Reviews for Rome hotels

We have summarized our travel experiences and created these top ten hotel booking tips for you. A must read before starting to look for your hotel or using a hotel booking service.

1. Hotels in most major European cities are in great demand. The more flexible you are about where to stay, the more money you can save. Don’t shy away from the hotel out of the city center. Many of them are a lot cheaper, of better quality, quieter and as long as reasonable transportation is available they will work fine and make your trip very enjoyable.

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2. To find the best deal, use an established local booking service. Hotels are best at serving their guests, not selling their rooms, which is why they sell wholesale at significant discounts to hotel consolidators who in turn pass some of those deals on to you. Try to find a booking service that has a local office and a personal relationship with the hotel. We highly recommend www.SashaHotels.com – they have local offices at each of their destinations and give their customers a local phone number to call in case of any hotel emergencies. When comparing rates, look for what is included in the price. Some services will list low rates but once you add taxes, service charges and breakfast, those no longer appear to be good deals. Look for all-inclusive rates.

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3. Be patient. Real-time booking is always more expensive than “by request” since they rely on personal contracts rather than widely available computerized systems. You may have to wait for a day or two to get your confirmation but the deals are always worth it.

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4. Book as much in advance as possible. This is the best way to assure hotel availability. Ask the booking service to offer an alternative if your first-choice hotel is full. They will usually offer a comparable hotel during times of low availability, they may provide the next best thing possible.

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5. Beware of different travel periods. Hotels are always more expensive during high season, which is usually April through October and during fairs and congresses.

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6. If you have any specific requirements, make sure you let your booking service know it so that they can pass this information on to hotels.

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7. If you arrive at the hotel and absolutely hate it or feel like you have been given an inferior room, call your booking service right away and have them resolve this for you. It is much harder to issue complaints after you have already stayed at the hotel and returned from the trip.

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8. Consider alternatives to hotels especially when traveling with kids or a group of friends. Many booking services offer apartments in popular cities and those are usually cheaper and much more spacious than hotel rooms. After all, a one bedroom apartment can sleep as at least four people and cost as much as a double hotel room.

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9. Expect to get what you pay for. If you book a cheaper 2 star hotel, the rooms are likely to be smaller and bath towels a bit thin. Breakfast may also be somewhat inferior.

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10. Don’t let little things bother you and no matter what, enjoy your trip!

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