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| Novotel, Nimes, France |
One of my little black books contains a list of every hotel I have stayed in since 2005, currently 729 hotel nights. Only a handful of them have a note "NEVER AGAIN!" next to them. Meaning never stay there again. I select and book most of them, some of them are selected based on a conference or meeting being there, a few times someone else was paying the bill and they selected the hotel. Hint, Medical Societies stay at really nice hotels, glad I was not paying the bill on a couple of those.
The old saying in real estate is that the three most important things are location, location, and location also applies to hotels. Start by understanding what you want to do, or see, or be near and then look for hotels based on that. How close you want to be, depends on where you are. Are you walking, taking public transit, taxis, or driving. The closer you are the easier and less expensive it is to get to where you want to be.
Read hotel reviews, with a critical eye. There are some people who no one can satisfy, and some competing hotels write bad reviews. For me numerous reviews about the property being in poor condition are a red flag. Every hotel has a busy day, when half of the housekeeping staff calls in sick, and a party bus of noisy people check in. I give those complaints less value, than comments about overall run down conditions.
Look at the online listing. Is there an elevator (lift.) Is there air conditioning (not as common in Europe?) Is there an onsite restaurant? Is breakfast included? What do the photos look like? The photos are going to show the best the hotel has to offer, and what the managers think is most important.
Bring up the location in an online map and look at the aerial view, and street view. I missed this on one last year, and didn't realize that half of the rooms backed up to a very busy expressway. Street view allows you to take a virtual walk around the block, if it looks scary online, it will be in person. Are there shops and restaurants in the neighborhood? What does parking look like if you are driving?
Look at the room layout and bedding options. Book what you need to be comfortable, not what is cheapest and struggle to make it work.
Lastly look at price. Some hotels I dismiss out of hand as being beyond my budget. I have learned to dismiss the lowest price options, there is a reason why they are cheap.
Interesting, price is the last criteria. A cheap hotel, that is in the wrong location, or is cheap because it is a mess, is not a good value. Not that I don't often have a price target in mind. I look for the best value on a nice hotel, in the place I want to be.
A few hints. Use a travel agency such as Orbitz, or Trivago to find potential hotels. Then look at the hotel website. If I can, I always book on the hotel website, rather than through an agency. If there is a problem, or I need to make a change, the hotel can work with me more easily if I the reservation is made directly. Sometimes when booked through an agency, all changes have to go through the agency.
Though I am sure I have not stayed in as many hotels as you, I have applied similar tactics when making my bookings. A little research prevents blunders.
ReplyDeleteI have had a lot of work travel in the last 20 years.
DeleteI can't fault what you suggest. For flights or accommadation, and though we've used these 3rd party sites many times and it pays to check them, it really is so much better to book directly with whatever business is providing the service. Now hotels seem to match third party hotel booking sites at least, but not yet airlines. I think the third party sites suit airlines to fill seats.
ReplyDeleteInteresting on airlines,
DeleteBack in the 80s when we were newly married and my husband began his mortgage banking career, we got to attend a conference in New Orleans. His company made the hotel reservation for us and it was a lovely hotel. When we checked in, the desk attendant asked us if we wanted to stay on the Bourbon Street side or the back side of the hotel. We were young and inexperienced travelers and with the excitement of being in NOLA, we said Bourbon Street. Needless to say, our sleep for the time we were there was minimal. Lesson learned.
ReplyDeleteThe party runs very late on Bourbon Street.
DeleteI always book directly with the hotel too.
ReplyDeleteGood customer service can make a real difference.
DeleteI'm all about the research; I'd like to see as much of the hotel, and neighborhood, as I can before booking.
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes, always book through the hotel; it can save you headaches.
I need to book a hotel in New York.
DeleteI recommend The Bowery Grand Hotel on Lower East Side.
DeleteYP, interesting choice
DeleteYou choose hotels very similar to the way I do. Except for the that last London hotel. That one I was on mission to stay at and I'm glad I did even though it was a little over my normal price range.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of price range, my friends stayed at the Mayflower Hotel in DC back in May and have been raving about it ever since. They only stayed there because it was the event's location but they all said they would love to stay again. I checked the prices and it's way over my budget but they talk so much it makes me want to skip the budget and do it anyway. Have you been there?
DC is expensive, the Mayflower is a block from my old office. Once in a while there is a hotel I just have to stay at, the Hotel Geysir,
DeleteI hardly use motel. But next time I do. I will consider booking directly with the motel.
ReplyDeleteAt times, I travel too much.
DeleteMy little black book to hotels is more a listing as to what hotels have the best men to meet at the bars!
ReplyDeleteAs you have been known to say, "Been in more laps than a napkin"
DeleteQuite sensible this. I keep a journal and when I stay anywhere I make a point to write down the hotel/room to remind me and my future self if the place was any good or not. I too don't put price high but it burns my bacon about added fees.
ReplyDeleteBlogger ate my comment. I agreed with you.
ReplyDelete