Getting the right hotel to spend one~s vacation at is one of the most difficult and costly parts of planning the vacation. It is really difficult if you have never visited the city before and do not know it, or if you are going on vacation during the major tourist season.

Planning vacations in advance is always recommendable, though do not invest too much effort. Booking a hotel beforehand is very important, otherwise, when you get there, you risk to be unable to find a place where to spend the nights, or there might be vacancies only in hotels, which are not best for you.

Going to the most expensive hotel is hardly mandatory, if you are looking for good service; but on the other hand, do not forget that there are reasons why cheap hotels are cheap. Your guide for hotel prices could be Motel 6. Since a room even in that hotel is about $40 on average, anything below its price is most likely too cheap.

While you should never consider a hotel room to be completely sterile, the more expensive hotels are generally cleaner than some of the really cheap places. On vacation, you generally get what you pay for.

However, before you decide on a hotel, there are a few things that you need to consider.

The first is how much money you have available to pay for a hotel room. If you can't afford to pay more than a hundred dollars per night for your hotel, then, depending on where you're going, that might hurt your chances of getting a good hotel and a good room.

Next, you need to consider which features are important to you. Do you want a continental or full service breakfast, for instance? One benefit of in-hotel breakfast is that it will make it easier in the morning if you don't want to go out for breakfast, or don't want to order room service. Continental breakfast usually consists of something light and quick in the morning, while full service breakfast is a more complete meal. However, if you're going to be getting up extremely early, perhaps you won't have time even for the continental breakfast.

If you're on vacation and want a pool, then you should also pay attention to where the pool is located, and what time of the year you're going to be vacationing there. If you're going somewhere during the winter, and the hotel has an outdoor pool, then the pool might be closed. Even if it's during the summer and the pool is open, inclement weather might make it harder for you to find time to swim.

Another really important thing to consider is the location of your hotel. For instance, if you're going to go to Disneyland, and you don't want to deal with rental cars, then you should probably stay at a hotel that is either right next to the park, or that is at least within walking distance of it.

Finally, after you have found the most suitable hotel for your vacation, it is wise to purchase a package, rather than buying services separately. There are agencies that offer discounts when you buy a package (hotel room and tickets), sometimes saving you hundreds of dollars.

FTI Hotel is a great site for all the information you would ever look for regarding hotels. Owner Chelsea Rosamund has a vast knowledge of the hotel industry. Visit FTI Hotel and you will find articles, resources and a free newsletter.