Selecting the perfect hotel for your business trip or vacation can be challenging. And with the plethora of promotions and programmes available these days, the process can get overwhelming. Professionally hand-picked photos only show the best sides of the hotel – so are websites really showing you an accurate reflection of what you’ll be experiencing?
How can you distinguish if an establishment is true to its word or, more importantly if it’s the right one for you? We’ve broken down the selection process to help you find your dream hotel.
What’s Most Important To You?
Ask yourself this question and rank their significance. Does location matter more than the price or vice-versa? Are you looking for specific amenities for example, business facilities, gym etc., or does the character of a property and its local charm appeal the most to you?
Once you’ve prioritised the most important factors, you can begin a targeted search rather than just trawling dozens of sites at random. Here are some common determining points you may want to revise:
Price
There are numerous comparison sites that sort results by price but the trick is not to just limit yourself to the most well-known ones like Expedia and Trivago. You may also want to consider lesser known sites like openroomz.com and hotelhunter.com.
Even though price comparison sites may seem like they get you the best price for the best hotel, which they very often do, don’t forget to directly call your chosen hotel too. It’s not uncommon for them to price-match or even beat a price that you’ve been quoted. Check with your SkyClub consultant as we have very competitive rates particularly for boutique and specialty properties – and save you valuable time searching as well!
Location
All leading booking sites provide a map of where a particular property is located so you can determine the hotel’s proximity to the beach or if it’s in the neighbourhood you desire. A number of sites also allow you to search in relation to a landmark or area you want to stay in, for example, properties near London Bridge or the Sydney Opera House.
Extras
If you like extravagance or if you’re one who avoids big chains, then you will need a little time and ingenuity to find the perfect property as they may not appear on the big booking engines. You may want to try slh.com (Small Luxury Hotels of the World) and bespokehotels.com. Of course, your SkyClub consultant would be the perfect solution as this is their area of expertise. For something truly different, UnusualHotelsoftheWorld.com is where you’ll find non-hotel lodgings like a treehouse or cave hotel, which will really give you a story or two to tell when you get back home.
Read the Reviews
Guest reviews are the closest you will probably get to knowing what a hotel is really like before you go and try it for yourself. Most people will provide their own photos as well which are more realistic and most useful in comparing with the glossy ones found on the hotel websites. You can find these reviews on obvious sites such as TripAdvisor and VirtualTourist or leading hotel websites will include them as well.
Of course there may be some overly fastidious guests who complain about every little thing, and also watch out for exceedingly adulating reviews from employees in disguise. But for the most part, there are genuine accounts on there that are invaluable in gauging a hotel’s credibility.
Get On The Phone
There are some things you just cannot do on a website. Once you’ve narrowed down your hotel choices, we’d suggest giving your choices a call. Not only will you find out if they can offer you a cheaper price, but you can also find out if there are things such as construction going on, and if they can move you to a different area where you won’t be disturbed.
In addition, most sites are only allocated a certain number of rooms each and once these run out, they cannot offer you more. Calling the hotel directly on the other hand, can get you that last-minute cancellation opening or they may be able to advise you of their sister hotel nearby that may have availability.
Getting your reservation wrong can make for a very unproductive business trip or a ruined vacation so choosing the right hotel, or more importantly, knowing how to choose the right hotel, is vital. Book with your SkyClub consultant today to save you a lot of time and money, leaving you to concentrate on your itinerary!
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