Your overall holiday experience oftentimes depends on the hotel you choose to stay in. The hotel will be your second home for the time of your getaway, so you want to make sure that you feel comfortable there.
By following an uncomplicated pattern of actions and doing quick research, you can avoid being trapped in uncomfortable circumstances and maximize a positive experience from your stay. For that reason, we prepared a list of important hotel-booking tips you can follow so that you don’t return from your vacation with a grumpy face. Let’s get to it!
Search by Location
The best way to find a good place to stay is to search by location. You can make your search much more efficient by making your mind upon a preferred place of your hotel. Let’s imagine you want to go to Nice. If it’s summer, and you want to swim in the ocean as much as possible, you might want to search for hotels that are closer to the seashore.
Maybe, you’re traveling for business or just don’t like the sea at all. Then you can search for a place that is deeper into the city. Decide where you want to go and what your goals are. Then it will be easier for you to find your desired place.
Use Only Trusted Booking Platforms
It’s crucial to use only a trusted and secure platform for your hotel search. Here are our go-to options.
Booking.com
This is a simple, easy-to-use website that you can visit to book thousands of hotels worldwide. The website features over 40 languages and more than 50 currency options. On the Booking.com website, you can also find special discount offers on various holidays.
The navigation on the website is pretty straightforward. As you enter the website, you will see the search line. All you have to do is enter the place you want to go to, check-in and check-out dates, number of people, and number of rooms. Click the “Search” button, and the site will generate all the available options for you.
Airbnb
It’s a perfect platform for renting property for a short time. It operates in over 100,000 cities worldwide and is available in over 50 languages and 40 currencies.
The main advantages of the platform lay in its wide section and customizable search. However, you might want to avoid this website if you’re looking strictly for hotels. Plus, the platform takes additional fees for its services. It means overpaying is inevitable.
Hotels.com
This website offers a wide range of booking options. In a matter of several clicks, you can translate the website into more than 80 languages. The interface is extremely user-friendly — much like at Booking.com. However, what makes this platform stand out is its reward plan. It offers a free night to all users who have booked ten nights through the platform. The value of your free night will be calculated as the average value of your purchased nights.
Check the Hotel’s Website
Always check out the hotel’s website before you make any decisions to book a room. Check information about the hotel. Sometimes, you might find that the original website has better deals than the booking site. You don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to save some cash.
Study the Amenities
Check whether the hotel provides the accommodations and services you might need. For instance, check if your room comes with a bathtub or just a shower. Maybe, you want a king-size bed, but the room details don’t specify it. In that case, you might want to find contact info on their website and discuss the details with the hotel staff directly.
Focus on This Year’s Guest Reviews
Make sure to check out the reviews of the hotel. Try to focus on reviews for the past year — the fresher the reviews, the better. However, checking hotel reviews on their website can be tricky as some hotels choose to show only positive reviews. That’s why it’s best to read reviews on third-party platforms that display unbiased opinions.
Read Feedback on Review Platforms
Always pay attention to the reviews people leave about the hotel you want to book. Performing a quick 2-3 minute research and checking review platforms can save you from making a wrong decision. Here are the review platforms you might want to visit:
Tripadvisor
The platform features nearly 1 billion reviews of almost 8 million businesses. It also offers online reservation services.
Tripexpert
On this website, you will find over 1 million reviews. If you want to hear an expert opinion about a certain place — Tripexpert has got you covered.
Wikitravel
It’s the Wikipedia of travel guides. You won’t find as many reviews as on Tripadvisor, but it’s still worth checking out.
Oyster.com
The site features various helpful stories on traveling. You can also search for and book a hotel on this website.
Check Out the Clientele
You need to be aware that some hotels are aimed at certain people. For instance, you will find that the most common types of hotels are family hotels and adults-only hotels. This information is usually specified on the hotel’s webpage.
By reading hotel reviews, you can also notice that some hotels favor certain nationalities. It doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to book a room or will be treated differently. It often works as an indicator of the languages you will hear most often and what type of cuisine the hotel has.
To Sum Up
Of course, you may do all the research in the world and end up dissatisfied with the place or love the hotel you booked on a whim without looking at a single review. But we think it is always better to come prepared and know you’ve done all you could to make your hotel stay pleasant.
We are positive that if you use our tips, you will maximize your chances to book a hotel you will want to return to over and over again!