“There’s no way I can’t afford to stay there” Think again. Let me tell you how you CAN.
The key is the right site of the travel agency. Travelocity has been good to me over the years. Next, don’t settle for the first hotel that seems decent enough. The pictures are very misleading and the reality once you get there is ten times worse.
Here’s a good way to decide. Whatever the vacation budget, stick to it. Look for hotels within that range and make sure that’s what you want. Read the reviews, look at the amenities they provide, see all the pictures, and don’t forget to see what the upgrade might cost. You’ll be surprised what you’ll get for a few more bucks a night. Read the room descriptions very carefully. On some sites, a simple and innocent statement like: “Partial ocean view out left window from small balcony” is actually translated to mean: “If you step out onto a two-foot balcony and lean all the way to where someone needs to hold on to one leg, you might see the ocean through a much closer view of roof tops or ventilation units”; read between lines.
On the other hand, if you read something like “Front sea view from your balcony lounger or balcony with jacuzzi”, you will probably be surprised with the view you get and the rest of the hotel amenities.
Read between the lines however you like;
“Hotel on the beach” and “Hotel near the beach” is a tongue twister in itself.
On the beach is exactly that, a private beach leading off the hotel grounds with umbrellas and comfortable beach chairs and refreshment service at your beach chair.
Close to the beach could be anything. A public beach across the street, a beach that requires you to descend a multitude of spiral stairs to reach, maybe even a beach the size of your backyard. Rocks everywhere and no swimming in the ocean, and a pool no bigger than a compact car parking space. I’ve seen it all and I didn’t enjoy it all.
“Smoking rooms” This one is picky. You have to be very careful because if you don’t smoke, the persistent smell of smoke from a week ago will still be there. My experiences of hotels both in the US and beyond that offer “Non-Smoking Rooms” do not necessarily mean that there has never been smoking in the room. It may not mean this week! They seem to follow the rule of if it’s been cleaned, then now it may be a non-smoking room.
Look for hotels that offer non-smoking floors or are a non-smoking facility period. That usually works. Just be sure to reiterate your non-smoking requirement when you check in so you don’t have to deal with the dilemma of changing rooms, as this just takes away some sunbathing time on the beach!
My next topic is Airlines, a must-read realistic version.