You are planning to travel and plan on booking budget hotels, be it for business or leisure. The plans are made, dates are set, tickets are booked, time is right but wait! Where do I stay? The question plagues one too many!
What if I don’t get a good hotel? Will the location be super shady? Hope the staff won’t be nosy! Heaven forbid, what if the beds have bugs? And you scream out a filmy “Noooooooo…….”
Do not fret, we have a check-list for you to book the best hotel and have an awesome and memorable stay every time you travel.
Read on to find out what you should look for in a budget hotel:
Great Price
The price perspective is the most attractive feature of any hotel, especially for budget travellers. But a lot of budget hotels are unimaginably scary, with no value for money and just a bed and a worn out blanket. This is where you have to trust a brand, that can assure you the best price for optimal services.
Good Location
Most of the budget hotels are in the interiors and travellers, especially solo females have a really hard time feeling safe in such places. Look for locations in the centre of the city or town you are visiting which is closest to important points of your personal interest. A well-organised mapping system is what you need.
Non-shady Facade
They say don’t judge a book by its cover. This does not apply to hotels. They also say taste one morsel and you know if the rice is cooked. This holds true in our case. The better care they take to make a hotel look presentable, the better the management. Look for prominently displayed Hotel Logos, they will help you identify the diamond in the rough.
Professional Staff
In budget hotels, you need a non-nosey, non-judgemental yet friendly and polite front desk and housekeeping staff. They must let you be and yet be proactive towards your needs. A fine balance in this regard is what makes one a good staffer. We have personally noticed that the friendlier the staff, the better the experience of stay at the hotel.
Smooth Check-in
An unorganised system at the front desk is a synonym for disaster. Services provided at check-in create the first and lasting impression of a hotel. A streamlined system with designated counters and trained/informed staff will make your check-in a breeze. A few candies here and a cold drink there will help refresh you to begin the long journey you have set.
Well-maintained Rooms
You have successfully checked-in and you have the keys to your new home for the next few days. Anticipation ensues as you walk towards your designated room. You picture it in your head – a cozy bed, a bright room, a sweet scent, the cool breeze and you feel so warm and welcome in your heart.
Comfortable Beds
A comfortable bed is the fulcrum of a hotel room. Clean and stainless bedsheets with just the right amount of pillows, a snuggly comforter and a comfortable bug-free mattress are all that you need to catch-up on the much-needed hibernation after a long and tiring day. Sweet dreams!
Air-conditioning
India is a tropical country and an A/C has become a mandate in every household. It is not a luxury anymore and that is reason enough for your hotel rooms to have functional A/Cs and why pay extra for what is your right?
Television With DTH
You travel to get away from the mundane and there are three things that kill boredom: Entertainment, Entertainment and Entertainment. Watch your favourite rom-com while snuggled into your blanket or host your own solo party with upbeat music or why not catch-up on your favourite episodes while at leisure. Your hotel is your home away from home, so ek TV toh banta hain!
Stable Internet
Many of us are social media junkies who live to validate ourselves with likes on our pictures and posts! Too harsh? Why not? Everybody does that! It is our guilty pleasure. Not only that, checking important emails, connecting with friends and family while on the go, researching places of interest around, ordering food online. You need the internet for everything these days! So this is a must on your list and it is the duty of your hotel to provide this for free!
Hot Beverages In Room
What if you need to recharge your batteries at the snap of your fingers? What if you are an avid coffee/tea drinker? Why pay extra when you can make your own at the comfort of your room? A Coffee/Tea Maker with Milk Sachets, Tea Bags and Coffee Powder will do the trick. What if they magically re-stock themselves every day? Wouldn’t that be great!
Clean Bathrooms
Many people have their biggest pet peeves when it comes to the bathrooms. A great shower to sooth aching muscles, free toiletries for when you forgot your shampoo and packed your conditioner instead! Clean towels to dry yourself. Odour-free bathrooms with a clean toilet seat and toilet paper. It may sound mundane here but these are extremely important in a hotel room.
Hot Breakfast
A free and healthy breakfast will fuel you for the day ahead. They say it is the most important meal of the day. Why skip it when you can indulge in it? Choicest fruit juices, cornflakes, sandwiches or Indian tiffins will fill your belly without burning your pocket at budget hotels who provide it for free. Look for one!
Impeccable Service
If something breaks down in your room and something is wrong with it and you need it to be fixed immediately! A timely service from the hotel’s end will be your very personal genie that grants you your wishes in a ring’s time! A 30-minute service guarantee sounds impressive, doesn’t it?
100% Quality Guarantee
How many hotels in the budget category deliver what they promise? They come up with excuses and say that they’ll fix it later but several calls later, you give up and your entire experience is ruined! Wouldn’t it be nice if you get a compensation when you don’t get what you paid for?
Source – Treebo.
