Last month, I presented some trick and tips on how to land the best deal on travel accommodation. In this Part 2, I’ll elaborate on the previous techniques which I use myself. Here’s Hotel booking secrets – part 2.
I finished my article in September by finding a good location using TripAdvisor’s map. When you have your TripAdvisor map on your screen, open up a new tab on your computer browser and go to the Expedia website. First, I bring up a list of hotels in my price range on Expedia by using the appropriate filters I have mentioned before. On Expedia, click on ‘show map’ on the left side of the page.
At this point, you will have to go back and forth between the tabs and use your mouse to zoom in and line up the map of the landmarks on TripAdvisor as closely to the map of hotels on Expedia. Use this tactic to narrow down a neighborhood you would like to stay in and choose a hotel that fits your personal standards and budget.
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Related: Avoid Overpaying for Flights
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It’s a good idea to click on the published hotel photos on Expedia. You will get an idea of how your room and bathroom will be. Most of the time, you can see whether the rooms are decent or rat-infested just from the photos. In my experience, nine times out of ten, the photos can be trusted. In some instances, only photos from the best rooms or recently remodeled rooms will be showcased, so make sure to check reviews.
It is important to screen the hotel reviews in order to make an informed decision. The first thing I do is view the one-star reviews to see if there are any trends across the feedback. Most one-star reviews are from morons who expect five-star conditions in third world countries. Occasionally, however, I have found that many past guests have noted air-conditioning that does not work or bug-problems. You will notice a pattern across several reviews if there is a legitimate concern in a potential hotel. Use your best judgement when checking for hotels you wish to stay in.
Once you have pegged a few hotels in a neighborhood you like, try using the street view on the Expedia map. As mentioned above, to get to the Expedia map, click on ‘View the Map’ on the left of the Expedia page with the list of hotels in your chosen city. Once the map opens, you will see a yellow man in the upper right-hand corner. Click on the man and drag him to any street on the map, preferably near the hotels you are interested in. You may need to zoom in on the map first.
This will give you an idea of how the neighborhood looks and whether the cafes and bars look inviting or dilapidated. Keep in mind that in locations off the beaten path, Google will not have as much on the ground coverage of locations, so you may only be able to find street views at busy intersections.
Hotel Booking Secrets – Part 2, written by Tor Kjolberg