We love to travel, and 2020 was supposed to be a big travel year for us. Like the rest of you, that hasn't happened.
We're still dreaming about travel, reading about new destinations, and making (tentative) plans for the future. We hope all of you are well and staying safe... and that you find some inspiration here for YOUR future travels.
With vaccines arriving, let's hope we can be traveling again in 2021!
Will internet hotel ratings help you book the kind of hotel you want?
You've heard all the big internet travel booking services tell you to
book your hotel with them and save money big time.
Get a five star hotel for a three star price.
Sounds great doesn't it?
But are you getting what you really want?
And, while you may get a good deal, you will probably also get confused trying to compare the sites.
The problem is... there really is no standard set of criteria for hotel rating systems.
With internet hotel rating systems, the number of stars depends on each websites' subjective rating system. You run into this when you use hotel rating systems from individual countries too... the French tourist bureau may have a different rating system than the Italian tourist bureau for instance.
And remember, you're probably only going to find bigger hotels on these services, not smaller, cozier places.
To add to your aggravation when you're searching for a hotel on the internet, there may be inconsistencies within each site...
One three star hotel might be great and in a great location...
The next three star hotel you look at might look OK... but not be a part of town you'd ever want to stay.
Because of those inconsistencies, we're not as fond of those sites which tell you they will get you a bargain for a four star hotel, but only reveal the name after you've paid for the reservation. Instead of a four star hotel for a three star price, you might be getting exactly what you paid for.... a nice three star hotel.
To try and understand what those stars mean on any given site, read their description of how they arrive at the ratings. You'll really have to go looking for this. Some of them don't publish their criteria. Others only give you generalities.
You want to be looking for things like...
Read what people are saying in forums.
Check travelers' reviews to see if a property lives up to its stars.
Most important....
Figure out which amenities are important to you, because that's what really matters.... not which amenities are important to the people that assign those stars.
Not all internet travel booking services have all the same hotels
listed. Some have more properties available than others. Check, if you
can, to see which service has the greatest number to choose from in the
area you're traveling to.
One internet booking site might be more liberal with its stars than another...
And yet another might list more properties.
So what to do?
If you find one where the ratings consistently fit your needs, you might just want to stick with that travel site. That way those internet hotel ratings can work for you, and you'll get just the kind of hotel you want... most of the time.
Happy travels... even if you don't travel the world... just remember that life is a journey... embrace and enjoy it! Judy and Mark
Curious about what else we've written about? Search our site for a destination or travel tip.
But... We'd love to have you share this page or comment on it…
Thanks, Judy and Mark
Hotel and B&B Tips
Go from Internet Hotel Ratings Inconsistencies to Home Page
The New Year is here...
And we're ready to put 2020 behind us.
What are your resolutions? To lose weight? To Exercise more?
We're hoping for an end to this virus and the travel restrictions so...
Why not a FUN resolution!
Resolve to TRAVEL!
It's a good time to plan your travels...
We have lists to help....
Custom Tour Planning List
Destination stories....
Europe Travel Tips
Africa Dream List
See America
Travel Planning
International Travel Planning Tips
Guidebooks can help you plan
Don't Forget Valentine's Day
Romantic Weekends
What About Your Passport?
Time to get one... or renew...
Answers about Passports and Visas
Dreaming of Warm Weather or Snow?
Packing for a Tropical Vacation
Cold Weather Packing List
…Or just make a resolution to explore more pages here and get ideas for travel destinations and how to get there.
NOW is the time to start planning for a great trip this year.
Search MouseToursTravels
Travel questions or destination info?
Find our answers faster...
We want you to feel comfortable out in the world and on our pages - so surf away in your own language...
Our 2020 travels were slim. COVID kept us home too. One trip to the Three Guyanas, but dreaming of travel next year.
Love discovering less touristed regions? The three Guyanas are tucked up in the north east corner of South America that doesn’t get much attention.
On our 2019 travels, it was independent travel, a custom tour and a group tour. All work beautifully... just depends on where you’re going and what you want.
New! Comments
Have your say about what you just read! Did it help with your travel planning and preparation? Eager to leave on that next vacation? Please leave your tips or comments in the box below.