Travelling to a new place, especially overseas, is never easy. You have to deal with the weather, the language, the culture, and the attitude of locals. To somehow ease home sickness, you certainly want to stay in a hotel that you can consider your ‘home away from home’. However, a lot of travelers end up in bad or perhaps, worst hotels because of rush bookings. To avoid being stuck in a low-rate hotel and pay for terrible services, every traveler should keep these qualities in mind when booking a hotel stay.
#1 Honest Information
When I was still working as a travel agent, many people call to cancel their hotel reservation and ask for a full refund. Processing a refund is not an issue if the reservation is fully refundable; however, not all reservations are.
To attract customers, it is a common propaganda of some hotels to advertise low rates, give one free night for a three-night stay, and to promise that the reservation is fully-refundable in times of cancellation. But, not all hotels live up to what they are advertising.
Some hotels would hardly process a refund even for extenuating circumstances (ex: death of a family member), even if you talk to the manager or supervisor directly. To avoid being deceived, ALWAYS read and understand the full cancellation policy of the hotel so won’t put your hard-earned money to waste.
#2 Homey Ambiance
What do you expect when staying in a hotel? Perhaps, a comfortable queen or king size bed and big, soft pillows that would make you think you are sleeping in your own bedroom. And of course, elegant shower, fully-furnished room, breakfast in bed, and complementary newspaper.
Almost all hotels in the world promise these things but only some of them offer these in reality. Do not be fooled by pictures hotels posts on their official website. Instead, search for them in travel websites such as TripAdvisor and read reviews from previous clients.
#3 Clean, Serene, and Secure
Good hotels are always clean. Better hotels are both clean and serene. The best hotels are clean, serene and secure.
#4 Excellent Service
Some four to five-star hotels are exceptional because of their modern and intricate architectural design. However, some hotels are ‘unforgettable’ because of their excellent service.
Excellent service means that the hotel employees think outside the box and anticipate your possible needs just to provide you with great satisfaction.
#5 Extra Assistance for NO Additional Cost
For instance, you need to extend your stay for one night because the schedule of your business meeting was moved to a later day or because you simply want to stay a little longer. The best hotel should be willing to change your reservation without charging you a change fee. And if the rate of the additional night is way more expensive than the rate you had for the original nights, the hotel should be willing to go an extra mile and charge you the same rate as with the other nights. Yes, ‘business is business’; however, if a hotel values their clients enough, then they will do this without hesitation.
The best hotels in the world do not mean the most expensive. Most of them are those that offer services beyond compared.
Have you stayed in a hotel that you can consider the best? Or perhaps, have you slept in a hotel that only gave you a nightmare? We want to hear your story.
