6 Features Every Hotel Should Have

Sadly, all hotels are not created equally, and if you look at any reviews online, you’re quickly going to find out that some are going to be the best thing ever while others you would not even stay for free. Have you ever thought of what every hotel should have?

While the Internet has made hotel hunting a lot easier, there are some things that you should still look out for when making a reservation, and while the hotel can have amazing reviews, what happens if they don’t have the amenities that you need?  With that being said, I have compiled a list of six things that every hotel should have when you’re ready to make your booking.

Free Internet Access

I can’t stress this one more than enough! If you plan on bringing your laptop or iPad (which I’m sure you will,) you will want to make sure that the hotel is offering free Internet.  When you arrive, the last thing that you want to do is connect to the Internet and find out that there is a $10 or $20 fee to connect.  If you rely on the Internet while on the road, make sure that you know about the hotel’s policy.

Actually this should be on the must list of all hotels. For that reason it takes the number one position in our brief list of the features that every hotel should have

The Gym

If you work out at home, I’m sure you want to keep the routine going on vacation or your business trip, right?  While many hotels do offer a gym, make sure that you know what you’re getting.  If they only offer an elliptical machine and one treadmill, then it’s probably a good chance that it will be taken at six in the morning.

Complimentary Breakfast

While most hotels offer a free breakfast, you have to find out what you’re going to get.  I once went to a hotel that boasted about a free breakfast.  Well sadly, when I went down to the lobby the size of my closet, I had found that their “free” breakfast included two-day old bagels and that’s it!  And no, I’m not exaggerating either!  While it’s nice for the hotel to offer a free breakfast, try to find out what they are going to get you.

No Noise

This is one that you’re going to often have to look at on the Internet.  If the hotel has paper thin walls, you can kiss your sweet sleep goodbye.  I once went to a hotel in down town Chicago, and if you have been here before, you probably already know that the hotels down town are rather expensive.

Well, we stayed at a reasonably priced hotel but found out later that the rooms had paper thin walls.  You could hear a regular conversation next door!  Sadly, I didn’t check the Internet to see what other people were saying.  So the lesson learned here is to make sure that you always check reviews!

Comfort

Like the noise, make sure that you look at how comfortable the mattress is.  Since you’re going to be staying here to sleep for the night, you don’t want to sleep on a brick, right?  Be sure to see what other people are saying about the bed.  If you’re readying a lot of “The beds are uncomfortable,” you may want to turn elsewhere.

Near Restaurants

There’s probably a good chance that your hotel won’t have a restaurant built inside, and that’s okay.  What you do want to look for is what’s available near you.  Since you may want to go out to eat, make sure that there are some restaurants nearby.  That way, when you’re hungry, you can walk out and grab a quick bite to eat.  Just make sure those restaurants are highly rated.

Hannah runs HowMuchIsIt.org – a website that helps you find the prices on everything ranging from new appliances to a major remodeling job.