Whats your booking killer?

[wandering_fred]

A series of hotel rooms where the rates will add up to more than the air fares?

But you can tell I consider 3* to be at the luxury end.....
Probably in the last 15 years I only have one el cheapo (Singapore) that I wouldn't go back to....
Though there are a couple I wouldn't recommend for families...

The important bit is the wandering
Fred

 

[Scarlett]

Killers:
- a bed in a dorm
- or on the floor (bedrolls and sleeping bags I'm done with!)
- or anywhere insects can't otherwise be excluded (that one damn mozzie that you hear a minute after turning the light out!)
- hotels in red light districts or with drug dealers about
- smoking premises
- nightclubs close by
- Y. Overnight. Without a rest day immediately after!

That's probably about it.

We've stayed in a room that had no fresh water... ambient temp sea water plumbing only! (but on an island about 10m from the water)
And a EUR20 room in the middle of Cairo a short stroll from the former Egyptian museum: wet bathroom and all.
And a portacabin at Three-Ways

(to make up for the above, the family Scarlett have also stayed at a Shangri-La in the Maldives, a beachfront villa in Fiji, and on Piccadilly...). Sometimes it's about the location, sometimes it's about the journey!

 

[clipped_wings]

Great thread @Denali

I research more than I probably should - but browsing all those gorgeous hotel rooms is part of the fun nowadays.

Thank God we have the internet. You can peruse the Hotel's website and get a fair indication of what you're likely to get.

30 years ago it wasn't as easy.

Mr Clipped and I once planned a romantic holiday to Bali (pre-kids and pre-Windows'94). We relied on those fancy, glossy brochures in the travel agent and booked what we thought was a splendid sabbatical, in a splendid suite - in a splendid hotel in Bali....

We arrived to find a rather grand Reception area and were instantly enchanted. The clerk handed our room key over and a bell boy walked us to our room. Past the gorgeous gardens. Past the exquisite villas with their courtyards. Past the immense pool area and coughtail bar. Past the beautiful, laughing guests with their beautiful banana daiquiris. Past the back gate. Past the hot, humid and smelly laundry and down some dingy lane way.

We arrived at what could best be described as a Kings Cross side street on a Saturday night. Our room was a coughroach-ridden second floor unit. I believe it was the Hotel's servant quarters. There was a rusty bath - full of rusty water, a small bar fridge that had the door sticky-taped shut - and the ultimate insult: a spindly, rickety single bed. For two people. We marched straight back and demanded to know what was going on. How surprising that they lost their command of English. They somehow explained to us that the perfectly acceptable room was all they had. We threatened to leave, but after the convenient appearance of more money - we were promised a better room for the rest of our 10 day stay - on the proviso that we occupy the slum suite for one night. Exhausted - we agreed and handed over a ridiculous surcharge.

We stayed the night and broke the bed. I'm sure there were only two screws left in it. Now, before, y'all hail Mr Clipped as a stud - there was LITERALLY two metal screws holding it together.

Next day, we were presented with a fabulous villa overlooking that fabulous pool. Our much-larger (King) bed held together for the rest of our holiday - and nine months later, we welcomed our firstborn daughter.

True Story.

 

[p--and--t]

A queen sized bed is fine and not a deal breaker - as long as I am the only one in it.

Otherwise a King or two large singles or two queens.

 

[Hvr]

Our much-larger (King) bed held together for the rest of our holiday - and nine months later, we welcomed our firstborn daughter.

And what does your daughter think about being conceived while her father broke the bed?

 

[clipped_wings]

And what does your daughter think about being conceived while her father broke the bed?

We tried to explain it once. But she curled up in the foetal position and started sucking her thumb. She was eighteen.

 

[Berlin]

Great thread!

We try to stay in 4 or ideally 5 star properties only and stick to the main brands we got points with. So a place that only has a dodgy little Accor hotel and otherwise no chain accommodation at all must have REALLY great winyards for us to be even considered. Also- aircon is a must, rain shower a real plus and as many others have said, if there's even the slightest sniff of "child friendly" we try to avoid at all cost. Unfortunately, it's far too rare to find an adult only property so often you've got no choice.

Which brings me to the plus sides that encourage booking- pool, outdoors ideally, is a real biggie for us as is a balcony. Many people actually don't use either, we can manage to spend half our holiday by the pool and on our balcony so it matters. And if there's an adult only pool or adult only hotel wing, that's a main incentive to book.

Finally, and I know that's not really what is asked here, the bed type can be a hit and miss because you never know when booking: My absolute pet hate is booking a "King room" and then you end up with those damn two singles pushed together- Australian Hyatt hotels are a Master at this in my experience but I've seen it elsewhere too. Worst is if you complain (usually in the middle of the night and after a long flight) and the staff plays totally ignorant and refuses to give you the proper bed type that you had actually booked (Shangri-La Cairns, I am looking at you... Never again!) while being able to see on their system EXACTLY what mattress the room has.

Of course, with that, hotels just want the cake and eat it too- if they get a big rich family, they can dump their squeakers into the connecting room with the two singles next to the parents. And if there are not enough big rich families (surprise!), then they shove the two singles together and hope that no one notices (we always notice). Or as one check in lady at the Hyatt Grand in Melbourne told me not so long ago: "Sorry sir, but it's much better from a revenue perspective". Well- at least that was honest!

 

[Seat0B]

I'm also starting to think that non-refundable rates are a deal breaker for me at the moment. I've had generous experiences with agoda, booking.com and Accor allowing refunds (some with a bit of pushing from me) during this pandemic, but in the future, I think I will only be booking something that has a no questions asked refund policy.

 

[Happy Dude]

Price is the main killer for me. All the rest is compromise.

 

[Stealthflyer]

I'm also starting to think that non-refundable rates are a deal breaker for me at the moment. I've had generous experiences with agoda, booking.com and Accor allowing refunds (some with a bit of pushing from me) during this pandemic, but in the future, I think I will only be booking something that has a no questions asked refund policy.

Definitely. I used to go for the cheapest non-refundable room. I’ve got a few intrastate bookings coming up and free cancellation was number one on my list. From what I’ve seen, a lot of Tasmanian operators have free cancellation on direct bookings, but not if booked through a OTA.

 

[bPeteb]

This we didn’t know about until after we walked into the room. Not a killer but we might have thought twice about it...

 

[VPS]

That's another thing that photos don't always tell you. The may have a standalone shower but you need to be a mountain goat to get in it, you can't turn around in it and it's very inelegant when you're trying to get out of the shower.

 

[Seat0B]

This we didn’t know about until after we walked into the room. Not a killer but we might have thought twice about it...View attachment 222889View attachment 222890

Now that is just odd. Imagine getting yourself an early morning cuppa and then turning around to....an eyeful!

 

[DC3]

This we didn’t know about until after we walked into the room. Not a killer but we might have thought twice about it ...

It is a killer. Downright nasty.

Edit: And thank you for sharing. Will there be more photos to come?

 

[bPeteb]

It is a killer. Downright nasty.

Edit: And thank you for sharing. Will there be more photos to come?

In long, nooooooooooo

 

[clipped_wings]

This we didn’t know about until after we walked into the room. Not a killer but we might have thought twice about it...View attachment 222889View attachment 222890

You win.

 

[Happy Dude]

This we didn’t know about until after we walked into the room. Not a killer but we might have thought twice about it...

The fact that it's a spa too puts it into the AUS definition of "luxury". Less so for not having a ceiling and tiles in the above unit (presumably) would mean that you'll get to know your upstairs neighbour's movements intimately.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

So whats your travel booking deal breaker?

Well the two main ones for me are:

Location, location, location is normally the most important aspect for me that I will trade off quality, or other aspects, for. The exception is if the accommodation is the destination in itself.

But being in the right location for me will (in normal times anyway!!!) mean that the accommodation is less important as I will be out and about more, and hardly in the room at all.

So if in a city to be an easy walk of the things I want to see, and things like restaurants cafes etc, and yes near appropriate public transport to. That way unless I am car touring, a car is not required either.

Noise. Tripadvisor has many uses, but a particular one is that it will identify if that charming looking accommodation actually is too close to a nightclub, bar, road, railway, alley that the local teenagers party in or just has paper thin walls that the website does not mention.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

What I look for:
Breakfast included in the rate;

With my slowing metabolic rate, these days I often prefer to not have breakfast included. Otherwise my travels tend too have myself gaining too much weight.

 

[bPeteb]

The fact that it's a spa too puts it into the AUS definition of "luxury". Less so for not having a ceiling and tiles in the above unit (presumably) would mean that you'll get to know your upstairs neighbour's movements intimately.

Were you up there, with a toddler running around screaming, until midnight our first night?