Booking a top hotel suite is something that we get to do on just a few special occasions in our lives. Mostly for that honeymoon or special romantic vacation, booking posh hotel rooms isn’t something we do everyday, and often the process can seem daunting if you don’t know what to expect. Luckily, we’ve got all that covered for you – the ins and outs of booking that special hotel suite along with what to look for when securing your reservation.
Choosing the Perfect Suite
Choosing the perfect hotel suite for your trip very much depends in the first instance on what your trip is for. For example, your needs on a business trip will differ greatly from your needs on a romantic vacation or honeymoon. Depending on your requirements, you may require something quite basic or something lavish for the occasion. The best way to determine the quality of a given suite, aside from photographs of the interior, is to use what’s called the ‘circumstantial’ test – that is, to consider the circumstances surrounding that particular hotel suite:
- Has that particular hotel a good reputation?
- What is the hotel’s star rating?
- What is the nightly room rate for that particular suite?
- How does that compare to the rates for other suites in the same hotel?
- Is the hotel located in a good neighbourhood?
- Does it mostly appeal to the business, casual stay or vacation market?
- What kind of clients does the hotel normally attract? What are they likely to be able to afford for the more lavish suites?
By weighing up this non-exhaustive list of circumstances, you should be able to gauge how a particular suite compares and how well it’s likely to fit your needs, whether that be for your next business trip or for your honeymoon.
Do you really get what you pay for?
A common misconception in booking hotel suites is that paying more will secure a more luxurious suite. This is, in fact, a fallacy, and room rates only have a correlation with room quality within the specific hotel to which they relate. In order to compare, you also need to know data from surrounding hotels including the prices they charge for their suites, amongst a variety of other factors. If you’re looking to find out which hotel in your area may have the best suite, the answer is to look for recommendations rather than go solely based on price. By learning from other people’s experiences of the kind of suite you’re opting for, by searching online forums or communities, you will be better placed to form an opinion on where you want to stay and the quality of hotel suite you’re likely to find.
Reputation also plays a role in many decisions as to where to stay. Whilst that isn’t necessarily the best way to make a decision, you are guaranteed quality accommodation in any of the big name hotel chains, although this may be outwith your budget constraints. However by booking well in advance or last-minute, you can realise a saving on the headline room rate whilst still taking advantage of the same, quality suite.
Choosing a hotel suite can be scary, but provided you do a bit of background research on the market prior to booking, you should be able to find yourself a satisfactory deal. And remember – if the suite doesn’t live up to the hotelier’s promises, you’re more than entitled to demand better service.
