The worst mistakes you can make when booking a hotel, according to experts

EXPERTS have revealed the common mistakes guests make when booking a hotel room.

Here are some of the ways to make sure you get the best room without paying more than you should, with a few simple changes.

John McMahon, the CEO of online hotel travel agency  said one of the biggest mistake is not questioning why a hotel room seems to be a bargain.

He told : "[Ask] things like, 'Is there any construction going on at the hotel?'.”

"I once checked into a hotel in Tampa that overlooked the river. The only problem was the windows were covered with adhesive because they were cleaning the facade of the building. So much for the view.”

Other things to ask is if things like service changes or cancellation fees are included as this could make your stay much more expensive than first suggested.

He also said using booking or travel agents can give you hidden benefits, due to knowing the resorts and often dealing with them.

Mr McMahon said: "Generally, it’s more advantageous to book through a travel consultant who can secure extra amenities because of their relationship with the hotel.

"Many travel advisors have contracts with hotels for automatic upgrades on bookings.”

If you want to take things into your own hands, be cheeky and tag them on social media before heading there.

He said: "Honeymooners should follow the hotel on Twitter and Instagram and tag [them] a week in advance of their arrival.

"That puts your reservation on the hotel’s radar and will help your upgrade chances."

Rich Toohey, vice president of Marriott Rewards agreed, which has a system of points which means it can give freebies or gifts to people who post about their stay on social media.

He previously said: "It was a cool opportunity for [guests] to take advantage of and participate by doing what they're already doing."

With the pandemic resulting in a lot of empty hotels, it could be worth just calling a hotel and seeing if they have any deals they can't advertise online right now.

Jane from HOSPA, who launched the Sleepover to Help Turnover scheme which offers freebies and discounts to hotel guests, spoke to Sun Online Travel about how to find a bargain following the lockdown.

She explained: "Families should look where they want to go and just call the hotel - they may have great offers which they can't make public but can offer you.

"You wont find many big names putting deals out there in the public space as they don't want to damage their brand or get their rates back to normal, but if you call them you can always get something even better."