You booked a 4- or 5-star hotel, excited to enjoy the luxury and comfort, away from all your troubles and responsibilities. Upon arrival, you are met with worn-out buildings, subpar meals, and a room that needs renovation.
Despite the many research possibilities online, people are still getting tricked by hotels and feeling disappointed by their experience.
This article describes the research you must conduct before booking to see if you’ll receive everything promised.
For most travelers, the stars a hotel is granted are one of the primary requirements. However, why do so many 4-star hotels resemble 3- or even 2- star hotels? In essence, stars do indicate the level of amenities, comfort, and services offered by a hotel. So, the more stars, the better, but how hotels obtain these evaluations can differ without you even knowing.
Such differences usually relate to different authorities judging hotels and their criteria. So, hotels in Cyprus and New York have different standards for calling hotel facilities 4- or 5-star. Without unified criteria, stars can indicate quality, but are definitely not the main factor to consider.
Hotels might avoid directly mentioning that certain amenities guests expect to be free actually require an additional payment. One common example is Wi-Fi, which can be free in the lobby and public areas, but requires payment for your room.
If you plan to work or continue selling 4G & 5G data and earn money, it can pose obstacles. After all, many travelers use services like Honeygain to share unused internet connectivity for extra money. Additionally, digital nomads cannot imagine staying at a hotel without a reliable internet connection. So, always double-check what internet (unlimited, paid, or free) is offered at the hotel, and whether other guests have complained about its speed.
TripAdvisor should be your go-to source for checking hotels and verifying their service quality. Besides browsing the official images, pay attention to other travelers' reviews, including photos and testimonials.
Also, pay attention to the review date, especially if the hotel recently underwent renovation or other improvements. However, if you notice regular complaints about the staff, rooms, food, amenities, and undisclosed fees, treat it as a sign that a hotel might not be as beautiful as it appears in the official images.
Similar to how hotel star ratings can be misunderstood due to differing traveler expectations, reviews are also subjective. Look for certain keywords and people from similar countries who might have standards similar to yours. Additionally, some reviews may be fake, with the hotel trying to boost its ratings. Hence, detecting a fake review is essential, whether you’re looking into hotels or other products.
Some hotel descriptions can be vague regarding access to the beach, city, or public transportation stops. Your task is to research the hotel’s surroundings and area. Maybe it is located in a more dangerous region, which could mean you may not feel comfortable taking an evening stroll.
Additionally, if you prefer a more peaceful vacation, see if the hotel is not surrounded by clubs or other noisy entertainment. In other cases, you might unexpectedly end up sleeping near a construction site, which can definitely ruin the intended vacation vibes.
If you happen to experience low-quality service at a hotel, don’t stay silent. Leaving reviews is every traveler's responsibility so others don't have to dodge the same bullet. So, even if the hotel staff tries to help you, if the mistake or issue ruins your trip, share your experience. After all, an extra free stay at the hotel’s restaurant won’t soothe the pain of witnessing cockroaches or swimming in unkempt pools.
Booking vacations and hotels can feel like a gamble: you never know what service you will actually receive. However, doing proper research can help you determine whether a hotel is actually worth your time or if they have just invested heavily in beautiful representation on official booking websites. So, don’t rely on the hotel star rating alone: look closely at what they offer, what other travelers say, their surroundings, and learn to spot fake reviews.
