What to Check Before You Book a Hotel

Two hotels at the same price can produce completely different holidays. The rate is the easiest number to compare and the least useful one, because it says nothing about the parts of a stay people actually remember.

Location, then price

City centre is a description, not a measurement. Before booking, look at where the hotel sits relative to the two or three places you will actually go back to, and how you would get there at the end of a long day.

Read the cancellation line

A flexible rate and a non-refundable one often sit close together. If any part of the trip is still unsettled - a visa, a connecting flight, a school date - the flexible rate is usually the cheaper decision in the end.

• What a family room holds varies by country. Check the stated occupancy, not the name.
• Confirm whether breakfast is included, and for how many people.
• Look for a floor plan or a room size, not only the photographs.
• Check the check-in time against your arrival, especially on a night flight.