Costa Brava is a lovely place to visit with its beautiful beaches, rugged terrain and colourful festivals – an inspiration for many writers over the years. It is a great holiday destination for cheap hotels and one of the top destinations for families of all ages. 
Planning Ahead
When booking a trip, I plan it for months looking for the best prices, the best dates and the budget I can spend. Then I pack a few days before and get organised to leave and enjoy some time away from the normal routine. Then, arriving at the destination after getting the booking for cheap hotels in Costa Brava, I like to forget scheduling so much and try to enjoy the different surroundings, take in the local culture, foods and activities and before you know it, it is time to get ready to go home again.
New Technology
Nowadays, many hotels are trying to use the latest technology to make life easier for us and for them. The idea is to try to alleviate or to avoid long queues checking in and checking out. Some hotels have invested in installing kiosks (like what you see at the airport) in their hotel reception area or lobby. When booking, you would have had either an email or text with a confirmation number and instructions on how to check in at the hotel. There are hotels that are using their frequent visitor card as a kiosk card with RFID. This will store the client’s information and the booking information on it so that they just swipe the card when they arrive and it automatically activates the card as a room key as well.
iPhones
The latest technology being used and developed for the hotel industry as we speak, is the use of iPhones as room key with multiple apps (or applications) to help provide services for the guests to make their stay more pleasant. Some of the hotel apps being developed are set up to contact hotel staff in different departments for different services. There are apps that contact laundry to have a shirt ironed or give access to set up restaurant bookings or reservations. There are even apps to contact the receptionist to inform them you are about to check out and you want to have your bill prepared. The apps even give access to contacting the porter about driving up the car that you picked up from the car rental and parked in the hotel parking. It’s amazing stuff!
Tips on Checking Out
So with all the newest technology that you might encounter in some of the hotels, how easy does it make it to check out? Well, here are a few tips to consider before checking out to help make the process go smoother:
• Make sure that you don’t leave anything in the drawers, cupboards or wardrobe that you will miss when you arrive home. If you are with others, then double check the rooms for each other just in case something gets left behind inadvertently.
• Some hotels have a place to leave your bags/suitcases after checking out if you want to spend more time in the area before travelling.
• Review the final hotel bill to make sure that you have been charged correctly and that there aren’t additional charges added that you were not aware of before booking.
• Tips: Some hotels have started adding tips or gratuities to the guest’s bill or even at the restaurant so find out beforehand what the system is or what is expected.
• When staying in hotels, the local etiquette is to tip about five per cent for taxis and restaurants and then for hotel porters €1 is acceptable. Tips are not expected at other establishments at this travel destination normally.
• Checkout times vary in each hotel so make sure you are aware of the times and request extra time in advance if you need it or there will be extra charges or another day added.
• If using technology for checking in, find out what is expected to check out, whether you use a kiosk or in the case of the room key iPhone will do it for you.
Before You Leave
Reminders before you leave: Do you have everything with you that you had when you arrived? When booking a holiday like booking cheap hotels in Costa Brava, remember to ask about checking in and if there is anything special to remember when checking out using any new technology.
About the author
Ariana Louis is a travel journalist with a degree in education. She used to teach secondary school English and vocational courses but has taken her love for writing and travel as a priority in her life and has left the teaching field for now. She has traveled more than half-way across the world and has fallen in love with Asia with its diverse and unique culture. She also loves Spain and all the diversity and culture united in one country. Ariana often refers to Travel Republic, which offers cheap hotels in Costa Brava, before she books a trip abroad.
