There are so many kinds of hotels, be they small or large, luxurious or economical, hotels located on a beach or close to a railway station or airport, and hotels for tourist or business guests. .

They might be small and inexpensive little hotels, hotels with charming atmospheres, castles that take in guests, or country inns famous for their gourmet cooking, and of course hotels belonging to well-known national or international chains, such as Sheraton, Hilton or Holiday Inn. 

Identifying your needs

First of all, it's important to know what you're looking for, what you want, and above all, why.  And of course your choice will depending on whether you're planning a business trip, a long stay or you want to plan one part of an excursion.

For a business trip, you'll want to consider the proximity to an airport, to a convention center or to your client's offices, etc. You'll be influenced by the availability of services such as telex, fax, conference room, photocopies, and also the efficiency and speed of service available from hotel personnel.  The surrounding environment is less important, since you're there on business and for you time is invaluable. You'll therefore to stay in a place that is comfortable but most importantly, practical.

For a pleasure trip, your choice will be influenced by many other things that might appeal to you, such as proximity to or variety of tourist attractions, swimming pool, gourmet restaurants or discotheques.  But your decision will also depend on the reason for your trip.  If you're taking this trip for some particular reason (honeymoon, renewal of marriage vows, a special occasion), then perhaps you'd really prefer to spoil yourself and stay in a more outstanding hotel, such as a castle or a hotel famous for its great luxury?

Deciding on your financial limitations

Obviously, price is a significant factor and your choice will depend on your financial means (or by your access to credit). The budget you can afford is thus one of your most important criteria.

If you're planning to go backpacking to explore some country or region, then you'll want to find accommodations more suited to a limited budget. Thus, you'll most likely be thinking of more economical hotels, and not a castle or luxury hotel.

Deciding on the type of trip

If your trip is to be an excursion by car, you might think about reserving hotels located outside of the city? First of all, it will be easier to park your car, and the more economical hotels or those with more atmosphere are usually outside of the city, rather than downtown.  For example in France there's a chain of 1-star hotels that have rooms for one, two or three persons at 159 francs (approximately $US 23) per night. These hotels are very practical and especially very economical, given the country.

Knowing how to "read" prices and advertising

You should be aware that there are not many miracles in this business.  How could you possibly hope to find a room at US$ 3 a night in Thailand that is anything other than a simple straw mattress in a room with no conveniences, or just a simple bed in a dormitory?  If you are interested in these hotels (and there are lots of them in Asia, especially in Thailand, Vietnam, India or elsewhere) then you probably wouldn't have much luck finding them on the Web. Even if you did, you'd be better off better waiting and looking around once you arrive before deciding, and especially before paying!...

Also, in a country where the standard of living is lower than ours the variations in hotel rates depend on whether or not they cater to foreign tourists or to inhabitants of the country.  For example in a country like Morocco, if you find an international class hotel at $40 per night and also a hotel at $5 a night, don't be surprised if the latter has only shared bathrooms and Turkish-style toilets.

Pleasant or unpleasant surprises are always possible. Before you decide on a hotel, there are ways of checking or at least getting an idea of the quality, and that's by looking at the hotel's category.

Not all countries assign the same classification system for their hotels.  Some require that rigorous classification systems be used and insist on strict controls, while others are more flexible.  Most have however have adopted the star system for categorizing their hotels, where 5 stars refers to a luxury hotel, but others may use terms such as luxury, superior, first class, standard, etc.

It is generally agreed that classifications fall into one of 6 categories from 0 to 5, where 5 is the highest and thus the most expensive.  In an attempt to standardize these categories and to make choices easier, we have adopted the following levels:

5-Star Hotel
High Degree of Luxury and Tradition. High level of comfort.  Exceptional facilities in terms of layout and comfort, and also provides an abundance of conveniences.


4-Star Hotel
Superior First Class, Superior Comfort. Provides top-of-the-line facilities plus a broad range of services and conveniences.


3-Star Hotel
First Class, Very Comfortable. Quality layout of premises, including several services and conveniences.


2-Star Hotel
Standard, Comfortable. Quality layout with some services and conveniences.


1-Star Hotel
Economical, Elementary Comfort. Layout and comfort in conformity with norms and imposed standards.


Unclassified Hotel
Economical. Minimal Comfort. Layout and services may vary.

IIt should be noted that the hotels themselves submit their category levels to us, and that we are able to verify them.

Hotels are not the only types of accommodation possible when travelling.  You might consider the option of renting an apartment.