INDIANAPOLIS — If you're booking a last-minute trip this summer, it’s important to double- and triple-check your accommodations before you book them, or else you could find yourself staying at a not-so-great hotel.
Channon Booth has spent quite a bit of time on the road and in hotels. A few years back, while on tour in a rural part of Indiana, she had quite an unpleasant experience.
She says there was urine on the bed and sheets. Hotel management got booth and her friends to another room, which wasn't much better. Booth never got her money back for that trip, something many people can probably relate to.
The key is to do a thorough vetting process before you find yourself in a similar situation.
Experts say the star rating of the hotel is important. The more stars, the higher the quality. But don't forget about the reviews.
"When you book online, always look at the bad reviews, at the negative reviews, try to investigate the negative reviews and try to evaluate if they are just someone venting or there is something consistent in those negative reviews,” Israeli Aviad, an employee at the Kent State University hospitality program, said.
Also remember get a good look at the pictures of the hotel and make sure they're not just stock images. Experts say if a hotel uses stock images instead of real pictures, it's a huge red flag and could mean the quality of the hotel is not up to par.
