Do you ever wonder what it takes to choose the best hotel room? Well, as luxury hotel specialists, we have traveled far and wide visiting various hotels and have collected our own internal library of notes and knowledge over the years. While we don’t always know everything about every room at every hotel, we have a few pro tips that could help you plan your next trip and make sure you have a top-notch hotel experience.
Know Thyself…
Let your decisions be made by the drive of your priorities! The room that is the best fit for your needs may not be the best conventional room at the hotel. Sometimes, a smaller room with a balcony is more valuable than a larger room that lacks privacy- we see this often with parents traveling with a new baby. That balcony can be your sanity saver during bedtime when you want to stay up later, but don’t want to risk making noise and risk waking the baby!
Determine your priorities! If you stay in a big city, you may just be using the room to shower and sleep, so the view, while nice, isn’t that important. But if you are staying at a resort and spending most of your time at the property, you may want that beautiful view. And sometimes, booking a higher room category isn’t necessarily about a larger space and better view. Every hotel is different, however, some accommodation features worth investing in are independent units that exude privacy, with full size private pools and dedicated butlers. By investing in premium accommodations, you’re paying for a noticeable difference — like that standalone Casita positioned at the end of the property. One less neighbor and direct beach access is a wise investment!
Pro tip: At COMO Parrot Cay, invest in the houses or villas. Besides a better view, here you are paying for direct beach access, exclusivity (privacy), full size pools, dedicated butler service and close proximity to the resort’s restaurants and amenities. When booking the Two Bedroom Beach House, request the last unit on the end of the beach for the most private location for this accommodation!
Make a personal connection with a travel advisor!
Consult with (and book through) a travel advisor who has a relationship with the hotel, who has done a site inspection, and who can access a network of insider information from other colleagues. This will not only ensure you receive the best room location, but you’ll also receive the best in terms of prioritized VIP service and experience… which sometimes even includes a complimentary room upgrade at check in!
Don’t be afraid to let your advisor get to know you! Instead of just asking for the best hotel or room in the destination, ask which specific hotel/room will work best for you based on your requests and interests for that specific trip. Establishing a relationship with your travel advisor helps guarantee a more personalized and valuable stay.
Pro tip: At Four Seasons Los Cabos at Costa Palmas, the most popular accommodation among our clients is the Oceanfront Room With Plunge Pool. For this specific accommodation, ask your trusty travel advisor to request building 2500, as this room location is closest to and faces directly towards the beach!
Think about price vs. value
Sometimes paying a little extra for a room will pack a huge punch-adding value to the experience. Four Seasons Hotels is a great example of this—they never charge resort fees, their kids club is complimentary and many of their resorts supply complimentary sunscreen by the pool – all of these little perks add up to huge value.
Another example, paying that little bit extra for Club Level access makes all the difference! Think complimentary breakfast, lunch, appetizers, and drinks all throughout the day! As well as a luxurious space to relax that isn’t your room.
Avoid booking through Online Travel Agencies (OTAs like Expedia, hotels.com, Amex FHR, etc.)
Sure, you’ll get instant gratification, but that won’t make up for the lack of customer service or quality attention to your questions. With a dedicated travel advisor, not only do you get prioritized, top-notch communication, we also aim to add personal touches to your reservation based on your overall preferences.
Pro-tip: If an OTA is ever offering an amenity or inclusion that we aren’t, that doesn’t mean we can’t access it for you! For example, if an OTA is offering a guaranteed late check-out and that’s what you require… tell us! Not only do we have a dedicated contact at every affiliated hotel, we have a relationship with our partner, and together, we want the best for YOU as our mutual client. And sometimes this means securing that guaranteed late check-out for you!
Don’t get lost in the crowd
Find ways to make your reservation stand out from the rest. Try booking with a consortia like Virtuoso where your reservation will get an automatic VIP designation with the hotel managers. With Virtuoso, you can even book online now to get the best of both worlds: instant gratification when you want a fast response time and a VIP experience during your stay. You’ll also get some pretty sweet complimentary amenities, which can make a slightly more expensive hotel completely worth it in the end! To learn more about the Virtuoso booking tool, you can read our blog post on its benefits and easy use!
All about that space
If space is important to you, research room size and pay attention to square footage on the hotel websites – when comparing different hotels or deciding if it is worth a splurge on a higher room category, it sometimes helps to think in cost per square foot just like you would in real estate. Know the conversion to square meters before researching international hotels so you have a good feel of the space you’re buying.
Bathrooms are a key component of a great hotel stay
Do you want a bathtub, a separate shower, or both? Would it help your significant other or family if you had a separate water closet? If having extra towels will make your morning go smoother, ask for them in advance to avoid disappointment.
You get what you pay for
Luxury brands will have more comfortable mattresses and bedding; thicker and fluffier towels; and nicer bathroom amenities.
Also, consider the view and what you’re willing to pay for – know when it matters to you if you have an ocean view or a parking lot view. In many cases, the footprint of a room will be exactly the same and the only thing you’re paying for with the higher room categories is the view… is it worth it for you?
While we know a lot, we don’t know EVERYTHING. So, we also do a little researching ourselves every now and then. We also make sure we experience the amenities the hotels have to offer, inspect different hotel brands and get to know the hotel so we can give you a clear idea of what you will get! Clearly, we’re passionate about this topic! We hope you find this information helpful and use these pro tips next time you’re in search of the best hotel room for your travels.
To help you choose the best hotel room for you at your next destination, reach out to our team at [email protected] or submit a travel request form.
