Okay, so I wanted to book a hotel for my upcoming trip, and I was totally overwhelmed. There are so many websites and options! It felt impossible to know if I was actually getting a good deal. So, I decided to figure out how to use those hotel comparison tools effectively. Here’s what I did:
Started with the Basics
First, I picked a few popular comparison sites.I didn’t want to use too many. I’ve heard good things about a few.
Entered My Trip Details
Next, I typed in my destination, check-in and check-out dates, and the number of people in my group. Pretty standard stuff. I made sure my dates were correct, that double and triple checked.
Filtered Like Crazy
This is where things got interesting. I started playing with the filters.
- Price:I set a maximum price per night that I was willing to pay.
- Star Rating: I usually go for 3 or 4-star hotels, so I filtered for those.
- Guest Rating: I only wanted to see hotels with a rating of “Good” or higher. No thanks to anything less!
- Amenities: Free Wi-Fi is a MUST for me, and I also wanted a hotel with a pool, so I checked those boxes.
- Location:I wanted to be close the area so I used map function.
Sorted the Results
After setting my filters, I sorted the results by “Guest Rating” first. I figure other travelers’ opinions are usually a good indicator of quality. You can also sort by price, which is helpful if you’re on a strict budget.
Read Reviews
Once I had a shortlist of hotels, I started digging into the reviews. I didn’t just look at the overall score. I read the actual comments to see what people liked and disliked.I checked different platform’s reviews of the same hotel. It gave me all reviews I need.
Compared Prices Across Different Sites
This is important! I noticed that sometimes the same hotel would have different prices on different comparison sites. So, I opened a few tabs and compared the final price (including taxes and fees) before making a decision.
Checked the Hotel’s Website Directly
Sometimes, booking directly through the hotel’s website can get you a better deal or extra perks (like free breakfast or a room upgrade). It’s always worth checking!
Booked It!
Finally, after all that research and comparing, I found the perfect hotel at a price I was happy with. I booked it, and now I’m all set for my trip! It took a bit of time, but I feel much more confident that I got a good deal by using these comparison tools properly.
