Hotel Selection Tips  
 
HOTEL PRICING
Although the cost of your hotel room may not be your utmost concern when deciding which hotel to chose from it is definitely important enough to address. Prices do change seasonally and even by the day of the week. Make sure you get a price quote for the exact dates you plan on staying. Any last minute changes could reflect a higher room price. Don't forget to ask which rooms and prices they have available. Often hotels are quick to book their most expensive rooms first.

CLEANLINESS
Nobody wants to spend any of their valuable vacation time in a dumpy hotel room. Choosing to stay at your favorite hotel chain usually works but can sometimes be a let down. Most hotels offer pictures of their rooms but it's highly unlikely they will show a room that is less than satisfactory. One good way to judge cleanliness is by checking the hotels rating. Many sites like Travelocity offer such ratings. Avoid unrated rated and 1 star rooms. Two star rooms are a slight gamble but are usually clean and very basic.

SMOKING OR NON SMOKING
Don't forget to address this issue when selecting a hotel room. If you are a non smoker the smell of a smoking room can be quite repulsive. On the other hand if you are a smoker you certainly won't want to leave your room every time you want to light up. Booking your hotel reservation weeks in advance will resolve this issue.

HOTEL RATING
Always check online for a hotel rating before booking a reservation. Cleanliness is not the only issue addressed when looking at a hotels star rating. Two star rooms are usually ok if you are on a tight budget. Usually the more stars the more the hotel offers. 5 star hotels are usually quite lavish and offer many amenities such as indoor swimming pools etc.

Here's a basic rule of thumb hotel rating chart:

Of course the higher the hotel ranking the more you can expect to pay for your room. An expected nightly average is displayed to the right. Remember these are average prices. If you are staying on the weekend or during an event etc. the prices could be quite higher. This chart was posted in early 2008.

AMENITIES
Amenities examples are air conditioning, business centers, Internet access, refrigerators, kitchenettes and airport shuttles. Before you make a reservation ask which amenities the hotel that you are considering offers.

PRICE GUARANTEE
Travelocity and other online travel sites offer price guarantees. Using these type of travel sites is almost a must if you want a peaceful travel experience. Make sure you get a copy of this agreement and you understand how to submit for a refund.