Traveling and hotels can be an exciting time but it is important to understand the unwritten rules before booking your accommodation. The right location, amenities and reviews can make or break your vacation. Some of these rules are obvious while others may not be so clear to the untrained eye. Seasoned travelers tend to agree on a few things, including the fact that it is always best to book your accommodations in advance.
Location
One of the most important unwritten rules of Traveling and hotels is that you should always check the hotel’s location in relation to the main sights that you want to visit during your trip. It’s all well and good to have a cheap rate or excellent amenities but these can be negated by having to spend hours commuting into the city centre or to the highlights that you are visiting. This can really ruin your holiday and waste your money on transport.
The location can also differ depending on whether you are traveling for business or leisure. If you are visiting on a work-related trip, then you will need to find accommodation that makes it easy for you to go back and forth between the various locations where you conduct your meetings. This will usually mean staying in the heart of the business district or close to your client’s offices.
Amenities
The amenities that a hotel has to offer can vary greatly from one property to the next. However, some of the most common ones include air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, parking and breakfast. Some of these are more important than others depending on your individual needs but they should be considered as you browse available options.
You should also look at what other services are included in the price such as a fitness center or happy hour. The price of a room can often be misleading because many people don’t take into account what is included in the overall price. The odd poor or terrible review shouldn’t worry you but it is worth looking at trends such as a lack of Wi-Fi in rooms and bad location.
Finally, if you are planning to stay for an extended period of time at a destination then it is worth considering renting an apartment through a website such as Airbnb. This can often be cheaper than staying at a hotel and will provide you with the privacy and flexibility that you require during your vacation. In addition, you can often negotiate rates with the owner based on how long you are planning to stay. This can be beneficial if you are staying during the peak tourist season. If you plan to stay at a hotel then a prepaid reservation is usually the way to go as it can save you quite a bit of money in some cases. In addition, it can give you some peace of mind in case your plans change unexpectedly. You can also resell your prepaid hotel stays for some extra cash.