Finding a good hotel and making a reservation can be stressful, especially when you are looking for a room that can accommodate a large family or for a last minute vacation. Given the ever-increasing number of hotels that allow you to book online, new tools have been created that are useful for comparing prices and services, facilitating the search for the solution that best suits your needs. Even if you've never booked a hotel room before, this article will guide you quickly and easily through the entire process.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Finding a Good Hotel
Step 1. Establish your budget
Before going in search of a hotel and making a reservation, you must make sure that the selected structure has all the features you are looking for, even in terms of price. First, then, decide how much money you want or can spend on sleeping in a hotel. Setting a ceiling will help you refine your search, making it more efficient especially in terms of time.
- Are you on a tight budget that doesn't allow you to pay over a certain price per night? It might be useful to set both a spending ceiling for the entire holiday and one relating exclusively to the hotel stay. Remember that the web is teeming with great deals, so don't worry that limited funds necessarily mean you have to sleep in a dirty and unkempt hotel. The discounted options available to those looking for a low cost holiday are numerous.
- If instead of a vacation you are planning a business trip, you will most likely be able to charge the cost of the hotel room to your company. In this case, finding a low price may not be one of your priorities.
Step 2. Evaluate what services and features you are looking for
Do you need a room that can comfortably accommodate your family of four or are you looking for a practical single room? Determine the amount of space, beds, and bathrooms you need. If you are traveling with your wife and children you may need a double bed, two single beds and a spacious bathroom. If you are traveling alone, a single single bed and a medium-sized bathroom may be sufficient.
- If you or a member of your family have physical disabilities, it will be important to take this into consideration when choosing your hotel. Many properties specify whether they are equipped to accommodate tourists with disabilities in wheelchairs or with reduced mobility and offer special services dedicated to guests with disabilities. If you wish, you can expressly call the hotel to make sure.
- When planning your holiday you may decide to prefer a hotel with a spa and gym to use at the end of the day, or look for a structure that guarantees a solid free internet connection. In some cases, however, you may not need any extra convenience.
Step 3. Identify the ideal area or location
Sometimes the location of the hotel could be a fundamental choice criterion, more important than the economic one or the services made available to customers. For example, you might prefer a hotel located close to the event or business conference you are attending, or one that is within walking distance of a specific tourist attraction. You may prefer a central area that allows you to easily visit the different parts of the city, or you may choose a more isolated area that allows you to enjoy the silence and tranquility of the province and then reach the most crowded places by car or public transport.
Generally, the ideal location is given by the type of trip you intend to take. As this is a business trip, your priority may be to be close to the location of the conference or meeting you need to attend. If you are traveling for pleasure, you could look for a hotel that allows you to walk to the most important monuments to visit or that offers its guests bicycles or rental cars at advantageous prices. Often you will find ready-made travel packages that include both hotel nights and a rental vehicle with which to move easily
Step 4. Search online
The fastest way to find a hotel that suits your needs is to use one of the many online booking websites. These platforms allow you to specify on which dates you intend to travel, how many nights you want to spend in a certain location, which is the ideal place where you would like to stay and which services you would like to have available once you arrive at your destination. You can also specify how much you would like to spend on your hotel stay.
- Once you have entered all of this information into the website, you will be presented with several options to choose from. You will have the possibility to sort the proposed hotels in terms of the prices offered, for example from the cheapest to the most expensive, and you will also be able to use the map to determine which properties are closest to a certain area or location.
- Remember that some of these websites try to hide the presence of surcharges or surcharges to be paid locally to entice customers to book. Before making your choice, carefully read all the details and notes relating to the price and services offered, even those written in small and apparently of little importance.
- Sometimes organizations and associations offer their members the opportunity to book some affiliated hotels at special rates. In this case you will have to contact the institution offering the agreement with the selected structure directly to get all the necessary information.
Step 5. Compare the rates offered by the main hotel booking sites
There are special platforms that allow you to compare the different prices offered by helping you to select the most advantageous one. At one time you can compare even more than one hotel. All you have to do is specify your travel dates and budget. These sites will quickly explore numerous databases to present you the options that best suit your needs combined with the most advantageous prices.
- It is also important to read the reviews left by customers who have stayed before you at the hotels you are evaluating. You will often be able to understand the level of cleanliness and quality offered to guests. Generally, thanks to the opinions expressed by travelers, a score is available for each hotel that allows you to quickly understand whether the opinions expressed are positive or negative (the score obtained is often expressed in numbers or stars that can be easily interpreted through a legend). You will be able to weigh each hotel's reviews, location and rates to determine if it meets your needs.
- In addition to those described so far, there are websites that allow you to significantly save on normal hotel rates by offering their customers to book hotels and holiday packages in "roulette formula". Basically you can choose whether to stay in a 1, 2, 3 or 4 star hotel, but you won't know exactly where you will sleep until a few hours before departure. To avoid unwelcome surprises, it is advisable to read all the terms and conditions of the contract in detail.
Step 6. Call the hotel for a cheaper rate
Sometimes a direct phone call to the hotel reception might allow you to get a discounted or last minute rate. You will also be able to test first-hand the willingness to satisfy or anticipate the customer's wishes by the staff by asking some specific questions. If possible, place your call in the evening, which is the time of day when the front desk staff has less to do. It may be helpful to ask some of the following questions:
- Does the hotel have a bar or restaurant? Is breakfast included in the room rate?
- Are there any rooms reserved for non-smokers?
- Is there the possibility to reach the hotel or to move comfortably by public transport? Is there a bicycle rental for customers?
- How far is the hotel from a specific area or location, for example from the beach, convention center or city center?
- Which rooms offer a better view or more silence?
- Is the hotel located in an area considered safe?
- Are there any special services dedicated to disabled guests?
- What are the cancellation terms of a reservation?
Part 2 of 2: Booking the Hotel
Step 1. Book your room online
Once you have selected the hotel and room that best meet your needs, you can make your reservation online through the hotel website. In this case you will need to provide some basic information, such as name, surname and period of stay.
- Alternatively, you can make your reservation by calling the hotel by phone. As previously suggested, it is advisable to try to call in the evenings, as reception staff are usually busier in the mornings and afternoons.
- If you would like to receive a tailor-made offer, for example if you are traveling in a group for a conference or a wedding, the best thing to do is to call the hotel directly to speak to the staff responsible for authorizing this type of discount. Many establishments do not advertise their offers reserved for groups directly online, but are available to formulate advantageous rates if contacted by phone or by e-mail.
Step 2. Pay for the room with your credit card
Many of the hotels that offer the ability to book their rooms online require payment to be made by credit card. If you are traveling for work, you can use your company's one.
- Check if the chosen hotel has an agreement with one of the organizations or associations of which you are a member to take advantage of a possible additional discount. Many of the major payment card issuers offer numerous agreements with hotels and other service providers.
- In the event of a longer stay, you may be able to pay in advance only the first two or three nights by paying the others directly on site. In other cases, even if you have to provide your credit card number during the booking, you will not be required to pay until you leave the hotel.
Step 3. Make sure your booking is confirmed
Once complete, check and print your receipt. To be sure that the payment has been successful, you can contact the hotel by phone to have the relevant receipt sent to you.
