Sweet Hotel Deals Are Hidden Boutique Gems

Have you ever gone antique shopping through numerous malls and antique shops with nothing in particular in mind?  Maybe you’re just “looking for something that you can’t live without”, and “you’ll know it when you see it” is the sort of honest reply that you would give to the shopkeeper when approached with their familiar greeting “may I help you find something today?”

If you have never stayed in a boutique hotel, a historic hotel, a small luxury hotel, or an owner operated bed and breakfast or inn, you are missing out on a truly unique and “sweet” experience.  These hidden gems are what we like to call sweet hotel deals. A saying in the antique business is “the time to buy antiques is when you see them”.  The reason for this is that each one is unique and once it’s gone, its gone.  If you are in the market for a sweet hotel deal, the time to make a reservation is when you find it.  You’ll know that it’s a really sweet hotel deal based upon the discount off the regular rates or the low price in comparison to the rates of the major hotel chain booking sites.

Keep Your Options Open if You Don’t Book a Hotel Immediately

If you find a sweet hotel deal with a hotel in your desired travel area, and you don’t book it when you find it, make sure that you have a second and a third choice hotel room or hotel suite just in case your first choice is no longer available later.  Unlike the conventional hotel room market where each room in the hotel chain looks just like every other room, hotel rooms and hotel suites in boutique hotels, small luxury hotels, bed and breakfast, and the other owner-operated lodging markets typically offer unique rooms, occasionally themed or completely distinct from one another.  The pictures of the rooms on the site are typically unique to the rooms and you likely won’t be able to get another sweet hotel deal exactly the same with a similar room configuration, amenities, and furnishings.

The best sweet hotel deals are often hidden gems.  Make sure to use the “Sort By” function and the “Amenities” function on the hotel booking website and add in any special requirements.  Maybe you want a Jacuzzi in the hotel suite? Or a room with a view of the river, mountains, or ski slopes? Maybe you want a stone fireplace in the room or a homemade breakfast in the hotel dining room?  Always use the special search functions to narrow down your requirements to the exact hotel room or hotel suite amenities that you want.  Make a list of the top three choices, and from these select a sweet hotel deal and rank order a couple alternatives in the event that you don’t book a room immediately and want to watch the pricing for a few days or more.