Tips from travel agents to avoid mistakes when booking hotels

When planning a vacation, there are only so many flight options to choose from. Booking a hotel, however, can be a much more overwhelming experience.

Big cities, famous beaches, and other popular tourist destinations have a wide variety of accommodations: budget chains, quirky boutique hotels, and luxury resorts. Even once you’ve decided which vibe is right for you, chances are you’ll find plenty of options that match your vision. And there are countless factors to consider as you select your hotel, room type and more.

“People often underestimate how much the actual hotel experience can add to their trip,” said Angela Marini, travel agent at Fora. “The hotel is more than just a place to sleep: it’s a key part of the overall travel experience. Whether it’s enjoying the amenities, relaxing in a comfortable room, or immersing yourself in the atmosphere, your choice of hotel can make or break a trip.

To guide travelers through the selection process, HuffPost asked Marini and other travel advisors to share the common mistakes people make when booking a hotel and why they try to avoid them.

“I never book the non-refundable rate unless I’m 100% sure of my plans,” said Brianna Glenn, CEO and travel consultant at Milk + Honey Travels. “Flexibility is crucial in travel and plans can change unexpectedly. I prioritize refundable or flexible rates, even if they cost a bit more, to avoid losing money if I have to adjust my stay.”

Even if you have every intention of sticking to your plans, you may face unexpected flight delays or cancellations that affect your ability to get to the hotel you booked. If you choose a fully or partially refundable option, you can at least get some of your money back when there’s a last-minute change.

“I never book without checking the cancellation policy,” said Fora travel advisor Ronit Margolis. “I prefer flexibility, especially when travel dates are not set. If there’s a strict no-cancellation policy, I buy travel insurance.”

“As a travel expert, I never pass up the opportunity to speak with someone at the hotel when booking a stay for me,” said Kareem George, founder of Culture Traveler. “I have found this to avoid unpleasant surprises such as discovering that certain amenities are not available, the presence of construction, arriving to find that a large group has taken over much of the property, etc.”

She added that calling the hotel also gives her the opportunity to learn about any special events during her stay and to request a free upgrade.

Fora travel consultant Amna Ismail agreed to call hotels before booking.

“If I have specific preferences, such as a high floor or early check-in, I always call the hotel directly to confirm availability instead of relying on the reservation notes and always following up with an email” , Ismail said.

“I’ve never set it and forgotten it after booking,” said Michael DeLucca, travel agent and founder of Otsy. “I prioritize rooms with flexible cancellation policies, especially when you’re booking heavily in advance I then manually check rates weekly or use a rate monitoring tool like Pruvo, which alerts me to price drops. This allows me to cancel and rebook at lower rates.”

He said he often saves 10 to 30 percent as hotel prices fluctuate and new promotions emerge.

“This approach ensures that I get the best price possible without falling victim to price gouging tactics or losing flexibility in my travel plans,” added DeLucca.

“I would never book a hotel in a bad location for a better price,” said Jonathan Alder, founder of Jonathan’s Travels. “Location always comes first, as it can make or break the success of your trip.”

Consider the places and restaurants you plan to visit during your trip. How long will it take to get from your accommodation to your activities? Is there good public transport? Are there specific neighborhoods you want to explore in depth?

“It may be the best hotel, but in the worst location,” said Chirag Panchal, a travel consultant at Fora. “It’s important to check that the hotel is in a safe area, convenient for the places I plan to visit while I’m staying there.”

“I never skip reviews,” said Fora advisor Caroline Bernthal. “As a consultant, I know tons of properties around the world. If someone asks for a property I don’t know about, I immediately go to the reviews. I also always check to see if they are members of any programs that I know well about vet properties, like Relais and Château and SLH.

Reviews from previous guests often include helpful information about noise levels, service quality, and more. But remember to do a thorough analysis of the whole picture. Be on the lookout for common patterns, but take certain reviews with a grain of salt.

“Never completely rely on really good and really bad reviews online,” said Fora advisor Caroline Weilert. “There’s a lot of clutter online, and generally when people take the time to write reviews, it’s for extreme viewpoints. I take them out but throw them away. It’s the balanced reviews that provide the most information to inform my own take of decisions about where to stay.”

“I never rely solely on photos provided by the hotel,” Margolis said. “Hotel photos may be misleading or outdated.”

Instead, look for reviews of photos taken by guests to get a more accurate idea of ​​the room’s size, cleanliness, and overall condition.

“With social media these days, you can search hotel tags and see photos of past guests to get a more accurate representation,” Margolis added.

“I avoid booking the cheapest room category unless I’ve checked the size and amenities,” said Ismail. “Sometimes spending a little more to upgrade can significantly improve the overall experience and get additional benefits that actually make it a better deal.”

If you know that the view of the beach helps you relax better during your hard-earned vacation, consider splurging on this little splurge.

Lower rates may also not include a bed type guarantee, which means getting two double beds or one king size. Families traveling with children should not take this gamble.

“That might be cheaper, but you leave it up to the hotel to put you in whatever room type they have available,” said Rena Shah, head of lodging and experiences at Chase Travel. “So unless you’re traveling alone, I’d avoid this. Don’t book a room without confirming the bed type.”

“Never book based on star ratings alone,” Glenn said. “Star ratings don’t always reflect the true guest experience. A five-star hotel may not always align with personal preferences for boutique or intimate accommodations, and those star ratings also mean very different things. in different parts of the world.”

He said he instead considers the hotel’s atmosphere, location and amenities to identify which option matches his travel style and trip purpose.

“I never book through a third-party channel,” said Panchal. “There’s nothing worse than showing up at a hotel to check in only to find out they’ve been oversold, and it’s most likely third-party bookings that go first.”

“Third-party online travel agency rates are also not eligible for additional benefits and hotel loyalty points, so while they may be slightly discounted, the lack of additional services often trumps bookings through these channels,” he added.

This means you are more likely to get a category upgrade or have a specific room request completed if you book directly with the hotel.

“I’ve also noticed that OTA room blocks tend to be the hotel’s least desirable inventory,” George said.

That doesn’t mean you can’t use these services to your advantage.

“I start by checking rates on popular third-party OTAs, but I never end up booking there,” DeLucca said. “After identifying the best rate via VPN or incognito mode, I call the hotel directly. Hotels are often willing to match or beat the third-party rate to avoid paying commissions and secure the reservation directly” .

“Travel between Christmas and New Year’s is often one of the busiest and most expensive times of the year,” Marini said. “Everything from flights to hotels, restaurants and activities tend to be overpriced. You pay more and get less.”

When booking a hotel room for herself, she tries to open her search to the “shoulder seasons,” which are often the best time to visit a destination in terms of hotel rates, crowds, and weather.

“I make sure I never book a normal room rate,” Panchal said. “As a travel advisor who is a preferred partner for most luxury hotels around the world, I always book through a preferred partner rate so I don’t miss out on potential upgrades, free breakfast, check-in, ‘early check-in, late check-out and other exclusive amenities.’

He believes travelers are “leaving money on the table” when they don’t consider booking through an agent with a direct connection to the hotel.

Alder agreed, saying, “I would never book a hotel without thinking about using a travel agency, as they give you better amenities at no extra cost to the hotel.”

“Also, your agent knows the best properties and destinations for your trip,” he added. “Relying only on online searches can be a disadvantage for consumers.”