Hotel in Hua Hin, Thailand
Out of the 1000+ nights, I have spent in hotels, I have only been disappointed on nine occasions and of those six were chosen by my client! And I suspect their major motivating factor was cost! In our modern cost conscious world, hotel choices are often made on the basis of their cost alone. The number of accounts departments that enforce decisions about accommodation on this factor alone are numerous.
Assuming the hotel itself is not a flea ridden unpleasant place, there are five factors I consider and argue for with my travel and that of my staff:
- Food-Saving a few dollars on accommodation may be outweighed by over the top hotel food prices. If there are no food outlets near by, then I am 100% reliant on the hotel’s own catering and suddenly an ordinary cheeseburger becomes $25! My accommodation needs to have decent food at reasonable prices in or near the hotel
- Location- if a hotel is in the middle of nowhere, I can feel trapped or find myself shelling out for cab rides to get to everything. Having shops or parks near by can make a difference. Can I get to or from the airport, train station or client easily? On one occasion, the money saved by my client putting me in a hotel that was$30 a night cheaper was outweighed by the $4o cab fare each way!
- Safety – I was reading reviews of a hotel once on Tripadvisor which warned of it being located in a sketchy neighbourhood. My colleague was still eager to stay there because it saved us $40 a night! I valued my life at higher than that. I like to walk or run around the district near my hotel. Sketchy neighbourhoods are no nos for me and my colleagues. Again Tripadvisor can provide info to help understand the area the hotel is in
- Business Facilities. A decent, desk, coffeeshop and wifi are all now necessities for me. It is extraordinary how many hotels across the world see these as a privilege and charge outrageous prices for wifi
- Hotel membership scheme. I am guilty of being a member of many hotel programs and I do like the perks that come with them such as free wifi and upgrades!
Other people choose hotels for facilities such as gyms, spas and pools. These are nice but the number of times I have
booked a hotel with such facilities and never used them means I now don’t prioritise them!
What factors do you consider when choosing a hotel?
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I was raised in a very thrifty family that didn’t travel much. Now that I am doing more traveling for work related things, I keep trying to get the best deal for hotels and such. I don’t think there is any issue with getting a good deal, but I agree with you that sometimes the more expensive hotels are worth it. Thanks for the info!
Thanks so much for sharing all of this advice on choosing the right hotel! I had never thought of looking at food options at and near the hotel in order to find the best deal. It sounds like it would be a good idea to know of places nearby, and to know if the hotel offers any complimentary meals. After all, if you can get free breakfast everyday, you could save quite a bit of money!