Don’t Read On-Line Reviews; Read This From A Seasoned Traveler
It is the second most essential thing you need when you travel. Beyond getting there – be it by plane, train, car or perhaps even a boat – the place you stay is a critical element in your travels.
Having a good (or bad) hotel room can make or break your trip. If its nice, it can help you fall in love with a place. On the other hand, if it’s crappy, then it can give you negative feeling about a place and even ruin your trip because it’s all that you will think about, talk about and remember.
We do tend, by the way, to remember the bad things more than the good things in life.
If there’s one thing I don’t want to worry about in my travels, it’s where I’m staying in a place. I have certain criteria and in only twice – both times when the hotel I had booked screwed up and did not have a room for me the night of my arrival – have I had bad hotel experiences.
So here’s my top 5 criteria for choosing a hotel room. Airbnb included.
1.) Location. I like to be if not exactly in the center of “the action” then close enough to walk to it. Or back to the hotel from it, if it’s daytime back from spending the day exploring or coming back from a night at the bars.
2.) Price. I’m not a 5-star guy and can be quite comfortable in pretty much any place that’s well maintained and clean. Really all I need is a comfortable bed; in Waikiki Beach, I got a traditional place that had hard beds with those gawd awful 70s-era covers. I generally seek a mid-price range hotel or Airbnb (and I don’t mind sharing a house or apartment – but most certainly NOT a room – with the hosts or even other travelers.
What I am really seeking is the best combination of location and price.
3.) Response Time To Inquiries/Friendliness. On Airbnb, if someone has a quick response time and is friendly in our correspondence, then chances are I’ve made a friend. If it’s a hotel in America, I might call them to ask a couple of questions about the place and overseas send an e-mail. This is a great way to judge whether or not you’re going to be in a good place.
In Taipai, I found a place for 19 bucks a night. I had to climb a lot of stairs, but I could walk downtown in 15 minutes and the night of my arrival, the host wrote down in Taiwanese directions to the closest best bar and directions back to the place so I could just hand it to a taxi driver.
4.) Reviews? I don’t waste time reading reviews from people I don’t know; I look at the location, some pics of the place and see what else is around it price-wise. If it’s way cheaper than any other place in the area, then chances are it’s a dump. If it’s in line or close to other places, then it’s probably comparable to the other accommodations.
5.) Boots On The Ground. Sometimes, when I’m already in a place, I’ll personally check it out – nothing beats actually seeing a place. I can assess its location, cleanliness, friendliness, see its amenities (or lack thereof ) and even inspect the room. I can also negotiate on the price; I usually save between 25-40% off the regular rate.
Leave a Reply