After nearly two years of staring at the walls of our closely confined homes, exploring a new hotel or bed and breakfast seems like heaven. However, there are a few things you should consider when choosing a place to stay.
Even though news of the new COVID variant has put a serious damper on hope to move on from the pandemic and go back to normal, lots of people are still excited about scheduling their vacations. After all, if you've been vaccinated and are committed to wearing masks in crowded indoor spaces, it seems that things are mostly safe. So why not begin thinking about where to go and unwind? After nearly two years of staring at the walls of our closely confined homes, exploring a new hotel or bed and breakfast seems like heaven. However, there are a few things you should consider when choosing a place to stay, especially these days with things feeling a bit uncertain. Here are a few tips to keep in mind so that you can effectively plan a relaxing getaway.
Consider proximity
Maybe the very first thing you’d want to think about when booking a flight and hotel to stay is the location. It’s great if you’ve managed to book a bargain, but a hotel with a modest price tag ends up looking silly when you think about how much you’ll end up spending on transportation just to see the sights. Even if the hotel is beautiful, an absolute steal, and comes with excellent amenities, it may not be worth it if it’s located far from where you want to go. This also feeds into your schedule: if your schedule is packed and you don’t have a lot of time to spend at your destination, you’ll end up ruining your trip by not being able to travel to all sorts of places without spending hours on mass transit. It will also make your whole trip seem to be a waste of money, so definitely take the time to find a more centrally located hotel that fits your budget.
Word of mouth and research
A great hotel can be found when you simply ask trusted friends, family, or acquaintances which places are worth the extra mile. Especially in far-off locales like beautiful South Africa. Word of mouth is always the best way to ensure that a hotel or destination is well worth the cost. Failing that, you can do as much research as you can on accommodation at Zimbali, and read the reviews on different sites. These days, people hardly even go out for lunch without checking the restaurant’s reviews on Yelp first, and the same goes for accommodation. At the same time, be sure to check out the hotel’s website, since that can give you a pretty accurate feel of whether or not you would enjoy your stay. Furthermore, you will find reviews that point out issues that the hotel has addressed on their site – a good move considering that it can help clear misunderstandings while underscoring that the hotel staff cares about customer satisfaction.
Hygiene
It’s an understatement to say that the world is completely different now and that things have changed forever in the light of the pandemic. Hygiene and cleanliness are at the top of everyone's list of concerns, especially when traveling. While many older and established hotels would definitely be clean, they do tend to come with a hefty price tag. If you’re looking to find a balance between cleanliness and budgetary considerations, then you should consider booking a newer hotel. Or, look for a hotel that has been recently renovated in the last couple of years, since that means you can guarantee that it has been clean and well-maintained. In all cases, a hotel that hasn’t been renovated in the past decade may not be as clean as you would like, nor will the decor or settings be as charming as you’d need them to be after spending so much time indoors.
Prioritize your needs
It can be easy to fall down the rabbit hole of online reviews and trends, even when it comes to accommodations. At the end of the day, you should choose the hotel that works best for you. If you manage to find something that’s a bit under the radar, but with a great location, comes with an affordable price tag, and is clean, then you should go for it. World renown and relaxing amenities are always nice, but unnecessary in the grand scheme of things.
Finding a good hotel entails doing a bit of research and asking around for tips. That could be annoying, but it’s also part of the process and a bit fun. There are many wonderful places out there to explore, and after such a rough time, it makes sense for people to want to kick back and relax at a nice hotel.
