Learn to identify a good hotel before finalising your bookings. (Photo: iStock)
Travelling to a new city can be exciting, whether you are travelling solo or with your partner, family or friends. Apart from checking all the cool places you can visit, delicious foods to eat and gorgeous clothes you can pack, one travel task is of utmost importance -- finding a good hotel. Booking a bad hotel with poor service, smelly rooms or an unpleasant location can ruin your vacation. Therefore, it is best not to rush those bookings and identify a truly good hotel online, which would be as good (if not even better) in reality, as it claims to be on the internet.
Here are 6 pointers to help you find a wonderful hotel online:
1. Read Reviews
Read reviews from multiple platforms such as popular booking sites and social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube to get real experience feedback. Keep an eye on whether the social media content is part of a paid promotion or organic documentation. Look for recent reviews to ensure the information is up-to-date.
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2. Check Star Ratings
A hotel star rating indicates a hotel's quality, cleanliness, and level of service and amenities. More stars mean a more luxurious hotel. Check star ratings to ensure the hotel meets your expectations. Check from multiple booking websites to get a clearer picture.
3. See Lots Of Pictures
A picture is worth a thousand words. Apart from claims and descriptions, a picture can clearly tell what a hotel looks like. Apart from pictures on the hotel website and booking sites, also check user-uploaded photos to get a more unfiltered view. Make sure to get a good look at all the pictures of rooms, washrooms and other parts of the hotel property. See if the rooms are spacious and well-lit and that you actually like them. Also, see that that picture of the room matches the one you are booking instead of belonging to another room from a different price range.
4. Check For Amenities
A mix of essential and luxury services can help pick out a good hotel from a mediocre one. Starting from basics like breakfast, room service, hotel transportation, tourist guide, TV, and Wi-Fi to more luxury services like pool, spa, bars, private gyms, fine-dining restaurants and more.
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5. Check Places Around The Hotel
If you are looking to explore the city, it is ideal to find a hotel in a prime location that is close to the locations you want to visit. It is also important to check that the hotel is in a safe and decent locality. If you are looking for a quiet place, you may want to find a peaceful hotel away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
6. Age Of The Hotel
Check the age of the hotel. If it has been there for a while now and has a good reputation, you are likely to have a good stay experience. There can be some scepticism around new hotels, but these may be modern, newly built and eager to create a good image. Check what works best for you and go ahead.
Keep these tips in mind and you will have the best hotel experience. Happy travelling!