Check out these tips for finding the best hotel for you as the right hotel can make or break your stay.



Narrowing the choice

There are literally hundreds of thousands of hotels out there, all of them doing their best to attract you and your money, so how do you narrow the choice before making a final decision?

? You could start by sending a quick email to everyone you have stored in your address book and ask them if they can recommend a hotel in the area you want to visit. There is little doubt that first hand experience can tell you a lot about a hotel, the service, the facilities, the prices and even the staff, so a personal recommendation is a good place to begin.

? Check out what deals are available to you. Often your credit card company, your bank, student card, airline, car rental firm, any loyalty cards you have etc. will have special deals already negotiated with hotels that could give you a cheaper rate.

? If you have stayed in a particular hotel before and you liked it but is not in the area you want to visit, you could find out if they are part of a chain as they may have another hotel in the place you want to go.

? If you intend to indulge in a particular activity like golf or fishing, are there any packages available by the hotel?

The location of the hotel

Once you have located a few possibilities it is wise to find out where the hotels are located to make sure it is the right one for you.

? Is your hotel situated next to a busy motorway or in a particularly rough part of town or is it 3 miles from the nearest beach when your main objective was sun, sand and sea? The right location can make a big difference.

? A quick Internet search of a particular hotel will often bring up a map giving its precise location as well as information relating to how far it is from the nearest airport, bus depot, train station, any facilities nearby and so on. There will often be information on how to get there too.

? It is also worthwhile checking reviews or comments and up to date information as to whether there is any major building or construction work going on in or near the hotel which will give you a better idea of whether you would even consider staying there or not.

Facilities, services and extras

Now that you have got your choices down to one or two hotels, find out what services the hotels have to offer, as this can vary considerably. If you are travelling light and you find you don't have an iron or a hairdryer in your room or you need to be able to make use of a laundry service or perhaps you want to make use of room service, internet facilities or a wake up call, whatever your needs, a simple check beforehand can save a lot of frustration later.

? Check to see if a particular hotel charges extra for certain services or facilities and which hotels have these included as this could make a difference to the overall cost of your stay and opting for the cheapest hotel may not necessary mean you pay less in the long run. In other words, what extras does the hotel provide and which of these, if any, are included in the cost? For example, coffee and tea in the room, drinks cabinet, fridge, and safety deposit box.

? Do you want meals included? If so, what type of meals are they serving? Do you need children's portions or perhaps a vegetarian option? Basically, can they cater for your needs?

? If it's important to you, does the hotel have a gym or a swimming pool and if so, is it heated?

? What entertainment does the hotel provide? This can make a difference if you don't want to spend extra cash on going out and on taxis or having to consider driving or parking fees etc.

? What times do you have to check in and check out for a particular hotel and are they flexible? There can be nothing worse than having to check out at 10.00 am and hanging around until your flight leaves later that night.

Getting the best rates

Sometimes the best deals are on specific days or off season dates, if you can be flexible with your travel plans you stand to save a lot of money by choosing dates to coincide with special rates. Consider if they have weekend rates or three nights for the price of two. Do children under a certain age go free?

There can also be different rates available for the same hotel. It pays to shop around on the Internet to compare what rates are offered by what operator for exactly the same hotel and if you can call the hotel directly, you stand to get the price cheaper as they won't have to pay the extra cost to the operator.

And finally?

Bon Voyage.