Hello Hotel Room! Top 4 Hotel Amenities

Bonus – 4 Boutique Hotel Recommendations

We had just jumped a red-eye from the west to the east coast. Fortunately, when we arrived our room was ready for early check-in. Without much hesitation, we are laying down for a quick nap.

There was a time when I could sleep on a plane and hit the ground running. Those days, no matter how hard I wish them back, seem to be behind me. A quick cat nap turns into making up for lost sleep, time changes and jet lag. Now at noon, as I try to convince my girlie to wake up so we can go explore, I realize I am in no hurry either. As a busy as I am on a daily basis, when I am home, I always have something I could, or in my mind, should be doing. When I travel though, there are no dishes or laundry to be done. I don’t need to do the shopping or cook and ideally, I have stepped away from the pressures of work to have a little down time. Now, as I sip my coffee and ponder what it is like to have down time without guilt, I start to think about what it is that keeps me in this hotel room and not rushing off to my next big exploration.

When I travel there are certain things that are important to me that make my stay and the hotel more enjoyable.

Character / Charm

Being a bit particular about hotel rooms, I spend a lot of time deciding just where to stay when I travel. In most cases I opt for boutique hotels. I do stay in a fair amount of chain hotels when traveling for work. They are often very nice but overall, very standard, cookie-cutter options with little character. While I love a great down comforter, I also enjoy something that makes it more personal. Places where ever room is a little different or there is a theme that shows me that there has been considerable time spent in the planning of the room in which I am staying which makes it feels more personal. Fortunately all my planning has paid of from Paris to Split to New York, my boutique hotels have been more then satisfying.

High Walking Scores

Driving is something I want to leave behind when I travel. If I can avoid getting behind the wheel from the time I leave my house until the time I return, I am a happy camper. If you are like me, you want easy access to things to see, places to eat and public transportation. When you are booking a hotel, look at the things close to or withing walking distance of where you are staying. There is nothing better than walking out the door of your hotel and having everything at your fingertips. I often use Trip Advisor to check on this which gives a walking score and a list of place around the hotel and with the distance.

Free breakfast

So on lazy days, maybe I don’t always make it in time for breakfast as most hotels only serve until 10 or 10:30 am. Something you do want to keep in mind though is free breakfast doesn’t always mean a hot meal. More we are talking continnental offerings with pastries, fruit, and coffee. When traveling though, a little something light to get you going without taking up a long portion of your morning and saving a few bucks you otherwise would spend on a meal (even Starbucks will cost you $10 a person) it is nice not only for your tummy but also your wallet. Besides I would never complain about having Cafe au lait with fresh baguettes and Nutella in a Paris hotel. Never! It is quite the magical experience.

Complimentary Happy Hour / Wine and Cheese

Again here is an opportunity to save a few dollars you would spend otherwise. More important though it is a opportunity to meet other travelers that are also staying in the hotel. This can be great for solo travelers to connect with others. You hear great stories about people and you may even make new friends. I have met people that years later we end up in the same and connected again.

Here are some of my favorite boutique hotels

Here are some of the great hotel finds I have experienced.

• Millennium Hotels – Time Square For New York, I was pleasantly surprised at how roomy our space was at this hotel, just off Time Square, just enough to make it close yet removed. This hotel offered breakfast and happy hour with snacks.
• The Inn at Union Square This hotel is convenient to everything in San Francisco. It also has a happy hour where I met some great people. It was a small sacrifice for other benefits.
• Hotel Notre Dame Saint Michel This is a beautiful hotel right on the Seine, located in the Latin Quarter of Paris. The decor of each room was designed differently by Christian Lacroix. The location is beautiful as well as convenient. I traveled everywhere by foot or subway while visiting.
• Palladian Home This was my most recent find this summer in Greece. The rooms are comfortable. Grab one with a balcony if you can. Breakfast you can grab and bring back to your room and if you get a room with a balcony you can enjoy it there with a view. Walk all over Athens including the most popular sites. I want to go back to Athens just to stay here again!

What do you look for in a hotel? We’d love to hear about your hotel experiences and preferences if you would like to share in the comments at the top. Happy travels!