Is a cheap hotel always worse than an expensive one?
People who travel a lot know that hotels come in all shapes and sizes. From very expensive to very cheap. From very large to small hotels with a few rooms. The differences are often obvious. Why this leads to large price differences is not always clear. How is it possible that you sometimes have to pay a lot for a mediocre hotel, but that you can also find very cheap rooms where you can have a very good experience?
It all starts with the manager of a hotel. Often, large chains are very consistent in their prices. That generally does not mean that you can find very cheap hotel rooms. However, it is often the case that the price-quality ratio is good. They are well maintained and have all the facilities you would expect. Large hotel chains simply have a name to uphold, and will therefore generally ensure that the hotel is well maintained. On the other hand, the price is often relatively high, because all this has to be paid for.
Not all large hotels are expensive. There are also very large hotel chains that focus on offering a simple room with as little fuss as possible. You don’t have to expect luxury here, but it is often the case that the price of these types of rooms is extremely low. Even at A-locations in some world cities, hotels can be found with bargain-priced rooms. They can offer this because there are a lot of people sleeping per square metre, if you would convert this to a luxury suite, for example. Also, the occupancy rate of these hotels is often very high, which gives them security over their income.
So far the big hotel chains, of which it is quite clear what you can expect. Most of the well-known hotels look similar, serve similar food and have the same price-quality ratio. Whether you are in Berlin or Lisbon, you will have a stay that you can predict in advance. This is very pleasant for many people, as the hotel chains are in so many countries for a reason. But for people who are looking for a more unique experience or a hotel with a very high price-quality ratio, the hotels with well-known brand names might not be so suitable.
For the adventurous hotel visitor or the hotel visitor with a small budget but high expectations, finding the right hotel room can be more complicated. You want something special on your holiday, but how do you find it? A good start is to skip the well-known names in hotels and resorts. You want something special, so it is also important to look off the beaten track. Small-scale hotels or B&Bs can be very good and surprising, often at a lower price. But how do you find a good hotel for you, preferably at the lowest possible cost?
Most hotels and resorts are situated in A-locations in tourist spots. For example, they are near the beach or right in the centre of a tourist town. The hotels and resorts that are more unique are usually outside these A-locations. They are just a bit further from the beach or you have to travel a bit more, for example by public transport, to reach certain tourist spots. Because the hoteliers and entrepreneurs in these places have much lower costs, they can offer you much more for the same amount of money. They can do that, which of course does not mean that it will happen, but in any case, the stay itself is often much cheaper than in an expensive and large hotel in the city centre.
After you have decided what exactly you want, and what your budget is approximately, you would like to see what possibilities you have in the city or the area you would like to visit. Fortunately, nowadays there are many booking sites and platforms on the Internet where you can compare hotels. This is especially useful to weigh the options against each other. Even the lesser-known hotels are nowadays almost all available on the Internet. This is simply the biggest way of collecting bookings for almost any hotel or guesthouse.
Once you have decided which hotel is best for you, it is best to go through one final step. The fact is that the same hotel room does not cost the same everywhere. The proliferation of booking sites and price comparison companies has led to big differences in booking a hotel room. Strangely enough, it is not the case that the website of the hotel or resort itself is always the cheapest. Different deals and promotions offered on other websites create price differences without affecting the quality of your experience. This is why we always recommend that you do a price check before you book, so that you don’t pay too much for exactly the same hotel room.
The best way to judge a hotel is through the experiences of people who have stayed there before you. They can write an independent review and tell you how their experience was. Both the good and the not so good experiences can be very interesting to read, so you know exactly what to expect. This applies to the hotels and resorts themselves, but of course also to the booking platform or comparison site that you are going to use. After all these steps, you can go on holiday with peace of mind, knowing that you’ve done everything to find the best hotel room for you!
