8 Mistakes to Avoid When Booking A Hotel Room
Choosing hotel may be the most important decision you make when planning a trip. Booking a hotel seems pretty straightforward; most times it ends up with picking a destination, choosing your dates, entering payment info, and happy travels. But a small smelly, poorly located hotel room, or a room with no internet or a broken TV, can easily ruin your trip. There may be other mistakes, from booking on the wrong sites to forgetting to check some vital information which may break your trip. So here are 8 mistakes to avoid for you when booking a hotel room.
1. Not checking the exact hotel location.
Sometimes, the location may be noisy, dirty or even dangerous which are unwanted. An easy way to prevent from these problems is, checking the hotel’s area at Google Street View or Bing’s Bird’s Eye view to get a good look at the layout of the land.
2. Not checking the reviews
Reviews might include noise, lousy food, iffy Wi-Fi, dated rooms and more. But there are also lots of good things you can find in review. However, you should choose your review sites wisely to get an accurate picture of the hotel.
3. Forgetting to inquire about the hotel shuttle
If you don’t like public transportation to and from the airport, starting and ending a trip by hauling massive bags through an unfamiliar subway system can be a grueling experience. However getting in a taxi can be expensive. So, you should not forget to inquire about free airport shuttle service by the hotel.
4. Overlooking the cost of breakfast
This is important question if you are concerned about your budget. The actual per-night hotel offers breakfast included in the rate compared to one that offers a 23-euro buffet. You can always try to find an affordable cafe nearby, but you can’t beat a free hotel breakfast for convenience.
5. Failing to factor in your specific needs
If you want to choose more cost effective way to pick a hotel, you should plan your specific needs. Although hotel pricing doesn't vary significantly, it could make the final bills different.
6. Not using a credit card
When booking a hotel, credit cards are king. If you are wise with money management and choose the right type of credit card, you could see plenty of benefits when booking accommodations. Using debit cards can have some problems if you have insufficient balance.
7. Not comparing prices
Booking immediately after seeing a hotel advertisement "Best Deal!" is wrong. Without doing proper comparing, you could be missing out on big savings. You should check at least three different sites for each hotel booking.
8. Booking at the wrong date.
This can't be a common mistake, but unfortunately it can. Overnight travel, time zone differences and complex itineraries can make this happen. Take particular care with your time in a flight. Work out the time taken between your arrival and the hotel. Don't waste money on a night you don't actually need.
Sources
https://www.smartertravel.com/11-things-not-booking-hotel
https://blog.thediscoverer.com/8-hotel-booking-mistakes-youre-making
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/10-hotel-booking-mistakes_b_5671444
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