How to pick a hotel (Part 1)

Ready to go on your cultural travel? Have you decided on where to stay yet?

Savoy Hotel, London. Photo: ChrisO at en.wikipedia

One of the key things when we travel is picking a hotel, because even if you have family or friends at your destination, at times you don’t want to become an imposition or you’d prefer some level of privacy.

Here’s my style of travel: I like to be comfortable, go at my own pace and as much as possible, follow my own rules and I always choose a hotel that matches my style.

And when choosing a hotel, being “comfortable” implies several things.

The rule of thumb for me is to spend as little as possible, while keeping with three key factors:

One: Location and safety

I’d rather spend a bit more on a hotel that’s closer to the majority of attractions or landmarks I will be visiting.

When traveling, time is your most valuable asset. Spending one hour or more, when you could be walking or getting a quick fifteen minute subway ride, is just not effective in my opinion.

I also check the neighborhood of the hotel, if it’s safe and reasonably nice to come back late at night and a huge plus for me is if they provide free electronic safe to store my valuables.

Two: Private bathroom and cleanliness

I’m sorry, I apologize to all of you adventurous travelers, I just haven’t been able to make peace with the idea of a shared bathroom. I realize I may be a party pooper to some of you, but in my square western mind I really need the privacy of a bathroom inside the room.

The one time I went for a shared bathroom in a hotel in Paris, it was miserable and I hope I don’t have to do it again.

Also, I am not too picky about how nice the room or the view are, but I am picky about the room being as clean as possible, the bathroom spotless, sheets and towels changed as often as humanly and environmentally feasible.

Three: Price

The last of my requirements when picking a hotel, the price. Of course, there is a budget and I am not one to splurge in unnecessary things, but if the hotel in question is near, clean and has a private bathroom, then I may spend a bit more.

Making the proper research will save you money and minimize the surprise factor when seeing some pictures on the internet that don’t match the reality.

Picking a hotel, the process

I want to share with you the method I use to choose a hotel, according to my three factors above.

Step 1: Prep the trip

Before you start hunting for hotels, there are three things you need to have decided and know in advance:

Where you’re going

Depending on the city or town there are several options. You can stay in a hotel per se, or a hostel (shared room or private room with shared bathroom) or a B&B (bed and breakfast, usually cheaper, probably a family with a big house who rent a few rooms, which means spending time with them and a closer experience with the culture).

Make up your mind about which experience you prefer and research accordingly.

Other times the hotel itself can be an attraction, like for instance in a city like Las Vegas, so this is something you need to consider too.

Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal, Budapest, Hungary.
Photo: Mmoneyraker724 at en.wikipedia

When and how long you’ll stay

Clear dates are key when quoting a hotel, sometimes you’ve chosen your hotel only to find out that they are booked. Decide beforehand.

Of course the time of year is also critical, prices in high season skyrocket even to double the price of low season.

The length of your stay will also be determined by your budget and the attractions you want to visit.

How much you’re willing to spend

Prices are usually charged per night, by the number of people who will use the room and/or the number (or kinds) of beds in a room.

Beware that those sneaky hotels sometimes charge hidden fees that they don’t let you know about in advance, like some unknown taxes or even power outage fees.

Settle on a range of prices you’re willing to move between and remember that prices do change a lot in different countries.

In Europe the most I’ve spent was 70 Euros. In the US I stay between 45 and 100 dollars. In South America 40 dollars will pay for a nice room, so the range will vary.

Wow, I didn’t realize this post was going to be so long!

So meet me here later this week to find part 2 of this method to pick the right hotel for you!

Exciting things coming up, we’ll get to read what other people have to say about the hotels we have in mind and maybe even see some realistic pictures, we’ll get to plan a bit the routes we’ll take when sightseeing and we’ll find out if our hotels have special deals!

What are your three non-negotiable things you look for when picking a hotel?
What are your regular sources for research?
Let me know in the comments field!