How To Choose A Hotel

So, my trip to the Algarve, Portugal in early April inspired this post. The complex we stayed in was horrible to put it nicely, and it got me thinking where we went wrong with booking it and what we would have done differently. So here are my tips on how to choose a hotel. Some of them are pretty straightforward; so straightforward in fact that we often forget about them! Remember: in most cases, you get what you pay for.

• Reviews- If you only do one thing in preparation for your holiday, do this! Reviews on sites such as TripAdvisor give you a very unique insight into the ins and outs of the hotels and their staff. If there's a general comment throughout the reviews, it's most likely that you'll agree. I wish I paid more attention to them before booking Portugal.
• Star rating- In a lot of cases, star rating doesn't really mean anything- a 3 star hotel can be just as good as a 5 star because of the factors involved, like cuisine,  customer service, cleanliness, activities on offer etc etc.
• Amenities- I wished we had accounted for the weather before we went to Portugal. I though it was always sunny in the Algarve- BIGGG mistake. The complex we stayed in wasn't equipped for bad weather- there were very few indoor activities and the whole town was paved with ridiculously slippy white tiles.
• WIFI- Many hotels have free wifi anyway but if this is a necessity for you, make sure you double check (they didn't have any where we stayed!). Otherwise you'll end up using precious spending money on wifi!
• Board- We had all-inclusive in Portugal, and to be honest, it wasn't that great. We only ate the food because we'd paid for it, otherwise we would have happily ate out in the Old Town every night. If you want a lazy holiday and to cut down on food costs, all-inclusive is a great option, just check the food reviews before you book!
• Location- Unless you're going somewhere really remote, being close to all the sights is normally a must. Be sure to GoogleMaps where your hotel is so you're not too surprised when you get to your destination!
• Transport Links- Following on from Location, this is SO important. You don't want to get there and find the nearest bus stop is a 30 minute walk away. Check on the hotel website for the nearest transport links and also reviews, because...you know, sometimes the hotel lies.

If you have anymore tips, comment down below!