Alright, so I was planning this trip, right? And the most important thing for me, even more than the price, was finding a hotel with killer amenities. I’m talking a decent gym, a pool that isn’t just a glorified bathtub, and maybe even a spa if I’m feeling fancy.
First thing I did? Jumped on Google, naturally. But just typing in “hotels” wasn’t gonna cut it. I started playing around with different search terms. Tried stuff like “hotels with fitness center [city name]” or “hotels with spa [city name]”. That got me somewhere, but it was still kinda broad.
Then I realized I could get more specific. I started using phrases like “hotels with 24-hour gym [city name]” because I like to work out late. Or “hotels with heated outdoor pool [city name]” ’cause who wants to freeze their butt off in the water?
The real game-changer was using the “-” symbol. Like, if I didn’t want a hotel with a casino (not my thing), I’d search “hotels [city name] -casino”. That weeded out a bunch of places I wasn’t interested in. Super helpful!
Also, don’t forget about the “site:” operator. If I knew a particular hotel review site was good, I’d search “site:[review site URL] hotels with pool [city name]”. This would only show me results from that specific site.
I also messed around with Google’s advanced search options. You can find it under “Settings” then “Advanced search”. There are options to filter by date, usage rights, region, and more, which can be useful depending on what you’re looking for.
Beyond Google, I also hit up some of the bigger travel sites like Expedia and *. The trick there is to use their filters like crazy. Filter for specific amenities, star rating, guest reviews – everything! Really narrow down your search.
Don’t just rely on the hotel’s description, though. Read the actual guest reviews! People are usually pretty honest about whether the gym is actually decent or if the pool is always crowded. Look for reviews that mention the specific amenities you care about.
Finally, once I had a shortlist, I went directly to the hotel’s website. Sometimes they have deals or packages that aren’t listed anywhere else. Plus, you can get a better feel for the place by looking at their own photos and descriptions.
It took a little bit of digging, but I ended up finding an amazing hotel with exactly the amenities I wanted. Seriously, the gym was top-notch, the pool was perfect, and the spa was heavenly. Totally worth the effort!
So, that’s my method. A bit of keyword tweaking, some advanced search tricks, and a whole lot of reading reviews. Hope it helps you find your perfect hotel!
