Before traveling became a global sensation, travel accommodations and hotels had a few problems: uncleanliness, discourteous staff, or lack of amenities. Then, private hosting and Airbnb came along but it came at a small price: bookings skyrocketed, private hosts created unclear policies with hidden fees, and guests were scammed out of their hard-earned money. This post is to help you spot red flags before booking your hotel or travel accommodation.
A bad accommodation experience can alter your energy throughout your trip. Personally, Booking.com has been helpful for booking accommodations because it allows me to read other travelers’ experiences and choose my accommodations based on my budget.
But while these platforms have made booking easier for us, scammers have also found a way to infiltrate and rip people off their hard-earned money.
WE’LL DISCUSS:
- Website is sketchy
- Photos and descriptions are misleading
- Hidden fees or suspicious payments
- Reviews are poor and repeated
- Vague location and address
- Responses to feedbacks are not professional
- Poor service and maintenance
- Unclear or discourteous policies
- Common red flags in hostels
- How to avoid booking a bad hotel
This post also covers how to spot red flag in hotels, hostels, private accommodations, and all types of travel accommodation.
Before hitting that “reserve your booking” button, let’s discuss red flags to spot before booking your hotel:
Further reading: Headed to Paris? Top Scams To Avoid in Paris
1. WEBSITE IS SKETCHY
I once stumbled on a one-paged hotel website that was so vague I feared that someone would book it. They had a phone number for booking, a few pictures of the lobby, and game room as their ‘room’ listing.
C’était bizarre! But unfortunately, some people may fall for this scam.
If the site has no explicit information, looks outdated, has no secure payment connection, or is evasive, RUN!
Do you know why? They are not transparent enough to take your hard-earned money and it could affect your travel experience. So, watch out for shady hotel or hostel sites and also look up their directory on Google.
2. PHOTOS AND DESCRIPTIONS ARE MISLEADING
Sometimes their pictures will look too sleek, other times they look like they have been retouched with Adobe Photoshop, or look very outdated.
The key here is to check for consistency in the description and photos of the hotel, hostel, or private accommodation, both on their website and on other booking platforms.
Skim through the pictures on the hotel’s website and compare them with those on booking platforms (e.g. Booking.com). If you still have doubts (totally normal), read the reviews and check for words like ‘not what I expected’, or ‘facilities not as described’.
And if you find any discrepancies with the hotel, don’t book it!
3. HIDDEN FEES AND SUSPICIOUS PAYMENTS
Typically, payments are encrypted to protect guests’ information on the booking website. But if you see other forms of payment (PayPal, CashApp, etc.), do not part with your money.
The same goes for hidden charges, such as an extra cleaning or guests fee. Avoid hotels or hostels with these red flags and take your money elsewhere.
Further reading: How to Plan The Perfect Trip: A Detailed Guide
4. REVIEWS ARE POOR AND REPEATED
When I’m looking for a hotel, I check the reviews first. But while checking the reviews, I look for a pattern: date of the reviews and what past guests complain about the most.
If past guests from 2022 till 2023 complained about dirty sheets, then I will assume the hotel has no regard for cleanliness.
I saw a review for an Airbnb host evading his customers’ privacy by entering the apartment with his spare key. This was a repeated pattern, and I’m surprised that the accommodation was still being booked.
Always check reviews and stay away from places with a lot of bad feedback.
5. VAGUE LOCATION AND ADDRESS
A legit, respectable accommodation will disclose their address or location (number, street, and city) for anyone to see. To vet them further, you should look up the address on Google Maps to get its 360° and exterior view.
If you wish to take it further, verify the address on Google to ensure that scammers are not using the company or business address as a listing.
Do not book hotels, hostels, or private accommodations with no explicit address or location on their web page. If it is very remote, avoid them too!
6. RESPONSES TO FEEDBACK ARE UNPROFESSIONAL
Avoid places that lack empathy and accountability towards their guests. If the employees or page handler argue with guests in the reviews, it is a sign that you will the same experience too.
Avoid places like this and take your time to find accommodations that are worth your time and money.
7. POOR SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE
There’s a difference between an old hotel and one with poorly maintained amenities. No hot water, faulty appliances, rickety beds, unclean rooms (uncleanliness), etc., are a few examples of an accommodation with poor maintenance and service.
Add that to nonchalant staff and insect-infested rooms, and you have a hotel horror story.
Make sure to check reviews and stay away from these places.
8. UNCLEAR OR DISCOURTEOUS POLICIES
Policies on lodging with pets, underaged guests (4 years and less), and extra service to the room (e.g. baby bed) should be clearly stated.
Check if they allow buffer check out times (a buffer time is the extra time allowed after the usual checkout time).
Take note of their cancelation and refund policies. If you are visiting France, you should be aware that there is a €1.65 city tax (depending on the city) charged per night.
So, if the policies are discourteous, sketchy, sound ambiguous, and do not seem to align with the hotel standard, avoid such hotels. This is a quick way to spot red flags before booking a hotel.
COMMON RED FLAGS IN HOSTELS
As a female solo traveler, hostels have been my go-to and it helps me stay on a budget. But here’s the gag: some hostels are designed for day-travelers, while some are designed to be comfortable for long stay travelers.
Red flags to look out for before booking a hostel:
- No lockers, cupboards, or security measures are in place to secure your items while you go out sightseeing.
- Electric sockets are not available in the room or at each bed
- Faulty bunk beds and rickety beds.
- No secure locks in the accommodation, including at the hall and entrance to the room.
- Rooms and bathrooms are not cleaned daily.
- No hooks or hangers for towels.
- Appliances are dead and broken, with no refills or repairs.
- Wi-Fi/Internet service is non-existent, so guests may not like this experience.
- No social or common areas (e.g. game room, recreation spaces, etc.). Add that to unclean common areas and that’s a no!
- No bed rails for the top bunks. To ensure the safety of guests, bed rails should be added to top bunks.
- An exclusive female room is non-existent. While some guests may not mind male guests in their room, I am not a fan of mixed hostels. I have read bad mixed hostel reviews!
- Party hostels. If you are looking to rest your head after a long day, party hostels are a no! The guests are loud and there are usually minor restrictions here.
Further reading: 5 Day Multi-Country Europe Travel Itinerary
HOW TO AVOID BOOKING A BAD HOTEL
Now that you know how to spot red flags before booking your hotel, how can you protect yourself from booking a bad hotel?:
- Do your research. If possible, stalk their social media channels and OTA listings.
- Vet the address and location. If the address cannot be found on Google Maps or traced in any way, don’t bother.
- Avoid remote hotels or accommodations. Your hotel should be accessible to public transport, tourist attractions and basic needs.
- Call to confirm your reservation. If you are using a private accommodation, call the host.
- Read the policies and rules cautiously to ensure that there are no hidden fees, cleaning charges, curfews, or lodging rules. If you will arrive late, an entry code should be sent to you.
- Keep all receipts for your booking. You never know!
- Know your preferences and choose an accommodations that fits into it. This way, you filter out your least favorites and go for what you want.
- Use multiple booking platforms to compare prices and see if you can get the best deals.
- Check for accreditations or labels. In Europe, hotels with no labels or accreditations should not be on booking platforms.
- Trust your intuition. If it feels off or too good to be true, don’t book it. Avoid booking hotels with negative reviews or stringent policies.
Further reading: A 2 Day Brussels Travel Guide and Itinerary
IN A NUTSHELL
Don’t forget, your goal is to get your money’s worth, so make sure to do a proper research before booking your hotel or any travel accommodation.
Avoid clicking on sneaky links even they seem to come from a verified OTA website.
OTA = Online Travel Agencies, e.g. Booking.com, Expedia
If you do your due diligence and follow these tips, I am sure that you will not be scammed out of your hard-earned money
Happy Travels!
