Nowadays, travel for many of us is not a challenge but a necessity for business or a vacation pleasure. Staying at a hotel is an inseparable part of a business trip or journey. We always want the hotel to be comfortable, pleasant, and to leave only good memories and impressions. Therefore, let us discuss what we should pay attention to in order to choose what we want at an acceptable price—especially if we are planning to travel to another country or city. This time, I would like to share my thoughts on how to choose a hotel in Vilnius.

Room Rate

You can find numerous reservation systems online that offer a wide selection of Vilnius hotels. The most popular systems are booking.com, hrs.com, expedia.com, and hotels.com. Be sure to review offers from several reservation systems, not just one, as prices for the same hotel in Vilnius may vary. I would suggest checking the selected hotel’s website as well—often the hotel in Vilnius itself offers a more attractive price than those listed in the systems.

Guest Reviews

Almost every hotel in Vilnius has a guest book on its website. Do not hesitate to read reviews from hotel visitors, which can be quite varied. Sometimes they even contradict each other, but by disregarding the most categorical and overly praising ones, you can form a more accurate impression of what to expect: the quality of service, the condition of the rooms, how the services important to you are rated, and the price-to-quality ratio.

Hotel Location

It is said for good reason that the three most important things about a hotel are: location, location, and location again. When booking a hotel, be sure to pay attention to where it is located. Whether it is in a noisy or quiet area, and whether that meets your expectations. If you plan to stroll through Vilnius streets in the evening or enjoy yourself until dawn, it is better to choose a hotel in the Old Town or city center. From there, you could easily reach your destination on foot. It is well known that distracted and relaxed tourists using taxi services around the world often pay dearly. If you are traveling on business or wish to relax, it is worth looking for a hotel in a quieter location.

What Is Included in the Room Rate

Currently, the hotel sector is copying the working methods of airlines. When purchasing a plane ticket, the customer must pay extra for airport taxes, baggage, and, if desired, in-flight meals. The price changes considerably from the initially selected price. Hotels are adopting this trend and selling accommodation without breakfast; parking and internet access may cost extra. It is popular to reserve a room through booking systems. On booking.com, the selection of Vilnius accommodation establishments is large—291. Of these, 68 are hotels. In this and other reservation systems, hotels are listed in a column. When browsing the main page, the customer sees one small photo and the room rate. Often, the main decision-making criterion is price. Vilnius hotels do not really have the opportunity to stand out from the crowd with one photo and a very minimal description, so hotels have no choice but to show the lowest possible price, which hotel industry professionals call “bare.”

Automobile

Did you arrive in Vilnius by car? You should think about parking. Some hotels in Vilnius (especially in the Old Town) do not have their own parking, or you have to pay for it. It is worth considering accommodation outside the Old Town, where you could safely leave your car.

What You Are Paying For

When choosing a hotel, be sure to pay attention to what is included in the price—whether there will be a television in the room, or perhaps the remote control will cost extra. Whether the room will have a bathroom, or you will have to share it with neighbors from another room. Whether internet access will cost extra—important if you have arrived for business purposes. Are breakfast included in the accommodation price? What kind of breakfast will be served—a buffet where you can choose dishes and take as much as you want, or will it be portioned?

Larger Room for Less

Triple or quadruple rooms are always cheaper than single or double rooms. If you are traveling with a large group, look for where you could get larger and more spacious rooms with extra beds. Some Vilnius hotels have family rooms. You should inquire about the conditions under which children are accommodated at the hotel—whether accommodation for a child is paid or not, from what age, perhaps breakfast and an extra cot for a young child are free, or vice versa.