How I Choose a Hotel
I must admit, I really love (lovely) hotels! I particularly appreciate a hotel that I look forward to returning to after a day of exploring, or sometimes that I do not want to venture forth from at all. Then, there is nothing better than returning again after dinner to find the curtains drawn, the lights dimmed, and everything ready for bed. I am very much a sucker for turndown service!
I put a lot of thought into choosing hotels, both for myself and for my clients. While everyone’s priorities are different, these are the things I look at before making a decision.
I always start with the location, and I mean the actual location, not simply the neighborhood named on the hotel website. I look at the map, nearby restaurants, transportation, and what walking out the front door will really be like. In a city, I generally want to step outside and immediately feel part of it. Bairro Alto Hotel is a personal favorite city hotel, because it’s polished and luxurious inside, but the second you walk out the door, you are right in the middle of Lisbon with Tram 28 rattling by and my favorite pasteis de nata right across the square at Manteigaria (open to discussing the ins and outs of best pasteis anytime!).
Next, I decide how much time I will realistically spend at the hotel. On a busy city trip, I may prioritize location, a comfortable room, and excellent breakfast over a beautiful pool or spa I won’t have the opportunity to use. For a beach vacation, my personal go-to if we’re being honest, the hotel is a much bigger part of the trip. Here, the water swimmability, restaurants, service, and overall atmosphere matter enormously! Four Seasons Seychelles remains one of my favorite stays because the setting is extraordinary and the entire experience feels effortless.
Speaking of Four Seasons, I love the consistency of a great luxury brand, but I find myself frequently gravitating towards hotels with more local flair. La Mamounia in Marrakech is unforgettable because its history, gardens, flowers, and grandeur all feel inseparable from the destination. I am of the opinion, usually-but-not-always, that a hotel should remind me where I am, not feel like it could have been dropped into any city or island in the world.
When it comes to rooms, when booking for myself or a client, I usually start one or two categories above the entry-level (and hope for partner-perks upgrade from there!). I also frequently will reach out and directly ask my hotel contacts which category they consider the best starting point before booking, because room names alone tell you almost nothing. Sometimes moving up gets you much more space, a better layout, or a balcony for a relatively small difference in price. Other times, you are mainly paying for the view. I do love a little room to breathe, and I am not always willing to trade space for scenery. In a city, the view may not matter very much. At a beach or resort hotel, it may be half the point!
I check both public guest reviews and internal feedback from other advisors who have recently stayed at or booked the hotel. I pay particular attention to what people say about the staff, especially how they handled a problem, which often tells me more than how things went when everything was perfect. I also look especially for details that come up repeatedly, including the less glamorous ones: outlets beside the bed, somewhere to open a suitcase, enough bathroom hooks, shampoo and conditioner readily available, and whether the bathroom has a real door. One angry review means little, but twenty mentions of poor soundproofing, impossible pool loungers, or unreliable air conditioning mean it’s on to the next.
After all of that, I usually have a pretty clear winner. It has to make sense for the trip, of course, but staying there should be a large part of the trip’s excitement!
Our room at La Mamounia in Marrakech, with a double balcony overlooking the palace hotel’s legendary gardens and plenty of room to stretch out (plus fabulous turndown service!)