Cheap And Good Hotels Are Not Impossible
October 14, 2008 by Trip Wend · Leave a Comment
What constitutes a good hotel, and just how low does a price need to be before it’s deemed a “cheap” rate? Almost anywhere you travel, these days, you’ll be able to find accommodation. Finding an affordable place to stay that meets your minimum requirements can make it a little more daunting. There are some tips that can help you out.
Firstly, set your level of expectation. You need to stay at a hotel for a reason. If it’s your honeymoon, you may want to experience something more luxurious where the hotel is part of the vacation itself. Perhaps you’re looking for bed and breakfast inns, or somewhere to indulge and let others wait on your needs. A business man may require something a little larger where he can work and conduct business from. A seasoned traveler may have simpler needs, or a limited budget that allows for nothing more than a place to sleep of a night. Your reason of being there is your ultimate guide to what is good, and what is cheap for the task you are setting out to achieve.
The person has to make a decision on what a “good” hotel is, even if it is just somewhere with a clean restroom and bedding that has helpful hotel staff. One can choose whether to spend their hotel day with or without an outside view, mini-bar with lots of food, and television with adult content. The person could be satisfied to have these privileges elsewhere, such as their home for example, and may just want a place to go to bed at night.
Even though the hotel must make cash other than what it makes from room charges, four dollars for soda, six dollars for candy, and twelve dollars to watch a movie on the television is ridiculous. It is not recommended to buy these items, even if the person has a lot of money. It is quite better for the person to go to the store and pick these items up in advance rather than waiting until he/she is at the hotel.
In my experience, the cheaper motels are usually located away from the popular areas. Unless you’re looking at bed and breakfast inns, where the need to be off the beaten track is greater, they’ll mostly be located near major traffic area, airports, or industrial areas. That doesn’t mean you can’t get a good room. I never check into a room unseen. I always ask two questions, and I ask them in a very specific order. “Do you have any rooms available?” and “May I see a room?” I used to just ask the second question. I got burned a few times, however, when I was told there were no rooms available. One of those times was at a hotel with a 200 car lot with all of six vehicles present. I learned my lesson and have been rewarded ever since. Mostly, you’ll be given keys to the cleanest, quietest room that’s available. Go check it out, and if you like it, hold onto the keys while you register. After all, you’re staying there based on the room you’ve just seen.
I’ve stayed in a lot of hotels in my time. I’ve come to have an expectation of how much a room is worth to me, and at what point I will need to spend more elsewhere to get what I need to suitably rest. I’ve been more than happy with a particular chain of budget motels over the years. With the exception of one, they’ve all provided me with my minimum requirements and all at less than $50 per night. That is my idea of ideal, not necessarily just cheap. I’m happy to pay around $75 per night if the location is closer to where I need to be, or if the room includes my breakfast. Under those circumstances, however, the hotel is probably going to fall into a slightly higher category than just \”good.\”
Finally, you will probably have another view of what to expect in regards to service than someone else. You may feel as though you are a higher rank and treat the hotel staff member as such or you may disregard the whole class system altogether and treat everyone equally. However, it is best to treat the people you meet with respect and be polite. If someone was nice to you, you would feel a whole lot better. Therefore, why not give others the same? Doing so will make your hotel experience great.
You can have various reasons for staying in a hotel or bed and breakfast inn. You probably will find a good hotel that you can afford if you just want a place to sleep at night. It is always nice to exchange hotel experiences with other people and learn from them good hotels to stay in.
Before you make your next travel reservations be sure to visit cheap airfare for cheap travel rates.


