How to pick the perfect hotel

Choosing the right hotel can be tricky. Although the ability to browse hotels and hotel rooms online is a great convenience for the modern traveler, the sheer variety of offers, promotions, deals and hotel-searching sites available online can make booking your perfect hotel stay a bewildering experience and a major challenge.

These days, most hotels present themselves in the best possible light, with glossy photos and tempting views, and it can be hard to work out which places will live up to their promises. This fine art has been made into a business by entrepreneur Bharat Lall, who has a talent for turning rundown hotels into some of the best accommodations across the States.

So how exactly does one spot the diamond in the rough? Here is a short guide that you should find useful as you search for the right hotel.

What are your priorities?

This is the first question you should always ask yourself before beginning your search. Without a clear idea of what is most important, you can easily get distracted by the various promotions that hotels offer. Roughly speaking, the main factors include price, location and amenities, though some travelers will also consider environmental and family factors.

The price counts

All of the main booking search engines, including Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz, give you the option of searching for your hotel by price, so make sure you check out a wide range of sites as well as the main three. One useful tip to get the best price is to rely on these search sites initially to check out prices and availability and when you’ve chosen your ideal place, go to the hotel’s website and book directly, as they will often give you a lower rate for direct bookings.

Other options, if you are concerned mainly about price, are Priceline.com, which allows you to bid on hotels, and Tingo.com, which has a useful service under which they will automatically refund your money and rebook if the price of the room falls after booking.

The right location

If you are more concerned about getting a hotel in the right location than the cost of your stay, the good news is that the leading booking companies all offer you the ability to see your search results displayed on a map. So if you want to check out which hotel is nearest the beach or your preferred tourist destinations, you can plan your location precisely. And when you’re considering location, don’t write off the traditional guidebooks – these will often include a list of hotels and a map showing their location.

Check out the amenities

Many travelers are primarily concerned about the amenities available at their hotel, and the standard of luxury on offer. All of the main booking sites will give you the opportunity to specify which amenities you are particularly interested in, including everything from fitness centers and spas to swimming pools, as well as giving you a good idea of the standard of luxury available and the quality of room service, decor and other aspects.

Loyalty and rewards

For those who are regular hotel visitors, it can often be a good idea to consider joining a loyalty program, whether that is focused on a particular hotel or a group of hotels. This can not only enable you to build up points to spend on a future hotel visit, but can also boost your air mile tally if the hotel in question is linked with your frequent flier scheme. You will be able to find this information on the hotel sites as well as your airline’s online portal.

Travel green

Most of us are increasingly concerned about the environmental damage we are causing to the planet, and a natural extension of this concern is the desire to stay in environmentally friendly hotels. Fortunately for the green traveler, there are several organizations that can help you to find the ideal hotel, including the Green Hotels Association.

Family friendly

If you’re travelling with your kids, your priorities may be entirely different. You should be able to find details of what child-friendly amenities each hotel has to offer through the main booking sites, and if you are prepared to look around, you may also be able to find family-friendly deals and promotions from hotels that focus on providing family accommodation.  

Conclusion

It is easy to be overwhelmed by the variety of information available when booking a hotel, but by focusing on what is most important to you in your hotel stay, you can use the convenience of online hotel booking to your advantage and find your ideal accommodation.