As a true nomad without a permanent address, I spend most of my life in hotels, like Eloise, the Plaza’s famously precocious (fictional) guest. I’m hosted at hotels frequently because of my career as a travel journalist, and I also book into them on my own dime — I gave up my apartment nearly a decade ago, and “rent” is what I consider my hotel budget. I’ve learned through experience how to make the most of my stays; here are some of my tips for getting the best out of yours: Hotels brag about all of their great amenities, but in reality, most guests barely use any of them.
If the resort has a chic rooftop bar that’s open late, but you like getting to bed early and hitting the gym in the morning, then check the gym hours and equipment. Maybe there’s a nice spa and a pool, but will you have time to use them, or is it more important to you that the room service is high quality and fast since you’ll be stuck on meetings all day in your room? Think about what will make you happy for this particular stay and book accordingly. Hotels always prefer that you book directly with them, rather than through a third party like Expedia, or .
They have to pay a commission to these websites, and there can be miscommunications with your reservation that the front desk can’t fix when there is a third party involved with the booking. When you book directly, you have more flexibility and are more likely to be granted perks such as early check-in, late checkout and upgrades. Fo.