When it comes to choosing accommodations for your vacation, the location, facilities and security are just as important as the price you’re paying for it.
Whether you’re planning on staying at a hotel, bed & breakfast, or renting out a place through AirBnB, there are a few things you’ll need to watch out for to ensure that your vacation vacation doesn’t go awry.
Photo Credit: OverwaterBungalows.net
If you need help deciding whether a place is good for you or not, I’ve compiled a few things you need to look out for.
Here are just 7 things you need to check when booking an ideal accommodation:
Location, location, location
In order for you and your family to have a good stay, make sure that your hotel, or whatever room you’ve booked is ideal for your planned vacation experience.
It’s a good idea to pick a place that’s close to iconic locations in whatever city you plan on visiting. This way, you won’t need to travel far to experience what the city has to offer. Choosing a good location also has the potential to help you with travel costs.
Security
Choosing a place with a good security system, or one that is situated in a more secured part of town is vital if you want to make sure your belongings and your family remain safe.
Before choosing any accommodation, make sure that the access to the lobby and the individual rooms are secure.
Pick an establishment that has a secure access system accessible only by guests or the staff. You don’t want just about anybody to be able to access where you sleep.
Facilities and the items provided
Before you check into an establishment, make sure that they offer everything that you’ll need to have a comfortable stay, or at least the bare minimum.
It wouldn’t do, for example, that your room doesn’t have a good bed to sleep on, or cabinets where you can keep your stuff in. Ensure that your room has great mattresses to sleep on, or good places for storing your clothes, and that the facilities you need to stay comfortable are operational.
Safety Measures
Much like external security, it’s also important for an establishment to have measures to keep you safe from internal emergencies, like fires, sudden flooding, or earthquakes.
Do a bit of research before you book a place, and make sure that they have the necessary amenities to keep you safe if the worst becomes a reality.
Check the pricing
It wouldn’t do for you to run out of money just on your accommodations alone.
Check for places that fit your budget or find a place where all you might need during your stay is within reach, without the need to pay exorbitant fares just to go from one place to another.
Nowadays, it’s also pretty easy to find good deals online for places to stay. If you’re lucky, you might get a bargain on some pretty luxurious rooms, which will definitely add to your vacation experience.
Check the reviews online
With the advent of social media and online review sites, it’s pretty easy to gauge whether a place has everything you’re looking for long before you even check in.
While good reviews generally mean that the facility itself is top notch, it’s still a good idea to check the reviews on places that have average ratings. What might be a deal-breaker to some people, you might find to be okay with.
Not every review is the same, so it’s always a good idea to compare ratings between one another to see any discrepancies or similarities.
More reviews mean a more informed choice when the time comes.
Pet-friendly establishments
If your family has a pet, and you’d like to take it with you, make sure that the place you’re staying at has pet-friendly facilities. Some places don’t allow pets and realizing that you can’t have Fido around at the place you’re staying at in the last minute is a huge hassle.
Some hotels have places where you can keep your pets, and they will be taken care of. If the place your staying at doesn’t have such facilities, the city you’re visiting may have pet hotels you can drop your pet at. These places tend to have good amenities, much like the hotels for their human counterparts.
The past few decades have seen the rise of a wider range of accommodations for people to stay in, ranging from 5-star hotels to room and house rentals. While the higher number of options does make it easier to find convenience when it’s needed, you still need to pay attention if you’re getting what you paid for.
Now that you have the above 7 tips, that endeavor is much easier.
