Booking Your Hotel Online? Keep an Eye Out for These 10 Red Flags

Often, when we look into a hotel for our trip, the first thing we pull up is the hotel gallery. Nothing gives you a better idea of what to expect than actual photographs, but be warned: this is often one of the easiest ways to mislead potential guests and is typically one of the more obvious red flags.

If a photo seems overly airbrushed or tweaked with Photoshop, this should be a red flag. On the other end, if the photos are blurred or appear outdated, this should also raise some questions. A professional hotel will ensure their photos are both updated and accurately represent what is being offered to their guests, it’s as simple as that.

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Scrolling down past the glossy images and flashy “sale” banners, you may come across some microscopic font near the bottom of the page – this is the fine print, and this is often the spot many travellers neglect to read. Ever arrived at a hotel and inquired about something that was promised upon booking? Or some special that you were advised would be on during your stay? The fine print is where you’ll be able to get a jumpstart on what exactly the limitations of those promises and specials are – before you commit.

To avoid any surprises, always read the fine print – those are usually the most important – and revealing – details when it comes to the nitty gritty of where you’ll be staying.

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A tropical destination does not guarantee a serene, tropical hotel, and not every “beach hotel” is actually located on a beach. Don’t be fooled by hotel names and taglines – do the homework and look into exactly where the hotel is situated. Often, it doesn’t take much more than a quick Google search to get a feel for what areas are the most tourist-friendly, and it doesn’t hurt to see for yourself just how close to the water and other local hotspots your hotel actually is.

Nothing is worse than arriving to your hotel only to find yourself a pricey cab ride away from everything you’d hoped to see and do while there. Typically, paying a little more for a hotel that offers the convenience of prime location will more than make up for itself by the time your trip is through.

Don’t take the hotel’s word for it and avoid the trappings of overzealous reviews that have been cherry-picked for their site by the hotel. Get an honest opinion from sites like TripAdvisor.ca, where you’ll be able to not only see the good and bad reviews, but also compare hotel ratings when it comes to things like location, beach, food and everything in between.

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While we’re talking about reviews, be sure to have a look below each review – good and bad – to see if hotel management has taken the time to reply to the comments posted. Pay attention to the professionalism of the replies by management, in particular, to those negative guest reviews. Did management address their concerns respectfully or did they reply with a defensive tone? This is a great way to get a feel for the level of customer service you’ll be dealing with once you arrive for your stay.

With travel sites being more user-friendly than ever, professional companies have really taken care to ensure their websites represent the very best of their brand. When it comes to hotels, you should expect an updated site with current information and easy-to-navigate booking options. An outdated website that has you limited on what you can learn about the hotel without physically calling in should raise some major red flags in 2017.

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Outside of photos, hotel websites will typically always designate an area of the site which details everything you need to know about the hotel building itself, as well as the physical room details and on-site amenities. Some websites will even allow for potential guests to take 3D web tours through the hotel, available rooms and hotel grounds.

If you’re finding minimal details on the building itself, rooms or grounds, this should be a red flag. Any hotel looking to promote itself positively should be happy to give full details about what guests can expect upon arrival – not lure you into booking blindly.

When booking a hotel, be wary of misleading phrasing. Things like “located by the water” might actually mean the hotel is a few blocks shy of a beach, and “many luxury services included” may really mean that those services are available, but only at additional costs, which are not actually “included” in your price.

When researching your hotels and narrowing them down, make note of any offerings or phrases that seem vague and make a point to directly inquire about them prior to booking. As a tip, getting these clarifications made via email ensures you have something more official in hand than a “he said, she said” phone call to reference, in the event of a miscommunication upon arrival.

While it’s unfair to judge a hotel based entirely on its vacancy, it should raise a red flag if you find a hotel to be unpopular during your destinations’ peak travel seasons. During these times, it’s very common to find many room styles sold out for some of the more popular hotels; so with that in mind, it may be worth doing a little digging through the hotel reviews to ensure it’s not vacant for any negative reasons.

While no one likes to consider the idea of bed bugs, this remains a major concern for travellers booking hotel stays. Bed bugs and room cleanliness in general is not only a concern for run-down motels, and many 5-star hotels have been found guilty in this department over the past several years. Fortunately, sites like BedBugReports.com provide visitors with a search engine that will identify if hotels been flagged for bed bugs, so you can be sure you won’t be sharing your bed with any unwanted critters – and yes, they offer a Canadian search engine as well!