How to Book a Room at a Historic Hotel

How to Book a Room at a Historic Hotel


Interested in staying in an antebellum or Victorian hotel? There are minuses, but for the history buff, many pluses.


Steps

  1. Check the Internet to see if there are any historic hotels in the city/town you wish to visit.
  2. If they have one, visit the website to see pictures of the rooms as well as rates.
  3. Before booking a room, check for reviews on travel sites. *See warnings below.
  4. Even if they offer online booking, for small, older hotels, calling the front desk to book the reservation is the best bet.
  5. Before calling to book the reservation, be sure you know what you want to ask: Is the room I'm requesting on the ground floor or an upper room? Do you have an elevator? Are there coffee makers, blow dryers, irons, etc. in the room?
  6. Before booking, ask what the flat total with tax? Ask if there are any other charges that may be accrued.
  7. Double check the cancellation policy. Most historic establishments have more stringent cancellation policies than modern establishments do because of fewer rooms. Cancellation policies can range anywhere from seven to thirty days advance notice prior to arrival or else you credit card will be charged.


Tips

  • Opaque travel sites offer the best deals, but the downside is that you don't know what hotel you are getting until you buy. There is a way around this, if you search for a website with a database of hotels that are listed on the website you are shopping at. You can match the listings in order to figure out which hotel you are getting before you buy.
  • Note that nearly all establishments that let rooms charge for extra people in the hotel room. This may range anywhere from five dollars up to thirty.
  • Also note that all rooms have a maximum occupancy per room. This is not only for the safety of the guests, but also to keep excessive wear and tear down in the guest rooms.
  • Do not ask for a discount on weekends, especially if the hotel is small. They will book all of the rooms and have no need to offer a discount.
  • Do ask for a discount on a Sunday through Thursday night. Most historic hotels will give a discount of between ten and twenty dollars off of the advertised weeknight rate.

Warnings

  • Take reviews read on travel sites with a grain of salt. It is human nature to write something negative when disappointed or angry than to offer praise when a good time was had.
  • If you are elderly or infirm, historic hotels are not for you. Most of them are not required to have handicap accessible rooms. You will be much more comfortable in a modern establishment.
  • DO NOT waste hotel staff time. They are there to assist you, however, they also have many other guests who need assistance as well.
  • When on the phone with the front desk, remember that often times that is the only clerk on duty and must answer up to a six line phone system as well as assist guests walking up to the desk as well as do the mountains of paperwork.
  • Try not to get "historical" and "luxury" confused. Just because an establishment is labeled as historical does not mean that it is in tip top condition. The rugs may be worn, the wallpaper faded and the beds old. However, what it lacks in "newness" it more than makes up in ambiance.
  • If you're prone to complain about everything, please, please, PLEASE stay at a modern hotel and save other people from your whining.

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