Anon

I'm curious, how does everyone decide what to pay for hotels? I could afford it, and splurge in other aspects of my life, but would never think to spend, say, $200 a night on somewhere to sleep (I'd rather buy a nice pair of shoes LOL). Other people I know will only stay in the top rated hotel in a given city, regardless of the cost. Interested to hear differing opinions on this...

bettyk

On an upcoming trip to Germany, Austria, Switzerland and London in May, half the hotels I have booked are 3* and under $100 a night, others are 4*<BR><BR>Rothenburg - Roter Hahn, nice hotel center of town $75<BR>Vienna - Hotel Admiral, close to the Ringstrasse - $90<BR>Hallstatt - Seehotel Gruner Baum - $120 for a lake view<BR>Lindau - Hotel Helvetia - $95 on the Seepromenade<BR>Lucerne - Des Balances - $190 for 4* with river view<BR>Oberwessel - Auf Schoenburg - $130 (castle hotel)<BR>London - Rubens at the Palace - $140 for 4* across from Buckingham Palace.<BR><BR>First I look at location. I don't want to spend half my vacation getting to the things I want to see. Then I look at value for my $. I always look at my accommodations as an integral part of my vacation experience, and not just a place to sleep.

Christina

I budget based on what minimal quality I am willing to accept for the going price in a city. Location is extremely important to me and I'm not willing to rough it as I don't regard a hotel as "somewhere to sleep." Well, yeah, it is but I have standards as to where I sleep, bathe, etc. I normally would never spend near $200 (or over) on a hotel room anywhere, but I did once in New York simply because I had to, that was the going rate for a mid-level hotel during a certain holiday period. People who will only stay in top rated hotels obviously have higher income and so it may be even less proportion of their discretionary income than yours, which is the realistic way to look at it, but a lot of people don't. I'm not wealthy but I make a decent living and am not going to make my limited vacations less nice in order to save $25 a night when my vacation time is limited and I'm investing to much in the airfare and other parts of the vacation. I like staying in nice, small, charming hotels but not on the cheap end as I've been in too many of them when I was younger. I know that doesn't matter to some people, but I have certain aesthetic tastes and care about nice things. I'm not saying that to be snooty or whatever, perhaps I'm not saying it well, but, for example, I have a very cozy, attractive home which guests always remark on and say how much they enjoy being here (and I have a degree in textiles and fashion retailing, so I suppose some of these things just matter to me more, color, design, style, etc.)--I would never want to stay in a cheap hotel with thin walls, a prefab airline-style bathroom, hard foam pillows, a floor or bathroom you are afraid to touch, one without decent lighting, one smelling of disinfectant, etc. On the other hand, I do not spend a lot of money on clothes or shoes or dining. Some people going to Paris, for example, will blow $100-150 per person going to a tourist show or those Seine cruises, and I would never do that.<BR><BR>Bottom line, you can't budget for a hotel independently of the city, costs vary too much. I've spent maybe $50-75 a night in small towns in France for the quality that would cost $125-150 in Paris.

Leslie

My requirements are location, safety, cleanliness, moderate comfort and price. Value plays a lot into this too. But, I will go out of my way to save $25 if there is a metro stop close by that can get me to the major venues within 15 minutes. I also prefer to go during off season, so I usually am looking at lower rates, which therefore allows me to upgrade when comparing this to high season. I also look for offers like stay 3 nights, get 1 free. I spend a minimal amount of time in a hotel room, so a view is not important to me. Also, I seem to be more cost conscious because I usually travel alone.<BR><BR>However, amenities and a view are important to me if I stay at a resort.

Vita

After purusing the recommendations in travel guides, I think you begin to get a sense of what you can get for the price, then you have to decide on priorities. A private bath is often one of the larger expenses. I don't need that so long as I'm confident that the facilities will be kept clean. Safety, location, and 24 hour access are also important to me.

Thyra

I am a very die-hard boutique hotel affecionado. I usually pick hotels in advance based upon 3 criteria (in order of importance): Location, price, amenities.<BR>I have rarely paid over $120.00 per night per room and usually end up averaging around $90.00.<BR>I would have a hard time spending $200.00 per night unless it was a very special occasion. <BR>

Capo

I'm like you Anon. I could afford to spend more on a hotel but, to me, a hotel is fundamentally a place to sleep, take a shower, and indulge in one other pleasant activity. :~) I just don't get a lot of value of out spending a lot of money on a hotel room. In my trips to Europe, I've seldom spent more than $100/night and have only been disappointed once. <BR><BR>Since I pretty much take cleanliness for granted (my one disappointment, noted above, being an exception) my primary considerations are location and some kind of character. Things like a private bath and a view are nice, but not necessities.

Manny

Anon,<BR>I prefer to stay at a hotel in the city near all attractions. The hotels I stay at are 3* or 4*. The price will depend on the city you are visiting. The large cities of course will usually demand a higher price. I search the internet for the hotels to get an idea of what the going rate is and I usually search for hotel discount brokers to get a good deal. I usually pay somewhere between $90 to $130 that is for a double (twin beds)room. Sometimes I may go a little over that amount but I never approach $200. For a 3* or 4* hotel they are usually very acceptable. I do not need to be pampered but just want a nice clean comfortable room. Just a note of caution, I did mention large cities being expensive for example I worked in the metropolitan New York area for years and was curious to see what the hotels were going for since I have been gone from that area over 10 years. Most New York City hotels were well over $200/night.

Joyce

I have a different point of view. A hotel room is my home away from home and I want it to be as lovely as possible without "breaking the bank". I do much more there than sleep. I write notes, eat lunch, take a nap etc, etc. I really live in my room as I consider it my home.

Erin

Leslie: good point. I will also pay more for a resort hotel because I want the amenities that go along with it (pool, room service). But when in Europe, I spend less time at the hotel and more time roaming the city. As long at the hotel is near a subway stop (5 min or less), is clean and has a bathroom ensuite, it will do.