I tend to give relatively more importance to booking accommodation in general when compared to airlines or other transportation needs. Reason is simple-unlike transportation that lasts a few hours, I (and possibly everyone else) spend more time in hotels-about 40% of the total vacation time is likely to be spent in hotels. No doubt the accommodation options are also much more than transportation options. Smelly rooms or toilets, improper location, uncomfortable bedding, lack of decent Wi-Fi and lousy views when you draw the curtains can all ruin your vacation.
But by and large, the risk is minimized with globally well known brands. But don’t we all wish to save some money by not staying in a Hilton or a Hyatt every time? These are great for business travel but for leisure travel, don’t we prefer cheaper but comfortable options? I actually love experimenting with local boutique hotels, despite some not so great experiences!
Some preliminaries….
Before logging onto your favourite online hotel portals, do make sure you are clear about the nature and class of accommodation(3 star, 5 star, apartments,…). Read more on why this is important. Star ratings are given by government owned or independent bodies and are different from customer ratings you see on TripAdvisor or Booking.com.
What to look for before shortlisting
Over the years, I have learnt the importance of checking out few details before making a shortlist. It may seem long but it does not really take that much time.
Location on a map.
- Always check what is nearby and checkout the street view. Proximity to public transport(metro, tram), restaurants(one Indian or vegetarian for me outside India) at walking distance, places of tourist interest nearby and relatively quieter street are few other things that I consider. But the requirement will vary from destination to destination. In India for example, I do not look for public transport.
In Bangkok, I once ended up in a hotel next to a very busy traffic intersection. It was a nightmare to get in and get out of the hotel. In Amsterdam, it was a hotel that was located in a desolate area.
Map locations can be misleading at times. Check for hotels near Terminal 2 in New Delhi. Booking.com shows a few hotels right where the terminal is. Would that not be wonderful-walking to the hotel from the terminal? The fact is these hotels are at Mahipalpur, few kilometers away!
Room size.
- For a couple, I think 250sq. ft. is a decent cut off size. Anything less would be a bit cramped. Don’t go blindly by the rate, smaller rooms will normally cost less. Only in Europe, I have noticed the average room sizes may be smaller, though larger rooms are also available but at much higher cost. For me, the room should ideally have a small seater/sofa, writing table and chair, and electric kettle, besides private bathroom/toilet. The last one is not of a concern in hotels but should be checked for apartments/homestays.
Photos.
- There should be few photos of all types of rooms, besides few general ones. Room photos must give an impression of the entire room and the bathroom, not just parts of it. Quite a few times, I see close up photos of flower vase, bathrobe folded on bed, toiletries –these do not help in selection. Look at the photos carefully, especially when looking to book unbranded hotels/accommodation.
Room views.
- I don’t mind paying a bit more for great views. I still remember the hours I spend just looking at Niagara falls from my hotel room on the 25th floor in Niagara town, Canada. Or Mount Kanchenjunga from a hotel in Sikkim. But I disliked my room windows opening into inner courtyard in Prague and New York. More so because the websites did not specifically say this.
The room details should indicate what the rooms are facing.
Room Wi-fi.
- A must for me and I would presume for just about every one else. Sometimes, hotels provide free Wi-fi in common areas but not in rooms. Sometimes, only members get free Wi-fi. But increasingly, Wi-fi availability is taken for granted.
Customer reviews.
- Very important to read for established properties, preferably on a third party sites like Booking.com or Trip Advisor. I prefer to focus on the following:
-comments made in the last 6 months. This is how I could ‘deselect’ hotel under renovation in St. Petersburg and a hotel bearing the brunt of loud noise levels from the night clubs nearby in Frankfurt.
-Percentage of ratings that are very poor or poor should be less than 3% and together with ok rating, not more than 10%. Bulk of the ratings say 90% plus has to be above ok(say good, very good or wonderful)
-Number of reviews. There is no minimum but it is understandable a new property will have less reviews.
-The property’s response to negative comments from guests. The manner of response says a lot about the ‘prevalent culture’.
I prefer to read the customer reviews after shortlisting few hotels. No point reading for those that would get eliminated otherwise.
It is equally important to note that customer ratings are subjective, unlike the star ratings. A small disappointment tends to cloud one’s judgement and nothing seems right thereafter. Generally, higher the room price, higher is the sense of disappointment with even minor matters! Do distinguish between poor facilities and an opinion that is disappointing because one’s expectations were not met.
Other matters
Airport shuttle – Airport pick up/drop provided by hotels will be a good and safer option in select destinations.
Additional cot – Hotel rooms may or may not have space for additional cot. If you are travelling with a kid(s), or a third adult, do check this out as also the rate. The booking sites may not always give you this option. Or offer only higher priced triple or family rooms. In fact, once I booked additional cot through online portal but realized at the hotel they charged 50% lower!
Parking – If parking is required, check if it is available on hotel premises or nearby. And whether it is free or paid.
Breakfast – I normally prefer to book room with breakfast. On few occasions, when the cost of room without breakfast is substantially lower, I book room only. Outside India, breakfast buffet choices are anyway limited for vegetarians.
Check in – Good to note this and plan your arrival accordingly, if at all you have flexibility. If hotels are running full, early check in may not be possible.
Facilities – Fitness center, swimming pool and steam/sauna are some the add on facilities I look for.
Check hotel website before booking
After all this work, you should be able to make a shortlist of 3 selections. I normally then visit the respective hotel website to check the rates and the rooms offered. Many hotels often offer packages if you stay for 2 nights or more. If the rates are not very different, I prefer to book with the hotel directly.
Challenges of booking online
–Lack of adequate information. For example, room size is not indicated. Photos do not give a sense of the entire room plus bathroom. What the rooms are facing is conveniently not indicated.
-Misleading information. Photos indicating attached balcony which is present is only select rooms. I discovered this when visiting Madrid. Also beware of information like ’10 minutes walk’. That is invariably true for Usain Bolt, not for ordinary mortals! I prefer factual information-say 1.2kms.
-Advertised facilities are not available because it is off –season or under maintenance. Say heated pool.
-Inconsistent information across booking portals.
-Customer reviews are ‘managed’ especially for newer listings.
If adequate details are not available, best to avoid. Unless you have the time to write or call. All of us should expect each listing to provide all the relevant information and not hide any information(e.g. room facing). The online portals have standardized the way information has to be presented but even then information presented across portals and hotel website is not consistent. This is why one cannot rely on just one portal.
Is there a best time to book?
There is no ‘correct answer’. On the hotel websites, discounted non refundable rates are often available even a week before travel(e.g. on Marriott). Sometimes there are last minute deals as I discovered to my pleasant surprise for Maldives. Luckily I had initially booked a refundable tariff and hence I could cancel and rebook the same resort about 2 weeks before my travel. Saved USD 100 per night. But these instances are rare.
But overall, off-seasons do tend to be lower.
Refundable or non refundable?
I tend to book refundable rooms generally, about 3-6 weeks before travel or just before applying for visa, whichever is earlier. I do check once again, about a week or two before travel. At this stage, since travel is more or less certain, I would be prepared to book a non refundable rate, provided the savings add up to 10% at the minimum.
Pay attention to cancellation and payment terms
If cash flow is an issue, do pay specific attention to payment and cancellation terms. Some hotels or portals charge your credit card with the entire amount at the time of booking, even though it is refundable. Some charge your credit card a week before arrival. If you cancel and rebook another hotel, the initial payment, and the second payment may fall in one credit card cycle while the refund comes in the next cycle.
Do not forget to verify the invoice
It is very important to preserve the initial booking sheet. Always verify each item in the final invoice before settlement or soon thereafter. Even the best of hotels go wrong. I have seen wrong entries on a few occasions – a takeaway lunch in Bergen, car rental is Kiev, charge for breakfast in Bangkok even though the rent was inclusive, and so on.
Should you ask hotel for better rates
If you are staying for few days, why not? Either call or drop a mail.
Booking flights and hotels together?
Over the years, I have occasionally looked at packages offered by airlines but I never had a feeling they were any cheaper. I only look for options when the costs appear unusually high. For example, in Kenya, the cost of both the resort and airline ticket from Nairobi to Masai Mara appeared high. So I started looking for options and stumbled on a resort offering a package including air fare that was cheaper than booking the resort and air travel between Nairobi and Masai Mara separately.
So also for Maldives where both resorts and seaplane rides are relatively expensive.