Being on the road for half of the season, I have been in a number of different hotels. From Marriot to Microtel, I have hit just about every chain hotel available. This has led to a number of very unique experiences, and I learned a number of different ways to make my stay enjoyable. There are a couple different things you can do:
How to Pick the Right Hotel
This is something I rarely have the luxury of doing. While our team has a set hotel, you may have the option to pick where you stay. This is advantageous for a number of reasons.
When you can pick your own hotel, you can choose the location. Any given city has a number of different hotel options. If you don’t have a vehicle, choosing a location near restaurants and entertainment spots is important. How will you fill your free time? Don’t just pick your hotel solely based on the nightly rate, as the location is vital whether you are on a business trip or on vacation.
Amenities are another thing to consider in your selection. Does the hotel offer free WiFi? Does it have complimentary breakfast? Certain hotels offer shuttle services for guests, free of charge. Others may charge you a ridiculously high resort and parking fee. These sorts of options should be considered before selecting where you will stay.
Online reviews should be strongly considered before any place is booked. My fiancé and I did serious research before settling on a location for our honeymoon. The resort we selected was a product of high customer reviews. The reviews proved to us that most people had a positive experience. There are a number of places online to do research on a hotel before booking it.
The Room
Upon arriving at your hotel room, you should do a quick check. If the room is non-smoking, does it smell that way? Are the towels and sheets clean? Making sure the room is up to the standards you expect beforehand will go a long way in ensuring a comfortable stay.
Your sleep is an important part of your overall experience. There are a few things to keep in mind to ensure quality sleep and peace of mind:
- Bedspreads are rarely washed, discard them when you get to the room.
- Bring your own pillow, it can make you feel more at home.
- If you need an alarm, consider using the complimentary wake up call service.
The bathroom is an important part of the experience as well. Bringing your own shampoo and soap along with you will make showering more refreshing. Take advantage of any complimentary items you forget to bring. Toothbrushes, razors and similar items are usually available at the front desk if you ask.
What Do You Do?
The hotel you pick can be the difference between a positive traveling experience and a negative one. Regardless of hotel, there are some things you can do before and during your stay to make it more pleasant. What do you do to make your hotel experience more enjoyable? Do you focus more on the amenities and the room or more on the location?
Remember to check out these Hotels.com coupon codes too, as they will be listed here whenever they are available.
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I disinfect the sheets upon entering the room (usually with Lysol). It helps me sleep better when I finally lay down.
Nowadays, there are just so many ways to narrow down and pin point the best hotel for our individual needs than ever before and so we owe it to ourselves and our families to make sure we do that before we get going to our destination.
-Jean
Great tips about making your travel less hectic. Where you sleep is important to how you feel and perform so it smart to get the best bang for your buck.