Christmas vacations are not like other vacations. They tend to revolve more around family and quality time together than exploring new locations. Because of this, when you’re selecting a hotel for your Christmas holiday, you might be looking for one that has a few more features or qualities than a standard vacation hotel. The following will explore some of the things you might want to keep in mind when selecting a hotel for your Christmas vacation.
Weather And Safety
If you’re heading somewhere cold and snowy, you need to understand that travel might be difficult if the weather gets aggressive. For this reason, you might want to err on the side of safety and make sure that your hotel choice is close to the other places you’re planning on visiting.
If the roads are bad, it might be tough to get a taxi (or drive in a rental car) to another location. Subway access and walkability are two major factors to consider in a colder climate. Adding to this, you want to be sure that you can eat a few meals in the hotel, meaning that there’s a restaurant open for all three meals or room service with enough options for you and any children you’re traveling with. This way, if everyone gets snowed into the hotel, you’re not stuck eating pretzels.
When searching, be sure to take a look at where the hotel is on a map and where you intend on visiting while you’re staying in the hotel. Digital maps tend to be fantastic at letting you know that even though two things look close, it’s actually a 57-minute walk from one location to another.
Pet Friendly
If you’re traveling with pets, you’re also going to need to speak to potential hotels about whether your furry family member will be allowed to come with you. Each hotel has a different policy, but you might expect a damage deposit to be required in a room that allows for pets. Be sure to call ahead, as you don’t want to be stuck paying a big fee or struggling to find another location last minute.
Read The Reviews
Online reviews can be incredibly helpful. As long as you know how to critically read reviews, you should have no problem eliminating troubling locations from your list of potential hotels. Be wary of any review that is absurdly glowing or tragically horrible. If possible, click on the name(s) of any extreme reviewers to see some of their other reviews. This will give you a good idea of whether or not they’re just comically optimistic or one of those people who are determined to be miserable no matter what.
Read Travel Articles
Believe it or not, there are travel bloggers who traipse across the globe and write down their experiences in various hotels. Take the time to read something like this article here to get an idea of what is available in whichever city you’re going to. You’ll also often get some stellar photos that can help you judge the vibe of a particular location, which can further help you narrow down your choice.
Images are fantastic at capturing the feeling of a place. Just be sure that the images are posted by the blogger themself, and aren’t cited as borrowed images. This will help you know they’re actually depicting what the blogger is talking about.
Explore Amenities
Depending on your reasons for travel and how long you’ll be staying in the hotel, you’re going to want certain amenities. If you’re planning on getting some work done, make sure there’s Wi-Fi. If the kids are coming, and they’re going to need to be occupied, why not look for a hotel with a pool or an arcade? Sometimes breakfast can be included, which will greatly smooth out your mornings if that’s something you’re interested in.
Learn About Travel Restrictions
When selecting a hotel, you need to know what’s required of you wherever you’re traveling. Since 2020 was the year that it was, you can anticipate that many hotels will have requirements for guests having to do with masks or social distancing.
The area you’re vacationing in might also have restrictions. Be sure to research these before you make your final selection, as this might influence your comfort levels while on vacation.
The above information should help you narrow down your hotel choice for your Christmas vacation. Be sure to run by your choice with anyone you’re traveling with as, often, people’s expectations when traveling can be drastically different.