10 Things to check before you book your hotel

Choosing where to stay in a foreign location can be very mind boggling and a lot of first time travellers especially, confessed that they do get overwhelmed with where to even start from. You never know if the deal you have chosen is the best out of what is possibly out there; Hotel or air bnb?; you worry if the hotel actually deserves the 4 stars it claims to have; you are unsure if all these amenities they have mentioned actually work perfectly.

Don’t worry, we have all been there and I have compiled a list of 10 things I usually look out for before I book that hotel.

Pay no mind to people who say that a hotel is not important since you are spending all day wandering; emmmm, it is still a holiday and I’d like to relax please.

I’m very particular about where I stay and my points should cover hotels, resorts and air bnbs. 

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1. Cancellation Policy

You just never know what could happen between the booking period and when you actually travel so leave allowance for cancellations. If you travel often, you most likely book trips months in advance, check that you can cancel at least up to 30 days before you travel with your money back guarantee. I had a friend who booked her baecation to Bali and found out a few weeks later that she was pregnant. No thanks to the Zika virus, her mid wife advised her against travelling to Indonesia as its Zika-risk level was high. Thankfully, the cancellation policy kicked in and she was able to claim her her money back.

PS – This is where I tell you to plan your trips according to your situation. If you are pregnant or trying for  a baby, stay away from countries with the Zika virus. Check gov.uk for more information and full list of countries. Also, check with your GP and mid-wife!

2. Compare Prices

Do people still book their hotels directly via the hotel websites? LOL I don’t know if I have ever done this actually. Anyway, make sure you compare compare compare. My favourite comparison sites are Booking.com, Expedia and Hotels.com. There are plenty others but these three are tailored to my needs and work perfectly for me. Expedia always has the best hotel deals so I stick with them.

3. Is it cheaper to include flight tickets?

This is where airline holiday packages come in. Skyscanner is perfect when booking that cheap flight ticket but when you are including the hotel, be sure to check out airline package deals. For example, if you are flying from London, check package deals on Virgin Atlantic and British Airways (especially for the Caribbean Islands and the Americas). Then you can compare with just booking the ticket and hotel separately. See if you can save come coins there.

Obviously, BA and Virgin are just examples. Check your preferred airline to see what package deals they offer. Again, since I live and fly out of London, BA and Virgin work best for me.

4. Hotel check in and check out time.

This is very essential as it helps drive when you would potentially like your flight to arrive. These days, a lot of hotels and resorts will check you in before the allotted check-in time but they always like to be told beforehand. If you find that your flight lands at 9 am and check in is not till 2pm, email the hotel and inform them politely that you will require an earlier check-in. This ALWAYS works for us. You can also ask for an hour after check-out time if you would like to spend more time in the room before checking out. The first hour is usually always free!

5. Hotel Reviews

Not just one or two reviews; but at least 20 so you can get a good margin of what to expect. These days, hotels actually upload fake reviews so make sure you do a bit of research and hopefully you should be able to filter through. Look out for the bad reviews and see if there is a common theme; if there is, you know IT IS REAL. I also search the hotel (especially resort) on Instagram to see what people have tagged and said about the place. I would ignore hotels with no reviews for obvious reasons.

6. Check for add-ons

Free breakfast, Airport Shuttle, Free parking, Free Wi-Fi, Free luggage storage etc. These seem very inconsequential but they do add up. The journey to and fro the hotel could cost you anything between £10 (if you are using the bus or underground) to even £100 if you prefer taxi. So you need to be prepared for this.

Breakfast is always a good add-on because if you are like me who actually travels to relax as well, hotel breakfast means you can have a lie in, stroll down for breakfast , come back to your room to get ready for the day. It’s just so convenient!

Wi-Fi is a no brainer and I wonder why in 2019, some hotels and resorts still charge separately for this.

If you need to check out early and your flight is not till evening but you would still like to wander the city, you need to check that the hotel will keep your luggage until you are ready to leave.

7. Hotel On-site Payment Policy and Additional Fees

So there is usually a charge when you stay in a lot of European hotels. You pay a city tax for the number of nights you have stayed. Some hotels also ask for a deposit from your account as a “hold” charge for the duration of your stay (this is for when/if you damage anything on the property haha; don’t be that person please). Anyway some will only accept a credit card to “hold”, some are fine with debit cards, some don’t mind holding cash so be mindful of this and factor it into your plans.

8. Age Requirement

I did not even think this was a thing until I was trying to book my hotel in Montauk. The age requirement for a few of them (at least a couple) was 23 years. I was surprised because it is usually 18 years if you’re checking in without a guardian so this was surprising. I wonder how they came up with that age as it is quite random lol. I thought to include it here anyway since I know I have a varied audience.

9. Hotel Location

If you are going to a new and unfamiliar location for the first time, when choosing a hotel, make sure you “do your googles”. Brothers and sisters, google maps is your friend. If you are not someone who goes around in ubers on your travels, then check your hotel on the map to see where it is situated and its proximity to a lot of places. I always check proximity to airport, city center, closest train/bus station and hospital. Just to note, it might be more expensive to stay in the center of cities but trust me, you’ll save so much time getting around (& money too since you are not taking trains and buses).

10. Amenities

What else does the hotel offer? Is there a gym? A pool (I always check out for an indoor pool in the colder months and an outdoor pool in the summer). Is there a wellness center onsite where you can have massages? A sauna? Whatever is important to you, this is the time to check. Some pools are closed during certain months so this is something you need to be aware of before you book the hotel if swimming is part of your travel itinerary.

All checked?

Now you are ready to book.

Have a lovely holiday.

Bisous, ‘Bugo x