The expert named the most common mistakes when choosing a hotel.

So that the vacation is not remembered for a spoiled mood, and the hotel bed does not turn out to be a sagging sofa, it is worth approaching the choice of accommodation for travel as carefully as possible. Elena Shelekhova, head of the OneTwoTrip press service, told Izvestia on July 14 about the typical mistakes that tourists make and how to avoid them. According to her, even experienced travelers often fall into the same traps, which would be easy to circumvent if they knew where to look.

As the expert points out, one of the mistakes is to focus only on the price. When you see a tempting offer for 1 thousand rubles, it's hard to resist. However, Shelekhova continued, low cost can conceal a number of unpleasant surprises, from questionable living conditions to an inconvenient location.

"We keep critical thinking: chasing the cheapest option can turn into a communal shower in the hallway, strange smells, and a two-hour drive to the nearest landmark. Well, or a sagging mattress. Look not only at the price, but also at the rating, reviews, map and photos. A good price—performance ratio is more than realistic," she said.

No less care should be taken when evaluating a hotel based on its official photos and descriptions. As the expert noted, such materials are often created not to inform, but to attract attention. As a result, you can book a deluxe suite with a view, which turns out to be a room on the ground floor with a view of the wall.

"Study the room description and photos and do not hesitate to ask questions to the hotel team. For example, in social networks," Shelekhova said.

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According to her, only reviews provide a truly objective picture. It is in them that users honestly write about problems that are repeated from time to time — whether it's the smell in the room, noise from the street or a broken air conditioner.

"After all, the descriptions of the hotels are written by marketers, but the reviews are the real guests. <...> Study the experiences of other travelers and pay attention to recurring problems: if six guests in a row write that the sound of the air conditioner is somewhat reminiscent of a helicopter flying overhead, it probably is," the expert reminded.

As Shelekhova notes, tourists tend to overestimate the convenience of the location. The phrase "only 10 minutes to the center" may be too stretched a concept, especially when it comes to walking in the heat or transferring to several modes of transport. And if the hotel is located in a bustling area with bars and clubs, you can forget about a restful sleep, especially with children.

In addition, many vacationers do not read the booking conditions and do not ask clarifying questions about the selected room. Shelekhova advises checking all the details in advance, including the number of floors, the presence of a window or a full-fledged bed. If something is not clear in the description, do not hesitate to ask. According to the expert, the moment of booking remains an important point. Waiting for burning discounts the day before the trip often ends with the fact that there are simply no rooms left. Or there are only those that are many times more expensive and do not meet expectations.

To avoid disappointment, Shelekhova recommends planning accommodation in advance — at least a couple of weeks in advance. The services allow you to monitor promotions, as well as receive notifications about price reductions. The main thing to remember is that finding a hotel is not a formality, but an important stage in organizing a vacation.

"Choosing a cool hotel for a vacation is not magic, but management. A couple of hours of preparation will save you everything else: the notorious nerves and money," she concluded.

On July 7, the developer Veren Group provided data on the criteria for choosing vacation hotels by Russians. More than a third of Russians (38%) rely on a private beach with a lounge area when choosing a hotel, 23% choose outdoor pools, 13% choose a wellness center and 10% choose a children's infrastructure.