Alright, so folks often ask me how I go about booking those really nice, top-tier hotels. They think there’s some secret handshake or a special website only millionaires know about. Honestly? Most of the time, I’m just using the same accommodation search engines everyone else uses. No magic involved, just a bit of a system I’ve developed over time.
Kicking Things Off
First thing I do is fire up my go-to search engine. You know the ones, the big household names. I don’t bother with obscure sites much. I just type in my destination – say, Paris or Tokyo – and my rough dates. If my dates are a bit wobbly, even better, sometimes shifting a day or two can show different options or prices, even for the fancy places. You’d be surprised.
Getting Down to Business: The Filters are Your Friend
Now, this is where the real work begins. Once the first wave of results pops up, it’s filter time. This is absolutely crucial if you’re aiming for luxury and don’t want to sift through a thousand mediocre spots.
- Star Rating: This is non-negotiable for me. I immediately crank it up to 5 stars. If there’s a “luxury” or “5-star plus” kind of tag, I’ll click that too. No point dreaming big and then looking at 3-star joints.
- Guest Rating: I glance at this, but I take it with a pinch of salt. I tend to look for places with consistently high scores, like an 8.5 or 9+ out of 10. But I always, and I mean always, read the actual reviews. More on that later.
- Price: Sometimes, if I have a specific budget in mind (even a high one), I might set a price range. More often, I leave it open initially after the star filter, just to see what’s out there. Then I might sort by “price: high to low” just to dream a bit, then get realistic.
- Specific Amenities: This is important. If I’m paying top dollar, I want the perks. So, if I need a good gym, a spa, an indoor pool, or maybe a room with a killer view, I’ll tick those boxes in the filter section. Saves a ton of scrolling.
Beyond Filters: Pictures and What People Really Say
Once I’ve narrowed it down, I start digging into the individual hotel listings. Pictures are huge for me. I look for lots of them, and I try to see past the fancy professional shots. I’m looking for photos of the actual room type I’d book, the bathroom, the view they claim it has. If it’s all just close-ups of flowers and artistic shots of the lobby, I get a bit suspicious.
Then, the reviews. I don’t just look at the overall score. I read them. I sort by “most recent” to see what current guests are saying. I specifically look for recurring comments – good or bad. If three people in the last month say the service was incredible, that’s a good sign. If three people say the “ocean view” was more of a “glimpse of the sea if you lean out the window,” then I know what’s up. I also look for management responses to negative reviews. Tells you a lot about how much they care.
The Reality Check and Comparing Notes
I don’t usually book the first thing I see, even if it looks amazing. I might open a few promising hotels in different tabs. Sometimes I use the map feature on the search engine to check the hotel’s actual location. Is it really “city center,” or is it a 20-minute cab ride away from anything interesting? The map doesn’t lie.
I also sometimes do a quick cross-check. If I find a hotel I really like on one search engine, I might just quickly type its name into another search engine to see if the price or room availability is drastically different. Doesn’t happen often that there’s a massive difference for the exact same room and terms, but it takes two seconds and sometimes you catch a slightly better rate or a different room type being available.
Making the Call and Sealing the Deal
After all that, when I’ve found a place that ticks all the boxes – great filters, convincing photos, solid recent reviews, and a location that works – then I’m usually ready to hit that “book” button. I make sure to double-check the cancellation policy and exactly what’s included in the price. No nasty surprises, thank you very much.
So yeah, that’s pretty much my process. It’s not foolproof, and sometimes a place that looks incredible online can be a bit underwhelming in person, or vice-versa. But generally, by being methodical with the search engines and doing my homework with the reviews and photos, I’ve managed to find some truly stunning hotels without needing any secret connections. It just takes a bit of time and knowing what to look for. Happy hunting!
