By Amy Bradley-Hole of Freaky Perfect

Traveling to a new destination is almost always fun. It’s exciting to see new scenery, check out new attractions, and find great new places to dine.

But all that newness can also be a little stressful. When you’re traveling somewhere you’ve never been before, deciding where to stay can be tricky. Is that hotel you’re considering in a safe neighborhood? Does it have the amenities you need? Is it the best value, or is there a better hotel you’ve never heard of just a block away?

My family and I have stayed at, worked at, and even lived in all types of hotels all over the world. Despite that, I still get a little nervous when it comes to choosing a hotel in an unfamiliar territory. So how do I make a decision? By following these tips, I almost never go wrong.

• First, figure out what type of hotel you need. Is this just a stop-over on a road trip? Then location matters most, and you’ll probably want something by the interstate. Staying a few nights for the trip of a lifetime? You’ll likely appreciate the comfort and service of a luxury property. Quick business trip? You probably don’t need a bellman, but that free breakfast might be very important. Also, think about whether you’d prefer a chain or independent hotel. Chain properties offer consistency and brand standards, but little excitement. Independent or boutique hotels are typically more interesting and special, but you don’t always know what you’re getting. So before you start looking, narrow down your search parameters. Figure out which amenities you need, and which you can do without. That will make your search much less overwhelming.
• Ask for recommendations. Even if I’m going to some random, far-flung destination, I always ask my social networks for advice. Ask around, and you’ll be surprised at how many friends (and friends of friends) know of a perfect hotel that’s just what you’re looking for.
• Check out the review websites, but be a savvy shopper. My favorite go-to review site is Trip Advisor. I like how it gives me a hotel’s ranking in its area.

This feature allows you to compare unknown properties very easily. When you know nothing about all the different hotels in an area, this shows you quickly and easily how a prospective hotel stands up to its competitors.

But there are two things to remember when perusing these review sites. First, ignore the stars. Star rankings are subjective and inconsistent. What one site considers a five-star property would only garner three stars on another. This makes them practically meaningless.

Second, toss out the most glowing and most horrible reviews. Some people think everything about every hotel is absolutely wonderful! And some people have an axe to grind. The truth always lies somewhere in between.

• Check out a map. Before I book a room, I always find the hotel on a map. Let’s face it — hotels embellish the truth in their marketing materials. What they consider “walking distance” may be, in reality, a mile away over a busy highway. And “quiet neighborhood” may mean “completely isolated from all the attractions.” Plus, there’s a safety factor involved. When you’re unfamiliar with your destination, you have no idea which parts of town are safe and which are sketchy. A quick glance at Street View can alert you to any abandoned buildings, iron bars on windows, or dirty, unkempt vacant lots in the vicinity of your hotel. These are all signs of a less-than-desirable location.

• Call the hotel directly. The best way to get a feel for a place is by calling it! Trust me — you can get a good idea of what kind of service a hotel provides by a quick chat with a reservations or front desk agent. (Hint: Don’t call a chain’s 800 number. Call the direct local number for the hotel.) Ask questions about the property or the area. Whoever you speak with should be willing and able to answer your inquiries with patience and care. This goes for inexpensive chain hotels and grand luxury hotels alike. You’ll know you’ve chosen the right hotel when your pre-booking and pre-arrival experiences make you happy and comfortable.

Travel should always be an adventure, but this doesn’t mean you have to take chances when it comes to finding the right place to lay your head. Take my advice, and chances are, you’ll find the perfect property for you and your needs.

Amy Bradley-Hole is a freelance writer and speaker who covers tech, travel, business and parenting. She’s a true Southern girl, but she’s lived and traveled all over the world. She blogs at Freaky Perfect about the freakiness of her not-so-perfect life. When she’s not goofing around on the internet, she dreams up new ways to drive her husband and two young boys crazy. Follow her on Twitter at @amybhole.

There’s always that moment, usually sometime in mid-February, that I throw my hands in the air and give up.  “Spring will never officially arrive” I exclaim to anyone who might be listening.  It doesn’t matter that I’ve seen it’s arrival and departure 30 times now.  It doesn’t matter that the days are getting longer.  And it doesn’t matter that, generally speaking, the worst is behind us.  I generally just give up and start believing I will have to start living the life of that notorious groundhog; if you were forced to live without the benefit of sunshine you’d most likely be the bearer of bad news as well!

It’s only after I bother to flip through my calendar that I realize there’s only a few weeks until our annual trip to the horse races.  

 

Host Springs Image Credit: Boston Public Library via Flickr

And I feel my eyes grow large with the realization.
And the butterflies in my stomach migrate back from wherever is was that they were hiding since before the holiday season.
And for the first time in several dark weeks, I realize that Spring really may come. 

I remind my husband and he reminds our mutual friends.  We force ourself to be nonchalant about it.  We make the same reservation in the same room of the same bed and breakfast and the same reservations that we made last year and the year before.  We whisper about the weather forecast, knowing that if we dare to speak in normal tones we will jinx our chances of enjoying our first chance of pink skin this early in the year.  

And it’s in those mid weeks when the world is gradually growing lighter and warmer and even occasionally dusted by the occasional snow that we realize that our repeated actions from years past that have grown into the sweet traditions that quite literally add sunshine and warmth to our lives.

I highly recommend adding an element of tradition to your travels whenever you can.

 

What are some ways that you have added tradition to your travel?

 

Paige is a creative, a blogger, and a believer in the power of community and red lipstick.  Check her out at http://www.approachingjoy.com/ or on social media @approaching_joy.

Written by Whitney Jordan of Polka-Dotty Place

I have fond memories of traveling with my family when I was young.  My parents planned several road trips -from Indiana to New York, Indiana to California and lots of little trips in between.  At the time, I wasn’t thrilled about spending hours in the close quarters of our car, but I always enjoyed the trips.  I have many happy memories of traveling with my family so I wanted to be sure to make traveling a priority when I had my own family.

My husband also loves to travel and we started making plans together as soon as we got engaged.  He planned our honeymoon to Disney World and loved researching great deals for hotels, rental cars and restaurants.  I loved planning the details of sights to see, road trip snacks, packing for the family and finding fun things to do while we were tourists.  Those roles have continued throughout our almost 10 years of marriage.   My husband gets daily emails from hotel and travel sites to keep him up to date on the current deals and we have also done some off season traveling to save money.  You don’t have to spend tons of money to travel with your family.  You can pack food to save money, stay in affordable hotels that serve breakfast and you can get local deals on-line for activities you are planning to do.

We have lived away from “home” our entire married life.  We were both raised in Indiana and have lived in Utah and Arkansas for our married years.  We’ve flown and driven home more times than I can count.  It’s important to us to make it home as much as we can especially for big holidays, special family events and for extended trips when we can.  We are lucky to have family come to visit us and we always enjoy being tour guides for their travels.

I am thankful for my husband because he plans so many fun adventures for our family.  I like to be home and enjoy routines.  He appreciates that, but also knows that we will have a great time together on the trips he plans.  We’ve always traveled on a tight budget.  We don’t stay at the fanciest hotels, eat the nicest dinners but we do splurge on special things here and there.  He will sometimes clear plans with me in advance and other times surprise me with a little getaway.  I love him for taking the time to do special things for us.  He’s a fan of making memories too!

We have a 9 month old baby girl and she’s already traveled more than 10,000 road trip miles in her little life.  We’ve moved across the country (Utah to Arkansas), taken several trips and she is an amazing traveler.  We pack all of her familiar toys, blankets and favorite items.  We try to keep her routine, bring lots of toys and snacks for the car and she does great in hotels.  She really doesn’t know any different and we’re hoping she’ll grow up loving to go on our family adventures.

We made the decision to decorate our home with pictures from our trips.  I take tons of pictures when we are traveling, print them and then decorate our home.  We currently have pictures on display from: Mt. Rushmore, Jackson, Wyoming , San Francisco, Indiana, Mexico and Utah.  We love reminiscing about those fantastic trips together and each time we glance at the pictures we are flooded with happy memories.  We even have a special travel themed Christmas tree.  We pick out a local ornament from all of the places we travel and add to our collection each year.

Do you travel with your family?  Where do you like to go?  I’d love to hear your family friendly travel recommendations.  I hope you plan some fun adventures for your entire family and make some special memories in the process.

Hello!  My name is Whitney and I blog at Polka-Dotty Place.  I am a new mom and my family recently moved to Arkansas.  We are enjoying the state and like to spend our weekends exploring our new home.  I love to take pictures, blog, organize, make lists, bake, accessorize, do DIY projects and watch football.  I am always looking to make new bloggy friends so please stop by and say hi.