The biggest traveling holidays are coming up and you may be trying to figure out how to budget and plan your next journey. You’d have to be hiding under a rock to not have noticed that the internet is packed with hotel and holiday comparison sites. They offer you the cheapest deals and the easiest ways to book. But, they don’t always offer you what you need. Price certainly shouldn’t be the only consideration when choosing the right hotel for your stay. We spend a lot of money on vacations and trips, so we should be staying in hotels that meet our needs and complete our trips.

The truth is, there’s no simple checklist. We all want different things from our hotels. We look for various amenities and facilities, and we work with different budgets. But, here are some of the things that you should be looking for when picking a hotel for your next trip.

Location

Budget is often our main consideration when choosing a hotel. But, maybe it should be location. Staying in a cheap hotel, miles outside of town, means that you could end up spending a lot more on traveling from the airport and on getting to tourist attractions and restaurants. Staying somewhere closer to where you need to be, might be a little more expensive, but it can reduce the overall costs of your trip. This hotel in Chehalis Centralia, Washington is an example of a hotel that can offer the right balance between budget and convenient location.

Budget

That said, of course, budget needs to be a factor when it comes to choosing a hotel for your trip. This might mean that you need to prioritize. Take a look at your overall budget, and decide how much the quality of the hotel means to you. If you are desperate to stay in five-star luxury for the length of your stay, you might need to make cutbacks elsewhere to save money.

Food

When we go away, most of us like to eat out as much as we can. Exploring local restaurants and enjoying the cuisine is a big part of spending time in a different culture. So, we tend not to worry about the restaurant in the hotel. Then, we have a night where we just don’t fancy going out and find that there’s nothing on offer but expensive room service.

Choosing a hotel with a nice, reasonably priced restaurant with practical opening times means that you don’t have to worry about going out when you just don’t fancy it.

You might also want to consider staying somewhere with breakfast included in the cost. This lets you start your day with a big meal, giving you the energy that you need to fuel your exploration, and also means that you’ll save money not having to buy a big lunch.

Comfort

Whether you are looking for luxury and fancy facilities, or just somewhere to sleep before busy days out, one thing that you will want is comfort. You’ll want a comfy bed to rest on, but you’ll also want a relaxed atmosphere. Somewhere that you feel safe, secure, and able to relax and unwind. Judging atmosphere on photos on a booking site is hard. But, reading reviews can give you a better idea of what it might be like.

How do you choose a hotel? What factors go into your decision? Have you got any favorites that you have gone to more than once? Tell me all about your finds in the comments below, let’s spread the wealth. 

Until our next rendezvous …

XOXO

Trudy