If you’re looking for a getaway, chances are you are going to look on major travel sites like Booking, Kayak or Priceline. It’s understandable why you would do so. It’s quick. It’s easy. It’s convenient. However, most people don’t know that they are doing themselves a huge disservice by using one of these booking engines. The reason why is simple: compensation.
Look, we can’t knock these websites. After all, they are a business and started their websites to make money. However, when businesses become too big, they tend to start forgetting about their customers and instead put their own goals first. As such, customers start seeing results that aren’t the best for them. Just take a look at the car rental tab within a booking engine like Kayak. The recommended car rental service is generally some no name company that is hundreds of dollars cheaper than the larger brands you are familiar with (such as Avis and Enterprise). These no name companies often pay hefty fees for being in the top position on these booking engines. This wouldn’t be a problem if they were the best choice for customers. Unfortunately though, these lower priced car rental companies are usually terrible choices for most people because there are hundreds of dollars in hidden fees that customers will need to shell out when they get to the car rental counter.
Shocking, right? The same thing happens in every industry, but especially the car and hotels industry. So, if you’re about to take a vacation and are looking for a car and hotel, don’t use those big booking engines. As for hotels: there are tens of thousands of hotels, compared to only a handful of car rental companies. So, if you thought finding the best car rental company was hard, try finding a great hotel. It’s impossible. So, you’re probably asking: where do I start? Well, we can’t help with every hotel in the country, however we can give a list of the best hidden boutique hotels in the country that you should definitely consider.
The Condor Hotel
The Condor hotel is a beautiful 35-room boutique hotel situated in the upscale part of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Although above we said not to use big booking engines, the one thing they are good for are customer reviews. The Condor hotel has an average rating of well over 4 out of 5 stars. From the elegant entrance to the sleek style rooms, in addition to the low nightly price of $120 and a 2 minutes train ride into Manhattan, the Condor is certainly something to check out.
The Little Nell
Aspen, Colorado is consistently named as a top 3 destination in the U.S. As such, there are no shortage of hotels to choose from. The problem is that The Little Nell generally does not show up on anyone’s map. Well, we’re here to change that. Sure, this hotel is not for everyone (as it mostly caters to ski vacationers). However, their rooms are to die for, their ski concierge service is incredible, and their 2 in-house restaurants offer top-level food.
The Jefferson
Washington D.C. is our nation’s capital. The American feeling is all around. However, if you’re looking to getaway from the American feel, The Jefferson hotel has you covered. With it’s European deluxe design and layout, you feel the elegance around you. In addition to the old-style design, you may want to check out the luxurious spa, gourmet restaurants and of course their bar (named Quill).
Conclusion
Just remember: there are thousands of hotels out there. Try to get away from the booking engines and find unique, cozy little places that can really enhance your next trip.
