Why ask people for budget information?
 

I’m curious about why so many Fodorites ask for budget information before providing recommendations for lodging or restaurants. Surely the OP can check the prices and determine for him / herself if the price works?!? They may be flexible; they may be able to find offers that affect what they would have to pay, etc.

I’m sure my perspective is not everyone’s. I would never come to Fodor’s for lodging recommendations – I use booking.com and find it sufficient, though I can understand that people might ask for comments once they’ve narrowed their search to a few options. And when I have asked Fodorites for restaurant recommendations, price has never been a deciding point – over the course of a trip, I can balance costs out. Location and type of food have been much more important to me. Again, I can see why someone might want comparative comments once they narrow things down.

But it’s more than that: I try to avoid indicating anything about my budget on a public forum! I don’t think it’s necessary, and it seems to me that in today's world, with hackers and the ease with which onscreen names can be linked to specific people, I don't think it's wise to provide any more personal information than necessary on a public, non-secured website. I know one’s budget range for a hotel or restaurant isn’t necessarily informative, but even so, it’s more than I would want to share. And that means I wouldn’t ask. ;)

In any case, I’ll be curious to see what others think. Thanks in advance for sharing your views!

Maybe one of my posts earlier this evening triggered this topic? When someone says 'moderate' or 'not budget busting' or similar I just about always ask for details. Just IME that many first time visitors with that sort of request have no clue what things cost. A year or so ago a noob posted something like that - I don't remember exactly the budget description but it was something like 'medium range' and come to find out he meant $120-$150. per. night. in. London of all places!

So before going down the rabbit hole with all sorts of recommendations that might be totally useless -- I like to know approx. what the budget is. Same for restaurants.

janisj -- that helps me understand your logic. Thanks! As I noted above, my inclination would be to suggest consulting booking.com (for lodging) or asking about food preferences / location / atmosphere / type of experience (for meals). That said, I can imagine that people would not find my responses or queries to be on point.

BTW: One of your posts did inspire this thread -- in the sense of a last straw on a camel's back. I's something I've often pondered, and even discussed in the past: https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...stian-1730454/... particularly post # 4

I always try to answer the question that is actually asked. If the poster asked for recommendations for accommodation and an indication of budget is not provided, then I feel it is entirely appropriate to seek clarification on how much they want to spend. There is no point in suggesting a Four Seasons property if they are looking for a backpacking hostel. If the poster ask for suggestions on the way to reserve accommodation then I would offer suggestions for booking engines, direct booking etc. or just comment on the as a supplementary response.

People come to travel forums for a variety of reasons, one of which is for the "personal" interaction including recommendations on places to stay or eat which is entirely different from just reading a review on booking.com or Expedia which provide no opportunity to ask further questions.

I really don't feel that providing information on hotel budgets , screen names etc are of any use to hackers and have no problem providing or asking for such information.

As someone once said, "there is no such thing as a stupid question, only stupid answers". Asking questions of a poster helps avoid assumptions and gather facts, ensuring understanding and can prevent potential problems caused by ignorance (as suggested in the comment re London hotel prices above)

I ask so I can make an appropriate suggestion.

When someone wants a place to stay in Puerto Vallarta, it matters if they are seeking a hostel, a 1-star local hotel for $30usd, or they want a high-end all-inclusive resort for $700usd/night. No one has to tell me their annual income (lol) but they can say they want a place under $100/night or sky's the limit it's their honeymoon.

For Waikiki is similar, if someone gives absolutey no indication of what they want... the #1 hotel in Waikiki or they are a family on a budget and don't mind walking and staying further inland. Again I can certainly name dozens of hotels I am familiar with as low as $200/night and as high as $1000/night. But wouldn't it be easier for them to tell us a bit more what they want. To me it's no different than asking if someone wants a pool, or to be beach-front, or must have a lanai/balcony, or a view of the ocean, etc.

Why would I tell anyone to go use booking dot com instead? That's like telling them to go use Google Search. When I can give personal recommendations from places I have actually stayed (somewhere I have stayed multiple times).

Other questions I'd ask include things like if they need a kitchen or kitchette, do they need an elevator or are stairs OK, do they want a quiet location and will use a taxi or more in the thick of things where they can walk everywhere, do they want nightly entertainment at an all-inclusive, mutlple pools and restaurants, kids club?

Perhaps the difference is guiding someone to 'booking' or 'expedia' is bascially telling them to go do their own research. When I post about specific hotels or condos, these are places I have actually stayedin or at least visited and toured the property.

Thanks to all who responded! I now have a better understanding of why some of you with knowledge of a range of accommodations would ask for a traveler’s budget.

I still find asking about budget before offering restaurant recommendations a bit puzzling, but then, I make the assumption that someone asking about an exceptionally high-end experience would say so.

Restaurants are easier... for those I'd just suggest my favorites. Often I'll list them in my own categories, like breakfast / lunch / dinner, or casual / mid-range / high-end, and say the part of town I'm speaking to.

But for lodging I need more guidance than "What's a good hotel in Puerto Vallarta?" :-)

Yes, I agree that knowing a budget is helpful to advise. I always look at travel forums to get my list started and use Booking.com to read reviews and look at the map. But I am a research junkie. Some come on here and ask such a basic question and don't seem like they have looked it at anything at all. But even with my research, some of the subtleties, is the neighborhood quiet, is the staff accommodating, are there nearby good restaurants, etc. are nice to hear about from those who have experience with them.

We have friends who stay at high end luxury accommodations everywhere they go, so their recommendations don't help us at all. But we value occasional innovative and trendy dining and some of ours friends are not interested in that or paying those prices.

So instead of throwing out places we love, and them being too basic or out of reach, it is good to have guidance.

This is a bit off the original question, but for example, if anyone wants to visit Puerto Vallarta, and stay and one of a half-dozen condos or hotels I know from personal stays... I can answer every small question (is water provided, how do you pay, how often is maid service, is there a safe in your room, how is the kitchen, is there noise at night, are there bugs, etc.). That isn't going to be answered on commercial websites -haha.. And AirBnB maybe be even trickier in that regard, how you can't even see a street address at first.

Again, I appreciate the insights!

Just to be clear: I didn't mean to suggest that the input of Fodorites would be irrelevant -- indeed, I think people are fortunate to benefit from the generosity of Fodorites who share their experiences and knowledge.

Well sometimes it IS irrelevant -lol- not everyone who posts knows what they are talking about :-) That's something i try to make very clear, if what I write is from personal experience staying at a hotel/apartment, from eating in a restaurant, or just that I happen to know location and reputation of a place but have not been myself.

Good question KJA & good answers everyone else.

“ Please recommend mid range accommodation in Sydney” is typical of some requests we field on TA & Fodors Australia forums.

Errr … When? For how many people & beds? Hotel/ Apartment? Budget range in AUD?

Dates matter because we can advise about high holiday/ festival periods & pricing. Likewise # of people & beds. Our fire regulations are strict and no you can’t have 4 kids in a bed.

If someone is travelling with a family & staying a few days we will often suggest an apartment hotel, giving them extra room, kitchen & laundry facilities for the same cost as a hotel room. This is something we do well in all our large cities & towns - but people may not know about their existence

Thanks for adding your perspective, Bokhara2! I must admit that I still think travelers would do best to start with booking.com and then come to Fodor's if they have questions about specific options, but you and other responders have proven that some of you know enough to provide valuable information if someone chooses to start with Fodor's.

I still think travelers would do best to start with booking.com

The places I could recommend for Puerto Vallarta Mexico are from staying at them multiple times each and first were found by word-of-mouth, walking around town, or because I've been there often enough... I know people who know people :-) They are not listed on commercial websites like booking, hotels, expedia, etc.

Well, suze, I went on to say, "you and other responders have proven that some of you know enough to provide valuable information if someone chooses to start with Fodor's." And I stand by that.

Yes of course. I read your entire post. I am not disagreeing or arguing. Only meant my post to add that not all lodging options are posted on the standard websites. And how and why I (we) might know of places that a person would not find on their own.

I can also save time for hotels in my home city (Seattle) but for different reasons. Not hidden gems, but I know downtown well from working there for years and doing event planning. Am familiar with hotel locations, vibe of various sections of downtown, where the steepest hills are, who's right by the freeway, distance to public transportation options, restaurants on-site, etc.

I'm sure people benefit from your knowledge and your generosity in sharing it.

We love it when people do some research for themselves before coming to the TA or Fodors forums kja, but many don’t.

As noted above “ Where should we stay in Sydney that won’t break the bank?” Is a frequent query.

I confess my “ bother” button gets pressed fairly easily in that event and I just want to cut to the chase and give them the options that are most likely to fit their requirements. Hence the When/How many/who &$ in AUD? queries.

I and others put some work into making recommendations about places we know - and we generally suggest the OP lets us have a look at their short-list so we can comment on locations. As you would know, there are often factors that would not immediately be obvious either in Street View or the Booking.com/ Airbnb websites, but which locals well acquainted with the area would know.

Or the other common one - …” maximum 150 US/ £ or € per night”.

Oh yes? You’re asking for help from volunteers on an Australian Forum about accommodation in Australia and you’re too lazy to do the currency conversion - and expect us to do it? Or do you think we use your currency in our country?

If someone says budget isn’t important - I’ll either just refer them to Booking.com for an initial search or perhaps make a suggestion of places I think they might like - based on their other comments.

KJA - This was in the NYC Forum in TA today.“Hi,

Any advice on where to stay, on a budget as my with is from Yorkshire... I need 3 beds in the same room, seems to be very hard to find in NY.

All help very much appreciated.”

Multiple posts later, it’s revealed there are 2 adults & 4 assorted teenagers & other children to be accommodated next month.

@Bokhara2: Your patience in responding to such questions (and the patience of other Fodorites or TA participants who respond) is to be commended. I wonder: If the requesters are so clueless about relevant needs, do they even know that booking.com exists or that it has so many screening options? I know it's not uncommon for people to start threads asking if it's reliable.

I know newbies are often told by regulars "go do some research first"... but I think they rightly believe that posting a question Fodors (or Trip Advisor or other travel forums) IS doing "research" :-)

I try to take an approach of "here's my own experience" and let the original poster take it for what it's worth... But I will admit parameters like "won't break the bank" can drive me batty.

Ditto for "recommended activities" - when we don't know if they are 85 year old intrepid 10mile per day hikers , or 20 year olds who have difficulty climbing a flight of stairs, or somewhere in between.
Ditto for "must have 5 star" - in that case, I (try to) tell about features I like in a hotel, and that I don't really care about a 24hr front desk, or other official star rating features.

And that is why we ask the questions -lol!

"won't break the bank" = So approximiately how much do you mean per night, how many people do you need to sleep, and what level of hotel are you seeking?

"recommended activities" = Please give us a little more information about what you would like to do each day... number and ages of your group, fitness levels or any disabilities or limitations to consider, and general interests. For example, you'd want to go to ancient or historic sites, art museums, city parks, cemeteries, guided walking tours, cooking classes, cathedrals, hiking in the mountains, live music concerts, theater, opera, farmer's markets, street fairs?

One of the things I most appreciate about Fodors is that we are free to respond as we see fit. Some people are willing and able to spend a lot of time with specific posters, and of those Fodorites, some of you obviously know enough about various options to be responsive. Some of us take a different approach. Speaking only for myself, my time is too limited and too valuable (to me, at least) to try to help those who don’t or won’t do at least a little research (other than simply posing a question) on their own. I’m willing to direct people to useful sources of information – that’s my version of teaching someone to fish rather than giving them a fish, to paraphrase the old proverb. And like J62, I’m willing to share my own experience if it seems relevant.

I’m not criticizing anyone for the approach they take. Our approach to answering questions is as individual as our travel preferences, and individuality is something I treasure.

I could be wrong, but I don’t think further examples of the vague questions we’ve all seen will prove particularly valuable. My original question was about asking for budget ranges – information that I’ve already noted is not something I would ever provide in any detailed way on a public forum. Again, others are free to (and obviously do) take a different stance, and the answers provided on this thread have helped me understand why some of you feel comfortable asking for it. Thanks again for the insights!

If people do not like the questions that are being asked on a forum, it begs the question, why bother responding at all? People are free to ask whatever questions they like and and people are free to respond, or not, as they choose. If that response is just to suggest they go to booking.com/do some research first and come back/ post in this or that currency etc. is it any wonder that these forums see very little traffic?

Well, catch23, one reason I "got hooked" on Fodor's was because I learned about some tools that I find very helpful in trip planning through answers that various people provided on its forums. For example, I learned about insuremytrip.com, weatherspark.com, and rome2rio.com from Fodorites. It isn't just that people can ask what they want and respond as they choose -- people differ in what answers they find valuable.

Not sure I follow your logic? If people want to know about insurance, weather or transport , surely they will ask questions about those topics?

I am curious why a person would not share a budget range when they are asking for help with a hotel in a specific place. That does not seem like an overly personal question to me?

No sense me answering with my $100/night budget suggestions if they are looking for a 5-star $1000/night kind of place.

You seemed to question the value of directing a poster to another source to find the answer to a question and suggested that providing information about useful information sources would turn people away from Fodor's. But logically, informing people of available tools to answer their own questions can be as vailuable, and maybe even more valuable, than providing an answer that has no generalizability, and in at least one case -- mine -- it was information about potentially valuable resources that helped pull me to this site. Maybe the poster doesn't know about booking.com, or doesn't know if it's reliable, or doesn't realize how many filters it has....

Asked and answered. I find it TMI. You (and others) cam ask; posters can decide what to share.

Thank you kja. I guess I just don't understand how clairifying if you want a 1-star or a 5-star hotel, would be considered "TMI". And usually you/we don't have to ask. Because if people are asking about hotels they most likely already know to give some kind of clues about the kind of place they are seeking.

suze, price ranges and star ratings are hardly the same thing. For one thing, hotel “star” rating standards differ across different parts of the world. And luxury accommodations in, say, Cambodia or Romania are not likely to cost the same as luxury accommodations in Singapore or NYC.

You don’t need to understand my position. You don’t need to agree with my position. And honestly, you don’t need to belabor the point. My recommendation -- which I sincerely hope you will accept -- is to let this thread die quietly.

"You seemed to question the value of directing a poster to another source". You are making assumptions about the question I asked and what you think I need to know, rather than responding to the question I actually asked.

If questions are unclear, then surely it is better to ask for clarification rather than make assumptions about what you think they mean, or you think they should be asking.

You say in your initial post that you would "never come to Fodors for lodging recommendations". That's fine, but others are entitled to ask whatever questions they want so why not just provide answers to those that do and ask supplementary questions if you feel they haven't provided enough information? I really struggle to see what possible use hotel budget information could be to a hacker.

@ catch23: How interesting that you say you want to answer people's questions as directly as possible, and yet you don't seem to be doing that with my question -- or rather, you gave your answer and now are simply repeating it and questioning my approach to participating in this forum.

To repeat myself: People can ask what they want. People can reply as they choose.

My thanks to those who replied to my question.

kia - I re-read your post #30. I didn't answer your question for one simple reason - you didn't ask one..

See the title of the thread.