According to Shashou, hotels typically undergo renovations every 10 to 12 years, so keeping an eye on that timeline can ensure that you score a newly renovated space.
Hotels that have recently renovated their rooms will typically tend to have more accurate photos as well.
Shashou also recommends looking for hotels that have apps or mobile engagement tools that can help you continue planning your trip even after you've booked the room.
For example, Gansevoort Meatpacking in New York has a Trip Planner feature, where you can request real-time reservations or amenities on your phone during your trip.
The more information a hotel provides about its rooms, the better.
When conducting your search, keep an eye out for hotels that give you enough information on their website to be able to understand the room, including photos and floor plans.
When searching for hotels on TripAdvisor, users can access additional information on what the guest experience was like in specific rooms of the hotel by clicking on the "Room Tips" tab.
Here, you'll get access to user ratings that address everything from the amount of light that comes into rooms to whether amenities like WiFi are included in the nightly rate.
When visiting third-party booking websites like Hotels.com, pick your price and location and then filter the results to the top 10 based on user reviews.
This is a quick way to get to the hotels customers have been most satisfied with, without having to filter through the list yourself.
The best hotels offer top-notch service, but everyone makes mistakes from time to time.
A good way to spot quality hotels is to look for properties where the general manager will take the time and effort to address negative reviews and understand how to fix the issue for future guests.
"If you want to get a sense of what the average person thinks of the hotel, take a look at the three-star reviews," Shashou said.
That way, you can get to know both the positive and negative aspects, instead of looking at just the highest ratings.
When the time comes to book your room, if you happen to find a better deal than the hotel's best-rate guarantee, Shashou recommends that you call the hotel directly.
According to Shashou, asking to get the same rate directly through them is often a viable option.
While it might not happen often, it is possible to get scammed when searching for a hotel room.
Shashou recommends that users never book from a website that doesn't offer a secure connection, and to be wary when you come across websites that are using photos and info from another source.
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