How to choose a hotel?

How to choose a hotel? This is a question all travelers face. Of course, the choice of a specific hotel will depend on the country and city you are heading to, but today we will focus on the most general recommendations that apply to choosing hotels in European cities. We will talk about resort hotels a little later, in one of our upcoming articles.

What neighborhood is the hotel in?

If you are in a city for the first time, it’s very difficult to tell if a neighborhood is good or not. Before your trip, it’s advisable to familiarize yourself with information about the city; guidebooks usually provide descriptions of neighborhoods. For example, if you’re in Amsterdam with children, it’s naturally not advisable to look for hotels in the Red Light District:)

Almost every major city has disadvantaged areas, usually with the highest crime rates, many immigrants, and low-income families. For example, in London, it’s the Brixton area; in Paris, it’s the 18th and 19th arrondissements (though the 18th isn’t that bad, just dirty and with many visitors). Most often, disadvantaged areas are located near train stations.

Transport Accessibility

How will you get to the hotel from the airport or train station? Can you walk to attractions? If the hotel is not in the center, how long will it take you to get to the center, with or without transfers? There’s another important point here — the cost of travel. If you found a hotel on the outskirts or in the suburbs, consider how much money you will spend on getting to the center for the entire trip. Maybe it’s worth adding this amount to the hotel cost and choosing something closer to the center? If you book a hotel in advance, you can always find inexpensive options even in the center.

What kind of building is the hotel located in?

All city hotels can be divided into two categories:

• hotels originally built as hotels
• former residential buildings that have been converted into a hotel or guesthouse

If your hotel falls into the second category, keep in mind that the rooms, bathroom, and corridors will be small. In Paris and London, such buildings are equipped with rather narrow and often spiral staircases without an elevator. Carrying luggage up them can be difficult. Additionally, former residential buildings are not equipped with central air conditioning, so rooms can be stuffy and hot in summer.

What is near the hotel?

If you are not party-going youth planning to spend all nights in bars and clubs, then the proximity of those very bars and clubs is unnecessary for you. It is not advisable to choose a hotel where a restaurant not belonging to the hotel is located on the ground floor. This situation is quite common in Europe. The hotel’s rooms start from the second floor; on the first floor, there is only a small reception, and literally next door is a bar or restaurant above which the rooms are located. If the hotel is truly noisy, it will definitely be mentioned in reviews and comments, so don’t be lazy to read them before your trip.

What else should you consider when choosing a hotel?

• Room categories. More about different categories.
• Is breakfast included in the price? More about types of hotel breakfasts.
• Is there free cancellation?
• Is there air conditioning in the room? This is relevant for trips during summer months.
• Are there additional costs? — A very important question!

Quite often, some taxes are not included in the accommodation price, such as VAT, tourist tax, cleaning fees, etc.

• City tax — 0.5–3 euros per person/night. If you are traveling as a couple for 10 days, add another 40 euros to the accommodation cost. (2 euro tax * 2 people * 10 nights).
• Service charge — 0.5–1 euro per person/night
• Cleaning fee, when booking apartments — 30–50 euros per week or for the entire stay.