Choosing a hotel for a business trip or a vacation is a big problem. You want the best place you can get, nobody wants to be stuck in a dirty, sketchy place where you do not feel safe even sitting on the bed, let alone sitting in it. But how do you know which hotel is a good hotel? It is not really about the size of the room or how large the towels are, but instead most people agree that it is the small things that make a hotel feel like home.
If the hotel staff are helpful, friendly and welcoming, you know you are in the right place. It also helps that the lobby is well lit and clean, because this is a harbinger of what is to come. If you can check in without problems and your key card really works for your room where you do business. Careless check-in and key cards that you just will not allow in your room, pool, gym, etc. are just not good enough at this time.
Next is the location. If you go on holiday to a specific place, such as an amusement park or a monument, you want a hotel that is so close to you that you will not be traveling for hours once you arrive at your destination. Fortunately, with internet you can look at where hotels are with regard to where you want to go before you even go home.
And then there are the amenities, those things that make your stay more pleasant and more like home. We talk about comfortable, clean beds, lots of nice things in the bathroom to use, a good amount of towels, coffee and tea in the room, clean glasses and cups, a decent television and free WiFi. A microwave and refrigerator in the room are also great amenities, especially if you are traveling with children, but also delicious to warm up your dinner later when you get hungry.
With online reviews you can get a reasonably good picture of most hotels on your list. And with so much competition, chains strive to be bigger and better than their competitors down the street, which is only good news for us, the travelers and those who actually stay in the rooms.
Another good thing to look for are perks that hotels provide for returning guests. Play your cards well and maybe you just get a free night!