The Secret Life of Hotels: Finding the right one.

As most of you know I have spent many years studying and working in the hotel business. Heck, some of you were right there studying with me! Well, after many months on the job, I noticed the lack of knowlage the public has about the hotel system. So as a service to the public, I have devised a on going column. Not only will you save money on your next trip, but you might make a desk clerk very happy.

So, you decided to stay in a hotel for your next trip. How do you know you are getting a good deal. Well the answer is you don't. Since service is not a something you can mass produce, it hard to tell what you are getting into. That's why research is key. Before you book any room look at what they offer, location, and any awards they may have won. This is why many people in our field still go through travel agents.

A professor once told me that a travel agent it like a good barber. You have to trust them with your outcome. If it good, you will come to them back again and again. This is true. But, why go to one in the first place? Well, agents unlike most jobs are given trips by companies in order to give them an experience to sell their product. So they can give you a real world experience of what a trip might be like. Sadly thanks to internet travel agents, most have had to charge a small booking fee to stay in business. But its pennies to compared the quality of your trip and hotel experience!

So what of the internet? Well, if convince is your game than by all means go for it. But here's some things to be aware of: all hotel descriptions are posted by a hotel employee not by an agent who's actually stayed there. I know, I've done one for Hotels.com. We are given a email with a small box and asked to describe the hotel. Of course we candy coat everything with nice words like "sparkling indoor pool and spa." And guest reviews are sometimes posted by employees of the company. So be weary. Oh there are more pros and cons to the internet that I will get to on the next chapter.

Finally, you could call the hotel directly. This is one of the best ways to find out about the hotel. The desk clerk can keep you up to date with any changes on services and amenities, not to mention location and all that good stuff. But call during slow times, about 1PM to 3PM, if you have a lot of questions. You won't get much out of us during the busy hours.