Since you’re going to be spending a fair amount of time in one, choosing a decent hotel is an important part of planning a holiday. While you want to save money and stick to your budget, you also want to make sure that you don’t end up staying at a hotel that will make you positively miserable. Thanks to the overabundance of reviews on the Internet these days, it’s easier than ever to track down accommodations that will meet and exceed your expectations; the trick is knowing how to use those reviews to your advantage, which you can learn more about by reading on below.

What’s Important To You?

Before you read a single hotel review, you need to decide what matters the most to you when it comes to hotel accommodations. If you’ll be travelling with children, for instance, you’re going to want to zero in on hotels that cater to families and that are ‘kid friendly.’ If you’re looking for a place that emphasises relaxation and caters to couples, you’ll want to hone in on hotels that have a reputation for doing so - and that discourage younger children. Knowing what you’ll be looking for before beginning your search will make it more productive in the end.

Start With Chain Reviews

Like most people, you will probably spend many of your nights in chain hotels. Hotel chains are spread throughout the world, with one or sometimes more in any of the major tourist destinations and cities. A good way to narrow down your search when looking through hotel reviews is by ruling out entire chains right from the outset. Peruse websites looking for overviews and general reviews of hotel chains. Get an idea for which chains appear to be able to consistently provide the level of service and amenities that you require, discounting any of those who can’t. Doing this will simplify your research later on.

Look At User Reviews

Once you’ve ruled out - or ruled in - any given chain, take a closer look at it by perusing user reviews. There are dozens of websites that feature user reviews of hotels, so finding one won’t be an issue. A website should be easy to navigate, offer information in a straightforward manner and provide plenty more besides. Delve into user reviews and see what average, everyday people have to say about the hotels in your chosen destination. Take notes as needed, marking down specific hotels that meet your requirements - and scratching out those that do not.

Weigh The Reviews

Sometimes, a hotel will have a negative or a less-than-excellent rating and you may be tempted to overlook it entirely - don’t. The fact is, sometimes people give hotels negative reviews for things that wouldn’t even matter to you anyway. For instance, a hotel in a major city might have poor reviews because it charges a large amount for parking; if you won’t be driving, though, such complaints shouldn’t matter. Similarly, a hotel might have negative reviews for not offering enough family-friendly features; if you’re travelling alone or as a couple, such things won’t matter one bit to you. Check out travel guides and every other source that will provide you with a reasonably impartial review of the area.

Get An Overall Picture

As you begin to zero in on a handful of prospective hotels, dig deeper and deeper into the reviews that you find online. Pay attention to the date of user-submitted reviews; those that are more than a year or two old should be taken with a grain of salt. The more reviews you read, the better idea you will have for what any given hotel is like. In time, an overall picture will begin to form and you will know which hotels are acceptable - and which are not.

In the end, online reviews – like those you’d find on a travel social network – will help you get a better idea for which hotels will benefit you - and which will not. You will be able to enjoy a better holiday when you know what you’re getting yourself into, too. No matter where your specific interests and tastes may lie, reviews can help you narrow down your search so that you arrive at the best option possible. This research can be conducted relatively quickly, and you don’t even need to leave home or pick up the phone once. It’s one of the simplest ways to ensure a great hotel stay, so be sure to do it.

Here are a few suggestions for picking the perfect hotel for your holiday:

• Do thorough research on hotel types and locations
• Don’t go by price alone
• Don’t rely on one source
• Consult the Internet and travel agencies
• Ensure the hotel can deal with all your requirements

Tags: hotels, travel guides

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 28th, 2010 at 5:22 am and is filed under Travel and Leisure. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.