Booking A Hotel Could Require Research, Planning Ahead

DENVER (CBS4)- Memorial Day travel will look different this year and booking a hotel could come with risks. The coronavirus pandemic has been especially rough on the hospitality industry.

"By some estimates, 20% to 40% of all the hotels in the United States may not reopen," said Pauline Frommer, Editorial Director for frommers.com and Frommer Guidebooks.

"If you're going to a hotel, you need to do advance research to make sure that that hotel will be open when you get there. Gone are the days where you can simply drive into a town and expect to find a place to sleep," she warned.

Those which are still open are offering deep discounts and stepping up cleaning protocols to help restore consumer confidence.

"A lot of hotels are going to put in a blackout time, so it'll be 24 to 48 to 72 hours between your stay and the stay of the last guest," said Frommer.

"Hilton is going to have a piece of tape across your door so you can see that your room has been sealed since it was last cleaned."

When it comes time to book, she recommends using a credit card instead of cash and booking directly through a hotel instead of a third-party site.