One mile may actually be closer to five or 10. Ask about this when you call the hotel to confirm.
8. Check room rates carefully. After you have booked a hotel, and you find a lower price for the same hotel, the same room type, and on the same dates on another Web site, check back with the first online service. Most services offer a refund, cancellations without a penalty, or pay up to double the difference, but you have to already have a prepaid booking with the first service to qualify. If you opt for a refund, it can take several days to get it back. To get the best rate, be careful to check several sites before making a final decision. Again, as with cancellation policies, read price guarantee policies very carefully.