Hello, everyone! How are things?
On the last vĂ­deo, we talked about the importance of defining
the purpose of your trip before choosing the most appropriate type of lodging, right?
You should think about comfort, privacy, and, of course, your budget.
But even after you've considered all that,
if you go to a tourist destination, like LA, New York or Miami,
there's still going to be way too many options!
So, how to decide?
Well, let's start with a list of questions!
First:
Think about the neighborhood or city area,
which tourist spot or commercial center would you like to have near you?
Then:
Also:
Have in mind that if it was long trip and you're sharing the room,
it would be wise to consider a larger room.
And here's another thing you should consider:
With these answers,
you can use a search filter and narrow down your options.
When doing your research, use the filters for location,
number of people per room, check-in and checkout dates,
and the facilities and amenities you'd like the hotel to have.
But what kind of facilities and amenities are available to be used as a filter?
What should you consider when looking for a hotel?
Let's take a look at some possibilities!
The first one is: parking.
This is very important if you intend to rent a car.
In some cities like Orlando, Miami and Atlanta,
hotels usually offer free parking to their guests.
And you can filter your search using the words "free parking"!
Now, in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago or New York,
it would be hard to find hotels with free parking,
especially in central or tourist areas.
Many hotels offer parking lots for an extra daily fee,
so it can get pretty expensive.
Anyway, if you need a hotel with a parking lot,
this should be your first filter.
After that, think about your morning plans
and if you're going to have breakfast at the hotel.
If you decide to do so, you should also use the breakfast filter.
In this case, you should look for descriptions that read "breakfast included".
In some hotels, breakfast may be charged separately,
and you might find the words "charge is applied" to indicate that.
If you're travelling with kids during the summertime,
it might be fun to have a swimming pool
or a kids' play area.
Some hotels will even offer babysitting services.
The next step is to analyze the rating and reviews.
The online platforms for hotel reservation tyipically work with two kinds of rating:
the hotel ratings,
which will tell you if it's a two-star, three-star or four-star hotel and so on;
and the rating according to the guest evaluation,
the guest ratings.
Guest reviews tend to be much more reliable, right?
And they will tell you the ups and downs of every possible option.
Some websites make it easier by awarding some hotels with a "Top Pick" seal,
which lets you know that hotel is among the top reviewed
and people tend to choose it more often than others.
Of course, each hotel may have a great number of reviews,
so the tip is to focus on the rating
and look for keywords and expressions that will help you choose.
For example,
if location matters to you, you should pay attention to expressions like:
And if you're really into central, busy locations,
lookout for the expression "in the heart of the city".
But if you're looking for a calm, peaceful area,
look for the word "quiet", as in:
Reviews that contain the words "nice" and "great"
are also a good indication.
What about "helpful staff"?
It's always good to be able to count on the staff
to help you with unexpected problems.
Regarding the room, you should look for adjectives like
"clean", "comfortable" and "spacious".
After choosing the main features, location, facilities,
analyzing prices and reading the reviews,
it's time for you to make up your mind and proceed to the reservation.
Shall we?
So, the first things you'll inform are the check-in and checkout dates.
On some websites,
you might have to inform the actual number of nights you're going to stay.
Then, there's the number of rooms and the number of guests.
The number of adults and children will probably be in different fields,
since many hotels don't charge for children staying with their parents.
Now is when you decided on the type of room,
the bed size and the view.
As we've seen, a room usually considers the number of occupants,
so it could be: "single room" if it's just for one person;
Oh, and here's something important!
A double room is for two people, as the name suggests,
but in general, there's only one bed,
so it's actually a room for couples.
If you're sharing the room with a friend or relative,
and want separate beds, you should look for a twin room.
Some hotels use the names "queen room" and "king room".
They are usually bigger than standard rooms and already indicate the bed size.
Speaking of bed size,
besides single-size, double, queen-size and king-size bed,
you can also find:
Twin bed size, which is larger than a single,
but not as large as a double bed.
And sometimes, twin beds.
In this case, it means that there are two identical beds in the room,
which might be twin-sized or any other size.
Finally, you will choose the view that best fits your budget,
since it also affects the price of the room.
It's also important to check the cancellation policy.
If it's a room with free cancelation,
it might be a little more expensive because of that.
And remember:
some fees and taxes will be included in the final price.
That's it, guys!
I think you're ready to search
and find the most appropriate hotel for your trip!
Don't forget to do the follow-up activities!
See you soon, bye!