ey Travel Partners! I know we have all been there on this subject! But, let me preface this article with some quick tips that will help you make the right destination on your next vacation when you choose your hotel!
Hotel chains are usually a standard choice for those of us who want to play it safe! They are the McDonalds of the hotel industry, not necessarily the best, but you know what you are getting. Clean with some amenities.
There are the Hyatt's, which usually include a presentable lobby area, nice pool, restaurants on site and near by, maid service, TVs. Some offer business floors, complete with office amenities such as computers, faxes and meeting rooms. There is the in between.... I can't decide if they are motels, hotels, inns???? But they are the Best Westerns, Holiday Inns, and Ramada Inns. Now, these tend to be a bit more generous with the amenities, such as coffee in the rooms, an option of smoking and nonsmoking room choices, and cable!Take it one notch down to everybody's favorite, budget on the go.... Motel 6 types. Very limited amenities, but, you know you can at least have a phone and television in the room and some offer pools. Oh, and an ice machine somewhere on the premises.
Finally, the superior choices such as The Four Seasons, Peninsula's, and several boutique hotels offered from such hotel chains as The Leading Hotels of the World. All you need to know is one word, CONCIERGE, and be comfortable with "What can I get you Mr. or Ms. DA TA DA" when you pick up your three-line phone with voice mail, and dial "O".
All this and we haven't even left the states yet!
If you are traveling abroad, please note that these choices don't always fall into the same categories. For example. You book a Holiday Inn in Europe, you arrive to find Motel 6, and so on. Traveling abroad in most cases, minus the Superior Hotels, are not rated in the same manor as the states, and tend to be a notch under our expectations. Now those of you who insist on sticking to the Motel 6's... Beware... you may not have a ceiling, shower and it's iffy as to whether you will have to hunt for leaves for bedding that evening!
I had an interesting experience in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I should have been tipped off by the fact that no one had ever heard of this hotel, not even my travel agent friend who books Mexico all the time! I had heard of the "hotel" on one of those local news segments. All inclusive, I was on a budget and thought... great! Sounds just what the doctor ordered. The bells should have been ringing, complete with sirens, when the taxi cab had never heard of it! I had the address, so he headed to the very outskirts of town, passing all the amazing hotels on the beach, up a windy cobblestone road to the top of a cliff. You could see the town in the very far distance. I was greeted with a "margarita" that would kill a horse.... Yes, I said kill (they had to keep you bombed so you wouldn't notice the distress this place was in).
I was lead to my room by a very nervous employee who asked me to step up into the elevator (it didn't sit level to the ground), to the third floor and "room with a view". OK, let's call it that. The room door was thrown open, and I walked into the smelliest room ever. I went to open the sliding door for fresh air, and off it came from the wall! The mold had eaten through the wall and the door frame just plopped out, just like that! Needless to say, it overlooked the sewer (hence the smell) which ran down into the ocean... and to my far left if I poked my head out and around.... MY VIEW! If you don't think I was out of there in two seconds, called my credit card company to notify them of the situation, and cancel, hopped a taxi to a resort I had heard of... Did I also forget to mention the shoes left by the former inhabitant at the side of the bed?
To avoid this situation, please be sure you contact the area you are traveling to via the Tourists Bureau. If you don't come across that, check your resources such as the Internet, library and run your trip past friends and contact travel agents in your area. If no one has heard of the property... stay clear, there is probably a reason!
Here are a few questions to ask...
My number one question and, might I add, personal favorite: "Is there room service?" My second question, if yes: "How late is it open and can I order breakfast all day?"
For those of you traveling with children:
Are there baby-sitting services?
A safe pool area?
How far are the main attractions?
Does the hotel/motel offer a shuttle service to those attractions?
Is this a business or family facility?
In General:
Can I get around the area safely by foot?
Are taxis available without a wait and or can arrive quickly once called?
Is there location noise? Freeway? Construction? Neighborhood?
Are there restaurants on the premises? Nearby?
Shopping? On the property? Mall access?
What kind of amenities are offered? Daily maid service? Concierge? Laundromat? Room service?
What kind of views are offered if any?
How old is the hotel/motel? Has it been refurbished?
Is there parking on site? Is there a fee?
Does this facility cater to tour groups? Seniors? Families?
What are the actual rooms like? Can they send a brochure? Do they have a web site?
The key to finding the comfort of a hotel, motel, inn is all in the
preparation and investigating the certain property you are interested in.
Don't be afraid to ask! It's your safety, a long awaited vacation and most of
all, your hard earned dollars!
Images copyright 2003 Hilary Rowland
Goldeneye Resort
