Who says Gulliver was the only one who traveled?: Hotels: What to look for?

Hotels: What to look for?

12:45 PM | Posted by CRiCH

After I decide on booking a trip the first thing I do is look up hotels! I really just love hotels. It's just a get away for me. Who doesn't like room service? I've said many times that I use www.hotels.com. So I COULD just jump onto the site and look for the cheapest decent one and click book, but finding and choosing a hotel is much more than that.

Questions you need to ask:

What do I plan on doing in the area?
Where are the most lively areas?
Which is the most safe area?
What did past customers say about this hotel?
How many people am I accommodating?
Is it better to get a suite or separate rooms for group travel?

Things to watch out for:

Repetitive complaints about a part of the hotel
The area that the hotel is located in
Number of stars the hotel has
Shared Bathrooms (if you are traveling to large cities/out of the country)
Wifi include or surcharge
Parking
No complimentary breakfast

   If you read through all the reviews and every person or every other person says something about a cetain aspect of the hotel (i.e bad service, unclean, non-working appliances) wouldn't you think that was a little bit MORE than a quinicidence? Yes. Go to google maps and enter your hotel address. Observe what's around it. Lastly, when I said look at the number of stars, don't turn down everything under four stars BUT it does give some indications about the hotel.
   If you are traveling to a big city, i.e. New York, or out of the country, i.e. Montreal, I've noticed that some hotels have shared bathrooms. I have never experienced that before, but as soon as I do I will blog about it. Also, with big cities, parking can be a problem so you should also check if it's included or if there's a daily charge. About the Wifi - some hotels do charge a per day cost. So if that isn't important to you then it doesn't matter but if it is you should definitely check!
   Now about the complimentary breakfast....that's a big thing for me. Luckily, most hotels do have that. I'm not talkin' gourmet breakfast but at least some fruit and muffins! In most cases, for me at least, I'm already spending a lot of money for a trip so why can't they gave me an inch and have breakfast? Please and Thank you! But if they don't and everything else works out I suppose I can go out for breakfast.

C.Rich's Favorite:

I like my hotels to be in the ACTION (i.e. downtown or close to), close to public transportation, walking distance from main attractions, and in a safe area. I also want there to be good reviews from past customers. Now of course there's always going to be those one or two debbie downers who are just upset with the world that will gripe about every little thing, but if the reviews are good overall then I'll book it. Another big thing, I LOVE historic hotels. They just have a whole different vibe, decor, and tradition. I also like themed or quaint hotels. Now, my family has always booked in Embassy Suites and Marriott type places. I like those as well BUT now that I'm on my own, I've noticed that I sway more towards the quaint and historic hotels...that have all my other qualifications. I suppose those kind of hotels are just my cup of tea ;)