What to Consider in a Budget Hotel
A Safe Neighborhood
At least five essentials should be found in any budget hotel booking. The first, and most important, is safety.
No hotel booking is a bargain if it requires sacrificing safety. A budget hotel in an iffy neighborhood is out. At the very least, you are looking for a setting where there is proper lighting and a security presence. But neither of those variables might matter if the surrounding blocks are unsafe.
It’s also good to have surveillance cameras in common areas, 24-hour security and a front desk that is staffed at all times. Properties that have invested in such amenities deserve more consideration, even if their room rates are a bit higher.
Portland Nordic Inn & Suites is located in a safe and well trafficked area of Portland, and we offer all of these safety measures to our patrons.
Clean Rooms
It’s only natural to expect fewer creature comforts in a budget room. You’re paying for a place to sleep and clean up, not for luxury hot tubs, balconies with sweeping views, or chic furniture.
These concessions aside, no one should ever sacrifice cleanliness for a better price. A room might be inexpensive, but that doesn’t mean it should be dirty, smelly, or moldy.
Health concerns that proceed from filthy conditions again raise the safety question. Are you willing to risk illness to save a few dollars on a room?
The good news is that filth does not necessarily correlate with low prices. Many budget operations are small, family-owned properties, where cleanliness is a high priority. In fact, one study concluded luxury hotels actually are more germ-ridden than budget rooms.
Easy Access to Cheap Ground Transportation
Budget hotels should have convenient access to public transportation.
What constitutes a budget-priced room?
If your answer is the room rate, you’re only partially correct.
A cheaply priced room that is 20 miles from the geographic focus of your trip is more expensive than than a slightly higher-priced stay in a convenient location. The cheap room will require expenditures of both time and money for transportation that eat into the room-rate savings.
It’s a relative bargain to spend an additional $15/night for a room that is a short walk from a public transportation stop or train station. The same might apply to hotels that offer free parking. In some cities, parking easily accounts for $100 or more in the course of a three-day stay. But sometimes, that parking charge is simply added to the room rate. Therefore it pays to compare costs after the parking charges are added.
Portland Nordic Inn & Suites is located near downtown with access to Portland’s world famous public transportation system.
Freebies Such as Breakfast and Internet Access
Cost overruns for dining frequently damage a well-intended travel budget, sometimes beyond repair. Dining out is expensive and costs are difficult to estimate with accuracy.
If your travel party can partake in a breakfast that is already paid for in the daily room rate, it’s possible to economize on lunch and save meal money for a nicer dinner. Some budget travelers prefer splurging on a large, late lunch before eating a light dinner.
Either way, the free breakfast is a budget booster that should receive primary consideration in the booking decisions for a budget trip.
Another cost that mounts quickly connects you with Internet access. Oddly, many first-class hotels charge $20/day or more for such connections, while many budget hotels offer wireless access at no charge. Although the free access is sometimes weak and unreliable, it will save money.
In Conclusion
While it may not seem glamorous to stay in a budget hotel, the experience can actually serve better than some of the Big Brand hotels. Nordic Inn and Suites offers amenities at an affordable rate so you can get the best out of your stay.