Travelers these days are often confronted with the task of finding nice accommodations at reasonable rates. Unfortunately, the two usually do not go hand in hand. For budget conscious travelers, there are still minimum requirements that all hotels should have in order to make the stay pleasant.
The catch phrase when it comes to real estate is “location, location, location.” Location is also important in picking a hotel. Most luxury hotels have prime real estate locations, close to glamorous part of town and close to major tourist attractions and businesses. Value hotels, though, may be a little bit further away from the center of action. When picking a value hotel, it is important to be aware of where the hotel is situated. No matter how cheap the rate is, it may not be worth staying there if it makes travel to and from destinations time consuming and costly because of long transit times. An inexpensive hotel needs to have easy access to public transportation that can save guests on cab and rental car fees.
Most value hotels do not have restaurants or in house dining options. Because of this, it is important to stay in an inexpensive hotel that is close to restaurants and other places where a guest can purchase food.
Another aspect of the hotel’s location that needs to be considered is the safety of the neighborhood around it. The last thing that travelers need to worry about is being the victim of a crime while on their trip. As such, all hotels should have reasonable security measures in place to help protect their visitors. On site security should be available 24 hours a day. The outside facade of the hotel should be well lit as should all stairwells and parking garages. Hotel rooms themselves also need some measure of security. The door locks need to be secure to everyone except guests and hotel employees. Also, all hotel room doors need to be equipped with chain locks or their equivalents.
A hotel room needs to be clean and have a regular staff cleaning schedule. Hotel guests should expect clean bed linens and towels and sanitary bathroom conditions. As far as room amenities go, the bare minimum one should expect is a bed and a table and chair for sitting. Even though these days many people carry mobile phones, not all phone networks reach all areas. For this reason, a value hotel should also have free access to local telephone numbers. Finally, even the most inexpensive hotels have access to televisions with basic local channels.
Traveling on a budget is a necessity for many travelers. A good hotel need not be expensive, however it does need to have a few necessities like good access to transportation, safety, and cleanliness. By checking travel guides and online reviews, finding an inexpensive hotel is easier than ever.
