Hotel prices do of course vary in price quite considerably and although those hotel prices can be greatly affected by their locations, it is not their location alone which causes those prices to vary so greatly. It is also the standard of the rooms, the quality of the service, size and even amenities which can affect prices.
Room Standards
The standards of the guest rooms is a great contributor to the overall cost of a room in a hotel as the cost of beds, mattresses and even décor can affect the cost of a room. Also some rooms may have additional items like coffee makers, fridges, flat screen TVs and a comfortable sitting area whilst others may just be a basic, cheap bed and mattress with nothing else to help accommodate the guests more comfortably.
Quality of Service
The quality of service is also an important factor in the cost of the room and it plays a major role in attracting return visitors to the hotel. The quality of service can be seen in the efficiency of waiting staff in the hotel’s restaurant or attention and assistance offered by the reception area, it can also be determined by whether or not the hotel offers room service and if they do, how efficient that service is.
Room Size
Obviously the size of the guest’s rooms will factor in any price a hotel charges as, the larger the rooms; the less rooms there is likely to be, and so the less guests a hotel can cater for and receive income from. Many of the more modern hotels today will concentrate less on the size of the rooms and concentrate more on the technology, offering rooms with Wi-Fi, blue tooth speakers and a wide assortment of TV channels, perhaps even PPV.
Hotel Amenities
Although at one time all that would be expected from a hotel would be a room, restaurant and often a bar but many of today’s hotels offer more. Many will have a business center, somewhere where guests can have access to PCs with internet, printers and perhaps even a fax machine. Often a hotel today will provide a quiet room where guests can read in comfort or play an assortment of board games provided by the hotel’s reception and more recently an increasing number of hotels have a swimming pool or hot tub.
Independent or Chain
Another factor that often plays a role in determining the cost of a room in a hotel is as to whether or not the hotel is part of a franchised chain of hotels. An independent hotel can of course set its own prices but a hotel which is part of a chain of hotels may have its prices set by the chains administrators, ensuring compatibility with similar hotels in the chain.
Resort Hotels
There are many resort hotels today and many of them may initially seem expensive but their prices are difficult to compare with traditional hotels as they will usually have a wide and diverse range of extra amenities available for guests use.
Consistency of Pricing
If you are travelling and going to be staying in different locations, it is therefore difficult to know in advance what an independent hotel’s rates will be, unless of course you have contacted them earlier. However many travellers that tour countries or even the world, opt to choose a hotel which is part of a chain as their prices are usually more consistent, varying only due to location and not the other factors. This relative consistency is not only often found in the larger hotel chains like Hilton Worldwide but also in smaller ones like Denmark’s Zleep and so is used as a good marketing point for all hotel chains.
