The home pages of hotel web sites are all starting to sound similar, with promises of sweet dreams, luxury rooms and superb service. It’s hard to know which hotel can deliver on its promises.

Hotel ratings by people who have actually stayed in the hotel, can separate reality from the marketing claims made by hotels. By reviewing hotel ratings before you book your next vacation or business trip, you can get good information from travelers who stayed at the hotel last month, last week, or last night.

What Should A Hotel Rating Include?

A good hotel rating includes information about every aspect of the hotel experience, from ease of reservations to check-out and everything in between.

At a minimum, the hotel rating should tell you whether the room reserved was the same as advertised. The rating should tell you how long the hotel check-in and check-out process took and whether the desk staff were pleasant and efficient.

A good rating will describe the hotel room in detail, including the decor, cleanliness of the room, view from the windows, temperature of the room and whether the temperature was easy to control. Many travelers will describe the softness or hardness of the mattress, the size of the bed and the quality of the bedding.

A good hotel rating details the amenities in the room, like the television, clock, radio, mini bar, wireless network access, ironing board and complimentary grooming aids.

Most travelers want to know about the hotel outside of their own room. If the hotel has a gym, the rating should describe the hours the gym is open and the equipment available to guests at no additional charge. A mini review of the restaurants and shops on the hotel premises, describing the food the restaurants serve and whether they are casual or fine dining establishments. The type of merchandise available in the retail shops of the complex.