Four Things to Consider when Choosing a Hotel
Hotel choices are endless! Picking the perfect place to stay can be a daunting task. Considering a few key things can help make choosing a hotel easy and stress-free.
When planning to travel, the hotel you choose can make or break your trip. I have discovered a few key things in my years of traveling that help me determine the best hotel for me. Put my experience to good use the next time you are faced with the stressful task of narrowing down a ton of options to find the perfect hotel for you.
Things to Consider when Choosing a Hotel
With so many variables, choosing a hotel can be overwhelming. The key is to narrow down a few primary items first. This will make the final choice of hotel easy. Below are the four main things I consider when searching for the best hotel for me.
Location, Location, Location!
It’s a tried and true adage in real estate, and it also makes perfect sense when choosing a hotel…location, location, location! The key to a great hotel location is convenience. Consider the things you will be doing while staying at the hotel. Are there tourist attractions you plan to visit? Is the hot restaurant in town on your must-do list?
Take a few minutes to map out your planned itinerary and see if there is a central area that makes the most sense to book your hotel. If not, consider the kinds of transportation you plan to use to navigate the city. If you plan to use public transportation, having a hotel near a main train station, subway stop, or bus line will be key.
- Looking at your planned itinerary on a map helps zero in on the area of town that is most centrally located for you
- Consider what you want to see, do, and eat within the city to find the most convenient location
- Ensure easy access to public transportation to make getting around a breeze
Amenities
Hotels offer so many different amenities. Many hotels cater to certain types of travelers: business road warriors who will spend their days in the business center, on-the-go site-seers who only use the hotel as a place to sleep and shower, laid-back loungers who plan to relax in the spa all day, etc. Take a moment to think about what sort of traveler you will be to help narrow your search down. Examine the amenities offered by the hotels to see if there are some that you will make good use of. Consider whether you will actually use many of the flashy amenities offered by a hotel – if not, that may not be the best hotel for you.
- Identify the type of traveler you are to help start your hotel search – many hotels are targeted to specific traveler types
- Determine if there are any must-have amenities for your hotel stay – if so, be sure to search for hotels that offer these
- Review the amenities offered by each hotel to see if you will actually use them or not – if not, you may want to consider a different hotel
Size and Type
Finding the right hotel for you often feels like Goldilocks…not too big, not too small, but just right. There are also different types of hotels, from larger corporate chain hotels to smaller boutique hotels. Size and type of hotel are often key factors to consider. Your needs may vary from trip to trip, depending on the type of trip. Or, you may be someone like me who has a general size and type preference regardless of the type of trip I am taking (spoiler alert: I love a fabulous small boutique hotel!).
- Look for larger, corporate chain hotels if you want a consistent and familiar experience
- Look for smaller, boutique hotels if you enjoy a more cozy, local feel
Price
Most of us have a budget in mind when planning travel. As with everything else related to travel, hotels will vary wildly when it comes to price. Searching for the right hotel often starts with the budget you have to spend. Starting your general hotel search by price range helps eliminate anything that is out of your budget. From there, you can narrow the search down with the other factors listed above to find the perfect fit for you.
- Think about the general price range per night you want to spend and start your search there
- Expanding your price range a bit will open up more options
- Consider what, if any, amenities are included in the price per night – the nightly rate may be higher than you planned, but it may also include some things that you would normally pay separately for (such as breakfast, happy hour, parking, etc)
- Look for deals or special rates with loyalty programs – if there is a specific hotel chain that you really enjoy, join their loyalty program (it’s usually free!) to get some deals
Common Questions
Should I look at reviews when searching for a hotel?
Online reviews can be helpful, but I always take them with a grain of salt. I rarely focus on specific reviews (good or bad); instead, I try to see if there is a trend amongst all reviews. If the vast majority of the reviews are good, that means the few bad reviews may be outliers. Or vice versa, if most of the reviews are bad, the one or two glowing reviews may not tell the full story.
Do hotels charge a single supplement?
Not typically. I have never been charged a single supplement when staying at a hotel.
I am a solo traveler and concerned about safety – what should I consider?
Try searching online for more information about the general safety of the hotel itself or the area in which you are looking to stay…there may be some good information that lets you know the overall safety of the area. I also look for hotels that have on-site restaurants and/or room service options available, especially for dinner (many hotels have restaurants that only serve breakfast). Having dinner available within the hotel itself means I do not need to go out after dark if I choose not to. Finally, I always leave the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on my hotel room to avoid any unwanted visitors.
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