Marriott International announced Friday that personal information for up to 500 million of its guests may have been accessed as part of a breach to its Starwood guest reservation database. If you’ve stayed at a Marriott hotel in the past few years, this probably means you.

You might not think of airlines offering deals Black Friday and Cyber Monday — usually the deals are on appliances, clothes and tech, right? But if you have a trip in mind and want to save a bit on airfare, research from different travel companies indicates you might want to check out the deals set to occur over the next week.

When it comes to booking hotels there are a lot of theories out there on when the "best" time to book is. I know people who swear you should book as soon as you start planning a trip, and others who think a few days before your departure is the right time to get a deal. In truth, the answer is somewhere in-between.

By the end of this year I will have spent more than half of it travelling, most often staying in hotel rooms. So, I’ve developed a bit of a… routine.

When I travel, I typically like to stay out late and sleep in as long as possible in the mornings. My boyfriend, on the other hand, likes to get up at 7am and get a start on the day. By the time my real wake up time has happened he's had time to get breakfast, explore the area around the hotel and is comfortably putzing around on his laptop waiting for me to finally join the living.

As Hotels.com's regional director for Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, Katherine Cole knows a thing or two about the hotel industry. Travelling on a fortnightly basis to all corners of the globe, she's stayed at hundreds of hotels and has learned a few tricks along the way. We asked Cole to share her top hotel hacks with Lifehacker readers, from the best time to book your hotel to the hidden costs you need to watch out for.

A multi-room hotel suite gives your party a common area to hang out in, but also allows everyone the privacy of their own room. They're great for family reunions, weddings, and bachelor or bachelorette parties. The trouble is, these types of suites are often staggeringly expensive. Here's how you can get a suite-like experience for a lot less.

For years I never tipped housekeeping in the US hotels I stayed at. I can't remember when I first discovered that tipping housekeeping in America was a thing, but I remember being mortified that I hadn't done it up to that point.

Since then, I've made it a point to tip at least a few dollars everywhere I stay but have honestly never really perfected what the "right" amount is. Until now.

If you're staying at a hotel in a busy city centre, light pollution can be a serious issue. Even the tiniest crack in your curtains could illuminate your room well beyond comfortable sleeping levels. So: Head to your closet.

At least half the hotel rooms I end up staying in these days require that you stick your room key in a slot beside the door in order to do things such as turn on the lights or use the power outlets. It's a detail that I forget at least once a trip, which results in me spending a few minutes fumbling around, trying to determine why I can't turn on the bedside lamp.

I keep telling people that travelling to Japan is way more affordable than they think, especially if you book the right accommodations. We're talking as little as $25 to $60 a night if you know where to look! These obviously aren't five-star resorts, but they're worth it for the money you'll save.

Bedbugs aren't just for beds any more. Recently, a Canadian family got bitten all over by bedbugs on a nine-hour flight to London. What's worse, the mother saw a bedbug and knew what it was at the beginning of the flight, but the crew said there was nothing they could do.

A hotel room, however well appointed, is an alienating dream-space. You're supposed to do all your most intimate things in this place designed and furnished and filled by someone else. You need to make it your own. Listen to designer and international traveller Karim Rashid.

Furries - people who dress up like cartoon animals and do less sex stuff than you'd think - know that the rest of society finds them weird. In public, they often respond to this by being very careful and polite. So much so, that we could all learn a thing or two about their hotel etiquette.

Hotel living is sweet, especially if you leave room in your luggage for all the mini-shampoos and towels that come with it. Too bad that taking a break from your apartment for a night is so expensive you'd be better off just buying expensive shampoos and towels. That is, unless you can learn to scam your way into a free home away from home in a way that's totally legal.

Over the past two years, two of my close friends have gone on three one to two-week vacations to Italy. At first glance, their multiple European vacations made it look like they must have suddenly come into piles cash. As it turns out, the key was when they were travelling: during the off-season.

If you're looking to use some holiday days, but you're not sure where you want to go, travel booking site Wander lets you search based on your overall travel budget.

"Real question: does anyone I know clean their underwear in a kettle when travelling?"

Scrolling through social media this morning, these 14 words, in one foul (pun intended) swoop, ruined every relaxing cup of tea I've ever had in a hotel room.

My mind was racing. Who would do this? Why?

The first thing I did on my 18th birthday was go play a few hands of blackjack, and I've been playing ever since. I'm no high roller, but I know my way around a casino. If you're not sure where to begin, let me help.