Hotel Indigo, Puerto Natales, Chilean Patagonia
Choosing the right hotel is one of my main priorities when I book a holiday. Factors like location, service, hygiene, comforts and facilities can make or break a holiday. To find out which factors influence the decision to book a certain hotel, I asked my followers on Twitter what they look for. The response (in 140 character bursts) was fantastic and are listed below. If you wish to follow any of these contributors on Twitter, simply click on their names below and click follow.
I also have a surprise. The contributors of the tips below win a 10% discount for bookings made with Splendia Hotels before the end of the month for stays between 10th June 2009 and 31st December 2009.
@varun_goel: Factor for me: Location and response time from staff of hotel – and of course cleanliness!
@TravelEditor: When booking hotels I always read user reviews on TripAdvisor, map the location & look at photos of the rooms.
@smwatk: Size –no behemoths, prefer smallish hotels. Location. Respected reviews, including past guests. Decor style. Clever touches.
@thebestofzambia: 1. proximity to adventure 2. proximity to potential night disturbance 3. I’m a foodie so food & 4. quirky details!
@LuxuryTravelMom: 24 hour food service (4 kids get hungry), in room refrigerator also a must (can’t be filled with booze, need room for milk!)
@IsabellesTravel: Booking hotels: If I visit a city, my priority is a good location. But if I go on a relaxing vacation, to ‘forget the world’. I like being pampered so I look for luxurious hotels. Even if that means spending more money. But I still try to find a good deal! If I find a hotel I like, I always check for hotel reviews on the internet. Just my two cents 
(note from velvet: message sent in three tweets, in case you were wondering!)
@solotraveler: I look for accommodation that is small & maybe a bit quirky. Rather than “it’s just a room” attitude I try to buy an experience.
@thesolowriter: I look for clean, quiet, and dark and occasionally the experience.
@HerJourneyMag: Complimentary airport shuttles are a great bonus for hotels to have.
@iledere: A well-designed (appealing) website and free WiFi. Otherwise I won’t look any further.
@buycruises: I look for local charm, service + a friendly vibe.
@ItalyTravelista: I usually check hotel Location, Website and photos & Fodors Forums. Tripadvisor doesn’t seem much reliable lately!
Another tip, from @splendiahotels (of course they don’t qualify for the discount! 
): Personally the service – good amenities & free internet in my room. I don’t care about the food nor the public areas.
I have some tips of my own:
- WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get): if there’s no mention of a pool, then there is NO pool!
- Check at least three sites to compare rates, including the hotel’s own site. Some deals may look great but beware of extra charges.
- If the hotel has a disco or is located along a busy road, ask for a quiet room.
- When looking up hotel reviews, check various sites.
- If you’re hiring a car, check ahead if the hotel has its own parking area or if there’s sufficient parking in the neighbourhood.
Thank you for your contributions! This was fun. If you have more tips to share, please include them in the comments section. Thank you!
Note to the winners: the promotion code will be DM’ed to you. Use this code to activate your discount when you make your booking.
Thanks for your comment Rich! I tend to do the same: search hotel availability using the map view. A good bar is always a plus!
I always look at hotel availability using the map view as there is usually a specific area I want to stay in. …location, location, location. Another thing that I look for is any info regarding the latest refurbishment. …updates generally = cleaner, brighter, etc… I don’t pay much attention to UGC and I really don’t care about the service or food at a hotel…although a friendly staff and a good bar is always a plus.
Thanks for your comment Margaret. Totally agree with all your points, especially misleading websites!
Keith
I want a hotel room which is clean and unmarked – I don’t want to feel that it was last redecorated decades ago and thousands of previous guests have left their mark, literally. Dirty grouting and rusty fittings are a particular hate in the bathrooms – and shower curtains of any sort. Helpful service from the moment I first enquire about booking – and no responses in .pdf attachments which I have to get to my office computer to open. Most important of all is: no lies or false impressions on the website.
Hi Sandy,
Thanks! You’re right, when booking for a safari, you obviously want to be close to the wildlife. Any tips on how to pick out the good ones or places with great guides?
Cheers,
Keith
Fabulous tips, thank you. Being a safari geek, location that has plenty of good game, great safari guides is key. I love your blog, thank you very much!
Thank you Amy for your comment.
Best regards,
Keith
Lots of great tips. For me, with kids we tend to go for condo or apartment rental. But sometimes, in the city I will look for location and amenity.
Thanks for the comment! I agree. In a city, location is everything; close to the major sights (or where I have to be) and close to public transport. On an island, at the beach and restaurants but away from the nightlife (if it’s very busy).
Cheers,
Keith
Location. In the city, I like it to be in the heart of everything and close to transit. On and island I like to be on the beach, but away from night life. The rest of the time, as remote as possible.
Thanks for your comments David! Thanks also for contributing the discounts for this post! I had a lot of fun doing it and hope we can work together again some time soon.
Cheers,
Keith
@velvetescape: really nice initiative!
@traveleditor, I would say I agree with @ItalyTravelista, I often found myself reading misleading reviews on Tripadvisor as anyone can publish reviews and hoteliers are using it as a way to push their own hotels or tell negative things about their competitors (Only few of them thx god!). But that’s my own point of view and Tripadvisor is often useful for getting extra details such as the price of the Wifi…!
@iledere, concerning the availibility of Wifi Internet, I couldn’t agree more, what would we do without a connection for our Iphones, Netbooks & co!
Speaking of Internet, I will have something really nice to announce soon, a personal initiative I hope you will like and support.
Best regards and happy travels!!!
David