Ask most regular travellers about hotels, and they will tell you that a bad establishment can completely ruin any trip, whether it’s for business or pleasure. We’ll all had experiences of poor quality hotels in the past, of course, and sometimes it’s difficult to do anything about it during the stay itself, because by then it’s too late to make changes. And while nothing can ensure complete satisfaction in advance, there are at least a few tips which can help you to make a more informed decision about where to stay and when.
Customer reviews
Seeking out the opinions of others can sometimes be a little counter-productive, because there are some people who like nothing better than just having a moan. Online review sites can be extremely useful, but you should always take the comments with a pinch of salt. Having said that, if a particular hotel has nothing but negative reviews from previous guests, it could be a good idea to avoid the place.
Social media
In the past, finding balanced opinions about hotels was almost impossible. Travel agents would often be able to advise you, but you couldn’t necessarily expect any impartiality from them. However, a search on Twitter will often reveal some interesting comments from people all over the world. It wouldn’t hurt to ask friends on Facebook either, although it’s a good idea to never reveal the exact dates of future holidays, for the obvious reasons of security.
Check out the streets
There are plenty of beautiful hotels that offer the finest facilities any guest could ever want, yet they are let down by their locations. Any hotel that is situated in a drab industrial area, for example, would find it difficult to attract guests, so if Google Street View is available for that particular area it’s a good idea to take a look at the surrounding area. If it doesn’t look especially welcoming, this could be one of those places that you wish to avoid.
Always consider the calendar
Throughout any given year, there will be times when any given location will be exceptionally busy. If you try to book rooms when a convention is in town or when a major sporting event is taking place nearby, to use a couple of examples, you may find every hotel is already full. And even if you find one that isn’t the prices will almost certainly be exceptionally high. If you’re able to plan your trips accordingly, you will save money and stress along the way.
David Showell lives in England has recently returned from a trip to Switzerland. When he’s not travelling, he’s working for a car rentals company.