In the past, people had to visit travel agents in person. The standard procedure involved specifying a budget, and the agent would then search their system for the best-fitting offer from available travel operators.

While this method worked, it had limitations. Choices were restricted, and I suspect the selections weren’t always optimal.

I understand that budgets still largely determine our hotel choices. However, I recommend starting with a more flexible approach.

Your chosen destination and travel dates significantly impact the required budget. For instance, flying to the Maldives in December versus May can drastically affect hotel prices. Similarly, opting for the Maldives instead of southern Spain can make a considerable difference.

I’ll explain later why I recommend using this only as an initial budget estimate.

So, how do I approach this?

I simply search on Booking.com and Google for the destination and dates. Then, I filter the results based on my important criteria, such as hotel standard, ratings, rate flexibility, and meal inclusions. This provides a solid indication of the expected costs.

From this step, I typically seek answers to the following questions:

• Do the prices generally align with my budget constraints?
• Were my budget expectations accurate? If I have more to spend, could I extend my stay or upgrade my hotel? If I have less, should I adjust my criteria?
• Can I potentially modify my dates or destination to find better prices (regardless of the answers to the previous questions) for the best hotels?

I prefer simplicity. After my initial search, I immediately focus on making concrete decisions, aiming to select my hotel within this process. Only if the results from step 1 don’t meet my needs do I explore alternative options. And if – for whatever reason – I already have a set list of best hotels for a specific trip and I have done my research before, I normally jump to the booking process directly.

Typically, I can use the search outcome to filter hotels that meet my criteria and sort them by additional preferences. For city hotels, these often include location, breakfast inclusion, gym availability, and potential booking benefits (such as upgrades, hotel credits, or late check-outs). For holiday hotels, location remains important—depending on the destination—and I usually prioritize having breakfast included for beach vacations.

If there’s a clear frontrunner or a hotel I’m familiar with, my search concludes, and I book directly. However, if I’m uncertain or have multiple options, I proceed to the next step.

Personally, I look for the best hotels on Booking.com and Google Maps. If the hotel isn’t listed on Booking.com, I’ll search for other reviews online.

When reading reviews, I focus on what’s important to me: Is the hotel clean? Are there any noise issues? Are there other recurring problems?

I tend to pay more attention to negative reviews. While overall great reviews usually indicate a fine hotel, I want to ensure there aren’t any repeatedly reported issues that could affect my stay.

This step is crucial, especially for city hotels. I’ve found seemingly amazing hotel deals in Paris with high overall ratings. However, upon checking the negative reviews, I’ve discovered recurring problems that would have ruined my trip. As a result, I might choose a hotel with a lower overall rating if the negative comments refer to issues I don’t personally care about, or if they seem to be isolated incidents rather than systemic problems.

So for me personally, the best hotels are not always the ones with the highest ratings, but they alyo have to fit my preferences.

I’m a member of various hotel loyalty programs. They’re all free, and you never know when they might prove beneficial. So it doesn’t hurt to join many.

Currently, I focus primarily on the Hilton Honors program. I consider their benefits the best, plus they have hotels in various categories and in most places I like to travel. When I’m prioritizing point collection, I tend to book Hilton hotels. For instance, I’m planning another visit to the Maldives in 2026 and aim to get at least five nights with HH points at the Conrad Maldives. Consequently, I’ve booked my March trip to Dubai exclusively at Hilton hotels, and I’ll need to make a few more bookings or stays in 2025 to accumulate enough points.

Once you’ve decided on a hotel, it’s time to book. But which platform or website should you use? Being strategic about this decision can yield significant benefits over time.

To make the best choice, I ask myself several questions:

• Is there a clear winner in terms of the best package? If so, I’ll simply go with that option.
• Do I want to establish a good relationship with the hotel from the start? If yes, I’ll likely book directly on their website. This is often the best option for hotels as they don’t have to pay commission to a third-party provider.
• Am I a member of the hotel chain’s loyalty program? If so, I might lean towards booking on their website to get added benefits and loyalty rewards points. For example, I often do this with Hilton.
• Does American Express offer special rates? The American Express Platinum card comes with numerous travel perks, including a hotel program with special rates, free breakfast, and more for select hotels. These rates are often unbeatable, so I’ll check if my chosen hotel is part of it. I usually do this during step 2 as it can be a decisive factor.
• Can I book it via Booking.com? I’ve used various platforms over the years, but being loyal to one and climbing the status ranks in their program can offer benefits similar to those from American Express. So, I try to book with Booking.com if there’s no other compelling reason to choose a different option.

Sometimes, the different options are equally good—or at least similar. How do I decide then? Well, it depends…

For instance, for my upcoming trip to Dubai, I’ve decided to book two Hilton hotels (one “regular” Hilton and one Waldorf Astoria). My membership status allows for special rates, free breakfast, and a potential upgrade. The American Express Platinum rates for the Waldorf are even better, and I considered booking at least this hotel via Amex. However, I really like the Hilton app, and I believe (though I can’t prove it) that I’d be considered a better customer when booking directly through the Hilton website or app. Based on past experiences where Hilton staff has been incredibly supportive, I’m inclined to go with this gut feeling.