Sunday, March 13, 2011

5 Tell Tale Signs Of A Fantastic Hotel

By Jan Hewitt


It can be hard to find a hotel that ticks all the boxes. There are hotels that flatter to deceive, looking not so nice on the inside. As well as that, there are hotels that don't look great from the outside, but are magnificent inside. It is not always the best thing as they say, to judge a book by its cover. Since the economic crisis, less people travel for leisure. Similarly even business travel has been cut to a minimum to save money. It is no wonder hotels are constantly competing with the larger hotel groups for filling bed space. So how do you choose the best hotel from the choice you have? Cost isn't always a deciding factor. Location has a lot to say about hotel pricing. So in a big place like London, how do you come to your decision?

The first thing to do is check out the facilities. Most hotels will have a website detailing their facilities. At the bare minimum you want a TV and en-suite facilities. There was a time when hotels would have one shared bathroom. Thankfully in this day and age, we have a little more choice, and should expect our own shower. Tea and coffee making facilities are normally supplied as default. If the hotel doesn't have the more minor amenities such as a trouser press, try not to worry too much. Is the trouser press really necessary as well as the mini bar? It is worth considering the chocolate bars in most hotel fridges are charged anywhere up to ten times what you pay in the shop! A bottle of water can end up costing more than a decent bottle of wine.

Study with much more detail the more important facilities you'd expect to have access to for an extended stay. If you are just stopping over night, there is nothing to stop you sampling the cuisine at a local restaurant. However, should you be staying for a while you might want the cost and convenience of a hotel with its own restaurant. Whether you need a bar or not depends on you! If you stay is for work purposes, you are most likely going to want to hit the sack after a long day! However, if you are travelling for pleasure, it would be a great shame to not check the bar out!

Beyond the facilities it is worth reading up on the hotel. The local tourist board should be able to help. It is much quicker though to login to Google and search for the hotel name. Normally you will find the hotel will come up on a number of review websites. Remember though- take the reviews with a pinch of salt. Some people's reviews reflect the fact they are impossible to please. They will expect a 500 pound room for 50 pounds! On the other side, some people are far too soft and easily pleased. I have always found the best reviews are the long detailed ones that review every aspect of the visit from start to finish. The more detailed review normally helps you suss out how fair the review writer is being.

You could always ring the hotel reception before making your reservation. If you find the staff are polite and courteous, then I'd jump at that hotel. If on the other hand the reception staff are unhelpful and seem uninterested, that hotel may be worth avoiding. Ask them about the local area, the rooms and facilities.

All in all, after some research you should be able to pick out the best hotel. Always bear in mind locations such as London can be very busy. It's always worth booking your hotel room in advance to avoid disappointment. Whatever hotel you choose, do enjoy your stay and make sure to leave a fair review on one of the many review websites to help others who will be in the same situation as you are now.




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