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Picking the Right Hotel: A Seasoned Traveler’s Guide

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My Guide to Picking the Right Hotel

I like to call myself a seasoned traveler, somebody who is lucky enough to have been to several different places in the world. Some of this has to do with the nature of my job, but that’s not the focus of this article. Instead, I’d like to share the thing that bothers me most when I travel: picking the right hotel.

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Perhaps it’s just my own experience, but I get anxious about the place where I will live during my stay in a strange city. I like to think of my hotel room as a home away from home. Therefore, I invest a major chunk of time reviewing hotels. I am familiar with giant travel resources like Trip Advisor and Travel and Leisure. For hotels, I really like going through hotels.com. To figure out the true customer experiences, Quora and Reddit can be quite helpful as well.

The repeat destinations are easy as you know the place and it’s easy to adjust yourself according to it. However, new places are always part exciting, part horrifying. I prefer to enter every new city prepared, and I am extremely glad I live in a time where you can easily gather information about any place.

I always don’t find the absolute best all-around deal, but I try, and when I do it’s because I always look for following things in a hotel room:

Bedroom – quilts, furniture and more

When picking the right hotel, another thing I prefer to know ahead of time what the room looks like. And one of the first things I look for are the type of bed and quilt cover sets. I love plush, comfy and cozy bedding! So when it comes to picking a hotel, I always try to choose one that has the same quality of bedding I have at home.

The furniture, decor and layout of the room also play a big role in my decision. Personally, I am a minimalist interior fan and I enjoy modern settings. If I can find that in a hotel room, then I am more than happy. But when I research a hotel room, I make a point to look at everything such as the paint, the flooring, and especially the size of the room.

I want to make sure the room has a clean and comfortable atmosphere, with furniture that is functional and will cover my needs for as long as I am there. Of course, researching the room online doesn’t show me exactly what it will look like, but it does give me a pretty good idea so I am not unpleasantly surprised once I arrive. 

Bathroom – cleanliness is utmost

The list for the bathroom is pretty short. Really I just look to make sure it has a comfortable and functional layout with enough counter space for me to keep my things. However, more than anything else, I look at the cleanliness of the bathroom. I don’t like worn off tiles, toilet, tubs, and sink. Everything needs to be in good repair and very clean.

Room Service

Moving on from the physical aspects of the room, next thing on my agenda is always room service. They should be respectful of how a customer is served. It is not only about being the quickest but also paying attention to the details.

Security

The safety of the hotel is very significant. I usually check the hotel’s website for details about security. A hotel can’t get rid of the unrest in its surroundings, but strict security measures are always satisfying. 

Wifi

You won’t believe how many hotels have terrible internet services; or maybe you can because you’ve been there and done that. The way I look at it is thus: if you can figure out the internet speed and wifi signals in your hotel room beforehand, it is a blessing. Especially if you work online like I do. In hotels with really, really bad service, I use my phone as a hotspot instead. It makes a world of difference. Check with your provider to see what type plans they offer. For many, the extra cost is minimal.

Hopefully these tips will help you when picking the right hotel for your next vacation or trip! Happy travels!

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