Hotels
Like most travelers, when
you go anywhere on a trip you will be staying in a hotel or a series of
hotels. Usually this is the most
comfortable way to travel. You can
leave your room a mess and someone will clean it for you. You don't have to worry about security, and
the hotel will have most of the amenities that you have grown accustomed
to.
But there are still some
guides that you should follow when embarking on your quest for accommodation. Sure, many of the variables are dependent on
your personal preferences, but there are some absolutes that you should keep in
mind when looking for a place to stay.
Reservations
This is the golden rule of
Hotels. You should book your room as
far in advance as you can. This will
ensure that there is a room waiting for you, but most importantly it will
ensure you get the room you want. Not
all hotel rooms are created equal and you need to keep that in mind. For instance, if you are sensitive to smoke
you should request a room on a non-smoking floor. Also, a hotel room on one side of the building might have a much
nicer view, which will greatly enhance your experience. Also, some hotels are giant buffers of
street noise so be sure to ask as many questions as you can of the reservation
staff in hopes of getting the details of the rooms that are available. They
will know which side is the noisy side and which on is the calm side. It never hurts to ask.
Location
Having a hotel downtown is
not always the best choice. Most
downtown hotels are far more expensive then hotels on the outskirts. So if you are short on cash, or you would rather
spend your cash on something else, take a closer look at these hotels. For instance, if cabs are cheap where you
plan to go, you can easily save lots of money by taking cabs to and from the
hotels.
Also, as was mentioned
before, a hotel right downtown can be a noisy experience, if you are a light
sleeper you might like to have a hotel that is in a quiet part of town. Also, if you are a beach lover, getting a
hotel on the beach is almost always better then one that is not. Nothing is more relaxing then taking a leisurely
stroll down to the beach from your hotel room, sit un the sun, and make trips
back for things like food and more sun screen.
Quality
Much like rooms, not all
hotels are created equal. The quality of
your hotel will have a massive impact on how you like your traveling
experience. Sure the pictures in
brochure look nice, but how is the smell, are those sheets clean? It is stuff like this that you can glean
from a brochure. Luckily we live in an
age of information technology. You can
quickly browse different travel guides and online blogs to find out the real
goods on these hotels. In many cases
you can even contact people who have stayed there so you can find out what the
real deal is. Simply search the name of
the hotel along with the words 'opinion' or 'review', this should get you all
the information you are looking for.
Staff
My best advice for staying
in a hotel is to treat the staff like they were made out of gold and
chocolate. These hard working people
see EVERYTHING and they are treated like human trash by many of the people
staying there who seem to believe they are on vacation for basic human decency. Treating the staff well ensures that they
will treat you well. There are innumerable
ways that hotel staff can reek their revenge on you and your possessions, so
don't tempt fate.
If you treat the staff well,
you will have access to any information about the hotel that others may not
have, and trust me all hotels have their little perks for good customers.
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