How To Find The Best Hotel

If you search for hotels at any destination, thousands of different types of places to stay pop up to confuse you. They all claim to be the best choice, and most of them look good in the photographs. How do you go about finding the perfect hotel for you? We have asked qualified tourism and travel experts for their advice and here are some of the things they suggest you try before making a booking.

Never Trust A Review Or Rating

Hotels pay to be listed on a booking site, and part of that deal is they can suppress bad reviews. It is also possible for them to pay people to give them a good review. Some students made headlines overseas last year when they revealed they were paid $20 per five-star review, so don’t go by a travel site’s rating system.

Try Not To Book Online

If you planned to get your fence mended, you wouldn’t book a fencing service online without talking to the business operator first, would you? The same goes for hotels. When you want to make a booking at a hotel where you have never stayed before, call them in person. You will be able to gauge how the hotel operates by:

• How quickly the phone is answered
• How courteously the receptionist speaks
• The questions they ask you before accepting your booking (how many guest, how many nights, when would you like to book in/out, etc.)

Now is the time to mention any special services you would like during your stay. If you need to book in earlier or leave later, the hotel must give your request respectful consideration. Never choose a hotel that says they expect all guests to check out by a certain time. If you have to check out at 10 am, and your flight leaves at 4 pm that could be a problem.

Choose The Hotel That Suits You

If you hate the cookie-cutter lifestyle and want a hotel that treats you like a person and not just a name in a room, you should aim to stay away from hotel chains and book a room in a boutique hotel instead. There is a growing trend to patronize establishments that are unique and original that offer an outstanding level of service.

In Ohio, one of the most representative of these Cincinnati boutique hotels is the Mariemont. It has an individual style, ambiance, and architecture, and because it is situated in a historically significant part of town, it has maintained its subtle old world charm while offering state of the art utilities and amenities.

Loyalty Cards

Every hotel chain offers a loyalty card program. This is most often a means for them to use your email for a deluge of promotional advertising. Every travel expert that was consulted had this to say about hotel loyalty programs, “Find a little boutique hotel you love and always use it when you visit that town. They don’t need loyalty cards to shower you with hospitality whenever you visit.”