Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Making Hotel Reservations
Reserve your rooms several weeks in advance—or as soon as you've pinned down
your travel dates—particularly if you'll be traveling during peak times (for Paris,
reserve several months ahead—for any time of year). Note that some national hol-
idays jam things up and merit your making reservations far in advance (see “Holi-
days and Festivals” on
here
).
Requesting a Reservation:
It's usually easiest to book your room through the
hotel's website. Many have a reservation-request form built right in. (For the best
rates, be sure to use the hotel's official site and not a booking agency's site.) Sim-
pler websites will generate an email to the hotelier with your request. If there's no
reservationform,orforcomplicatedrequests,sendanemail(seebelowforasample
request). Most recommended hotels are accustomed to guests who speak only Eng-
lish.
The hotelier wants to know:
• the number and type of rooms you need
• the number of nights you'll stay
• your date of arrival
• your date of departure
• any special needs (such as bathroom in the room or down the hall, cheapest
room, twin beds vs. double bed, crib, air-conditioning, quiet, view, ground
floor or no stairs, and so on)
If you request a room by email, use the European style for writing dates: day/
month/year. For example, for a two-night stay in July of 2014, ask for “1 double
room for 2 nights, arrive 16/07/14, depart 18/07/14.” Make sure you mention any
discounts—for Rick Steves readers or otherwise—when you make the reservation.
Confirming a Reservation:
When the hotel replies with its room availability
and rates, just email back to confirm your reservation. Most places will request
a credit-card number to hold your room. While you can email it (I do), it's safer
to share that confidential info via a phone call, two emails (splitting your number
between them), or the hotel's secure online reservation form. On the small chance
thatahotellosestrackofyourreservation,bringalongahardcopyoftheirconfirm-
ation.
Canceling a Reservation:
If you must cancel your reservation, it's cour-
teous—and smart—to do so with as much notice as possible, especially for smaller
