How to Avoid Shady Hotels Cheap does not always have to mean shady, especially when it comes to hotels. And staying in a shady one is not an option. You consider yourself a wise shopper and you know what a good value is. You budget the exact amount you need for food, transportation, and lodging and want the most for your money for all of your travels. So, whether you are a regular traveler or someone who prefers only traveling when absolutely necessary, consider a few important points that can make or break your trip away from home, and help you avoid shady hotels.
Price Price may be the most important factor for you and if it is, you’ve probably seen your fair share of shady hotels with less than mentioned accommodations; however, you can absolutely avoid them just by doing a little online research. On such websites as TripAdvisor or Hotels.com, as well as countless others, you’ll find customer reviews, both positive and negative, which will give you an idea of what to expect and factor into your consideration. Look for 5-star rated hotels when booking online. Before you make a reservation with the hotel, find it online and see what level of star rating it has. Chances are that you’ll find plenty of 5 star hotels—or close to it—to choose from at a very affordable rate. Some companies, such as AAA use diamonds in the place of stars. You can avoid shady hotels by simply mapping out that part of the city. If you are looking for an Albuquerque hotel and you’re not familiar with the city, again, simply search online for what types of business or facilities surround the hotel. A quick online search for that area of town will give you some insight as to what the hotel is like.
Beware Scams Before you book your reservation, you should also be aware of hotel scams. If you arrive at the hotel and they tell you that they’re booked, but you have your confirmation number and reference information in your hands and they offer to move you to another hotel, that is “similar to theirs,” don’t fall for it. You have the right for them to honor your reservation since you already confirmed it. If the offer sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. A fifty-dollar per night offer in a five star hotel sounds like an amazing deal, but not at all likely. Trust the
lock icon in your web browser. If you see the lock, then you’re good to go, but if the website offering a great deal has no lock icon, then avoid it. You might also be scammed by free Wi-Fi set up at the hotel. Nearly all hotels offer Wi-Fi, but be cautious and make sure that they are using a secure network. In addition, scammers will set up hotspots in the same area and use programs to steal your information. You can avoid this by making sure that you are using a good hotel’s secure Wi-Fi.