Word of mouth works best when selecting a hotel. A recommendation from personal experience minimizes the chances of unpleasant surprises. Otherwise picking an appropriate hotel is bit of a lucky draw, especially in India. Barring the top echelon of hotels, what you expect and what you get might be vastly different. A friend recently booked a hotel that prominently mentioned 4 Star on the website. On reaching it was anything but a 4 Star. ‘What kind of 4 Star is this?’ he enquired. The owner then drew his attention to the fine print ‘like a 4 Star’. But the payment had been done through a travel agency. And there was no chance of an immediate refund.
Top online travel agencies are now incorporating pictures and videos to bring about transparency. Another good way of reducing shocks is to read reviews of real travelers in credible travel community sites. It’ll give you a fair idea on what to expect. Pictures taken by real travelers are way different from the picture perfect images shot by advertising photographers hired by hotel to show their property in the best possible light. A little research often goes a long way selecting the appropriate hotel.
