Traveling can be an exhilarating, fulfilling experience for both the mind and the soul. But getting there and staying there requires an investment of time and money. That’s why planning in advance makes sense – and helps to ensure you’re getting the best value for your money.
A hotel is a type of accommodation, often public, that offers beds for overnight stays. Hotels provide a wide range of services and facilities to guests, such as restaurants, bars, spas, fitness centers, and business centres. Some also act as venues for conferences and events such as weddings and anniversaries.
Most hotel chains offer a fairly consistent level of quality across their brands. Repeat travelers know what to expect at Residence Inn, Super 8, or Four Seasons whether they’re in Santa Fe, Missoula, or Helsinki. Novice travellers can use sorting filters on booking sites to see only hotels that meet their price, rating (quality), or other criteria.
Many hotels prefer to work with travel agencies. Their performance is rated in part on bookings from agencies, so they’re incentivised to be nice to us. Local hotel representatives visit agencies and can be a great source of insider tips, plus hotels like to reward agencies with upgrades and welcome amenities when they can.
A boutique hotel is a property that provides a premium level of service, usually more exclusive and/or higher-priced than other hotels in the same chain or region. It may also be independently owned and operated, or it may be a brand extension of a larger hotel.