Choosing the right hotel can make or break a vacation. It’s important to choose a hotel that both matches your standards and maybe even surpasses them and your budget. Use the following criteria to book a hotel that makes your vacation shine:
Decide what type of vacation you want
Is this a romantic vacation, a roughing-it-up adventure or a business trip. Depending on the type of vacation you want, your lodging needs will be different. If it’s a romantic vacation you want, look out for added amenities like an in-room Jacuzzi or candlelight dinners by the beach. If this is a business trip, you may be more interested in free Wi-Fi and breakfast than 300 thread sheets.
Filter by Hotel Ratings
Nowadays we have two types (and more) of ratings, traditional star ratings and website/user ratings which can actually change between sites based on internal criteria. In general, the higher the number of stars, the more luxury you can expect from the property. Food services, entertainment, view, room variations such as size and additional amenities, spas and fitness centers, ease of access and location are considered in establishing a standard, which usually puts larger hotel chains at an advantage when compared to smaller establishments. Each country has an establishment that governs the hotel rating system and there currently is no world hotel rating standard which can make comparisons difficult. Large travel websites, send their own independent reviewers to determine the star rating of a hotel. Ultimately, remember to take star-ratings with a grain of salt being that there isn’t one standard for evaluation. Therefore, compare within the same classification system (for instance between hotel star ratings on the same website).
Hotel Location
You can have a gorgeous hotel in a terrible location and a terrible hotel in a gorgeous location, which would you choose? Now that you know the focus of your vacation, choosing the ideal location is easier as you can choose based on your vacation preferences. Factor in everything that is important to you such as walking or driving distance to areas you want to visit, beachfront, mountain view, quiet or urban. Use an online map to determine the distance between your hotel and the areas you will be visiting. Chat with a traveler or local on TriplnR or do some research on the web to find out specifics about the neighborhood you will be housed in before making your reservation.
Your Criteria
If the highlight of a vacation for you is waking up to breakfast buffet or having your coffee with a view, make sure your hotel has the deal-breaker amenities you seek! Many search engines allow you to filter for free internet, free breakfast, free parking, pool, gym and more. If you can’t use a filter option, go to the hotel websites or look at the fine print to see what is included with your room. Browse hotel pictures and contact the hotel reception with any questions you have before making a final commitment to book.
Hotel Reviews
Today, we can find so many reviews on a hotel we can almost get more confused than feeling like we got clarity. But even browsing reviews takes a strategy. Many sites will allow you to filter reviews to make them more applicable to you. For instance, TripAdvisor.com allows you to filter reviews by traveler type, time of year and language. Remember that more people tend to write reviews when they are unhappy than when they enjoyed a hotel so read reviews for common themes as opposed to individual experiences.
Food
Do you plan on dining-in or prefer to explore the city? Finding out about your dining options is an important component of hotel selection, particularly if you plan on dining-in. Ensure that the level of formality of the dining matches your preferences. If the hotel only has 5-star restaurants on-site this may become impractical and expensive if you are looking for a more relaxed or ethnic feeling vibe. So just as you research the hotels, also look into their dining options and particularly the reviews and persona of their restaurants.
Personality
Ultimately, it is about finding a hotel that has a vibe you resonate with. You will be sleeping, eating, and doing all your needs in your hotel for the duration of your stay. As your home away from home, choose a hotel that is a good mirror of your personality. If you are hippy-chic, choose an eccentric and charming hotel with native-lace pillows. If you are a fast-paced golfer, choose a room overlooking the golf course. Choose a hotel that matches your character and your stay will be five-star!
