Originally Posted by swag

Lots of good advice. Being nice and friendly to the staff can pay dividends always, not just for opaque bookings.

The only minor quibble I have is this:


In my experience, depending on which site you use, and depending on the hotel's own systems, sometimes the reservation may not be transferred to the hotel for a couple of days. So I wouldn't contact them immediately, unless the stay is in the next day or two; I'd wait a few days and then email them.