How I Research and Choose Hotels for a Trip

Choosing a hotel can be one of my most time-consuming—parts of planning a trip. Sometimes the choice is obvious – like when there’s limited options visiting a National Park or I have a ton of Hyatt points and the Hyatt option is super convenient and a good points redemption point value. Sometimes it’s difficult – like choosing a hotel in Tokyo for our upcoming trip to Japan!

I’ll admit, I can spend hours comparing hotels, looking at maps, reading reviews, and checking prices. But I don’t just look for the prettiest hotel or the lowest nightly rate. I want to find a place that makes the entire trip easier, fits my budget, and gives me a comfortable place to return to after a full day of exploring.

I also love finding ways to use hotel points and travel rewards to reduce the cost of a trip. Sometimes that means booking a hotel with points, and sometimes paying cash is actually the better deal.

Over time, I’ve developed a process for researching and comparing hotels that helps me narrow down the choices without getting completely lost in the options.

Here’s how I do it.

Step 1: Figure Out Where I Actually Want to Stay

Before I start browsing hotel websites, I look at the itinerary.

Where will I be spending most of my time? What neighborhoods or areas make the most sense? Will I primarily be walking, using public transportation, driving, or taking day trips?

Location is usually one of my biggest considerations.

A hotel might look like a bargain, but if it’s a 30-minute train ride from the places I want to visit, that savings might not be worth the extra time and transportation costs.

I like to look for accommodations that make it easy to get around without constantly backtracking. In larger cities, being near a convenient train or subway station can make a huge difference. For road trips, I might prioritize easy parking, convenient highway access, or a location that makes sense for the next day’s drive.

I also consider what I want nearby. Restaurants, convenience stores, grocery stores, and coffee shops can make a stay much easier, especially when I’m traveling somewhere unfamiliar.

My tip: Choose your general location before choosing your hotel. It will eliminate a surprising number of options that might look appealing online but don’t make sense for your actual trip.

Step 2: Research the Neighborhood, Not Just the Hotel

Once I’ve identified a few promising areas, I spend time looking at the neighborhoods themselves.

I use Google Maps to explore the surrounding streets, check walking distances, and see what’s nearby. Street View can be particularly helpful when I’m unfamiliar with a destination. It will give me a sense for the general neighborhood vibe and what is nearby.

I want to know:

• Is the hotel close to public transportation? If so, which lines?
• Are there restaurants and places to grab a quick meal nearby?
• Is there a grocery or convenience store nearby? I especially love visiting grocery stores abroad!
• Is it convenient to the attractions I plan to visit?
• Is the neighborhood somewhere I’d enjoy walking around?
• Will I need a rental car, or can I get around easily without one?

I also look at how far the hotel is from the airport or train station if applicable, particularly when arriving late or leaving early.

For some trips, being in the middle of everything is worth paying a little more. For others, a quieter neighborhood with good transportation connections is a better fit.

There’s no universal best location. It really depends on what you want to do during the trip.

Step 3: Make a Shortlist of Hotels

Once I know where I want to stay, I start comparing actual hotels.

Since I frequently like to use points and miles for hotel stays I will usually start with searching Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton, and IHG sites first. Oftentimes I will find a hotel that I can use points that fits my needs. Sometimes that’s harder or it’s a location that doesn’t have the major hotel chains available. I run into this a lot when visiting National Parks, the Oregon Coast, and small towns.

Occasionally I’ll check my credit card travel portals, especially if I have hotel credit to use or am looking for a certain property that isn’t part of the big chains. For instance, I’m looking for a ryokan for the two nights we’ll be in Takayama next year – specifically for the traditional Japanese hotel experience and just a place to sleep. Even though there are points options in town I am not interested in booking them – but I am definitely going to check the travel portals when the dates show up!

I also pay attention to the type of property. A full-service hotel, boutique hotel, extended-stay property, and vacation rental can offer very different experiences. Occasionally an AirBnb or VRBO property might make sense, especially when I know I’ll need to do laundry or require parking for a rental car downtown Washington DC.

For a shorter stay, convenience and location might win out over any other luxuries.

I try to compare properties that offer a similar experience rather than getting distracted by hotels that are completely different in price or style.

Step 4: Read Reviews Carefully

Hotel photos are designed to make a property look appealing. Reviews help me figure out what it’s actually like to stay there.

I look at recent reviews on Google, TripAdvisor, and major booking platforms. I don’t get too caught up in one particularly good or bad review. Instead, I look for patterns.

If multiple guests mention slow elevators, noisy rooms, uncomfortable beds, or inconsistent housekeeping, I’ll pay attention.

I also look for positive comments that align with what matters to me. Is the staff helpful? Are the rooms clean? Is the location convenient? Are the beds comfortable?

A beautiful hotel with consistently poor reviews isn’t necessarily a good choice, regardless of the price.

My tip: Sort reviews by most recent and look for repeated comments rather than basing your decision on a single review.

Step 5: Compare Room Types and What’s Included

Once I’ve narrowed down my options, I look more closely at the actual rooms.

Not all hotel rooms are created equal, even within the same property.

I compare room size, bed configuration, views, bathroom setup, and included amenities. If I’m staying for several nights, having enough room to unpack and move around comfortably becomes more important.

I also check what’s included in the nightly rate.

Some things I look for include:

• Breakfast
• Wi-Fi
• Parking
• Resort or destination fees
• Access to hotel facilities
• Laundry options
• Refrigerator or kitchenette

These details can change the overall cost significantly.

For example, a hotel that costs a little more but includes breakfast might actually be the better value. On the other hand, I don’t want to pay extra for amenities I probably won’t use.

I also read the cancellation policy carefully. A cheaper nonrefundable rate isn’t necessarily worth the risk if my plans might change. I almost always opt for a rate that is refundable.

Step 6: Compare Paying Cash Versus Using Points

This is where points and miles become an important part of my hotel research.

If I have hotel points available, I always compare the cash rate with the number of points required for the same stay.

Sometimes a points redemption is an excellent deal. Other times, the hotel is inexpensive enough that paying cash makes more sense.

I use a simple calculation to help compare the options:

Points value = (Cash price − taxes and fees avoided) ÷ Points required × 1,000

This gives me the approximate value per 1,000 points.

For example, let’s say a hotel costs $300 per night or 30,000 points. If the points booking avoids $30 in taxes and fees that I’d otherwise pay with cash, the calculation would be:

($300 − $30) ÷ 30,000 × 1,000 = $9 per 1,000 points.

That means I’m getting approximately 0.9 cents per point.

Whether that’s a good redemption depends on the hotel program, how I value those points, and what other opportunities I have to use them.

I also consider the opportunity cost of using points. If I can get a great hotel stay with cash at a reasonable price, I might prefer to save my points for a more expensive property or a destination where hotel rates are unusually high.

And don’t forget to compare the total cost. Taxes, resort fees, parking, and other charges can make a big difference.

My tip: Never assume using points is automatically better than paying cash. Compare both options before making a decision.

Step 7: Check Hotel Loyalty Programs and Credit Card Benefits

Before making a final decision, I check whether any hotel loyalty programs or credit card benefits could improve the value of a stay.

Hotel loyalty programs can offer benefits such as:

• Points earned on paid stays
• Free-night certificates
• Complimentary breakfast at eligible properties
• Room upgrades, subject to availability and program rules
• Late checkout, subject to availability and program rules
• Other elite-status benefits

I also look at whether a particular booking qualifies for the benefits I’m expecting. Not every third-party reservation earns hotel points or qualifies for elite benefits. In fact, booking third-party almost always means you won’t earn points so I don’t often use sites like booking.com for this reason. I definitely check my credit card company’s travel portals when I know I have a hotel cash credit though. Like the $300 credit I get every year with my Capital One Venture X card.

If I’m considering transferring credit card points to a hotel program, I check the transfer ratio, any available transfer bonuses, and the actual room availability before transferring. I also consider if there’s a free night for an extended stay (fourth night free at IHG or fifth night free at Hilton and Marriott depending on your credit cards/hotel status).

Transfer bonuses can make a redemption more attractive, but they don’t automatically turn a poor-value hotel into a good one.

I also consider free-night certificates. Sometimes a certificate can be especially useful for a night when cash prices are high, even if I wouldn’t normally choose that property at its standard points price.

The important thing is to look at the entire picture rather than focusing only on the number of points required.

Step 8: Compare the Final Options Side by Side

By this point, I usually have a few hotels that I’d be happy staying in.

Rather than continuing to search endlessly, I put the finalists side by side and compare the details that matter most.

Here’s an example of how I might organize my research:

What I compare	Hotel A	Hotel B	Hotel C
Location	Excellent	Good	Excellent
Cash price	$250	$190	$310
Points required	25,000	35,000	30,000
Transit access	Excellent	Good	Excellent
Breakfast	Included	Extra	Included
Reviews	Very good	Good	Excellent

These are hypothetical examples to illustrate the comparison process.

I don’t necessarily choose the hotel with the highest review score or the lowest price. I choose the one that makes the most sense for the trip.

Sometimes that’s a familiar hotel chain where I can use points. Other times, it’s a smaller independent property in a fantastic location.

I try to remember that the hotel is part of the overall travel experience, not the entire reason for the trip.

Step 9: Book, Confirm, and Keep an Eye on Prices

Once I’ve made my decision, I double-check the dates, room type, number of guests, cancellation policy, and total price before booking.

When possible, I compare the hotel’s direct booking price with third-party booking sites. Booking directly can make it easier to manage reservations and may provide access to loyalty benefits, although it’s worth comparing all the terms.

After booking, I save the confirmation and note any cancellation deadlines.

If I’ve booked a refundable rate, I sometimes check prices again closer to the trip. If the rate drops, I can investigate whether it’s possible to cancel and rebook at the lower price.

I don’t spend every day monitoring hotel prices, but a quick check when plans are still flexible can occasionally save money.

Final Thoughts: The Best Hotel Isn’t Always the Most Expensive

I enjoy finding a great hotel deal, but I’ve learned that the lowest price doesn’t always mean the best value.

A convenient location can save hours of transportation time. A comfortable room can make a multi-day trip more enjoyable. And using points strategically can sometimes make a nicer hotel affordable when paying cash would be difficult to justify.

My goal is to find the right balance between location, comfort, convenience, and cost.

I don’t need every hotel to be luxurious, and I don’t want to spend more on accommodations than necessary. I just want a place that works well for the trip I’m taking.

That’s part of traveling smarter: knowing where to spend, where to save, and when to let those hard-earned points do some of the work.

Looking for more ways to plan smarter trips? Explore my other travel planning guides and points-and-miles tips here at Everyday to Everywhere.