Shopping around for a luxury holiday is now easier than it’s ever been. The widespread use of the internet to advertise and sell holidays has meant that the ordinary person can cut out the middle man in the form of a travel agent and set about arranging their own trip. This not only means that costs are lower – since there is no third party creaming off a percentage – but it also means that the individual traveller is free to tailor every single detail of a trip to suit their needs, and the best luxury holiday deals are those which include hand-picked, top of the range accommodation at highly affordable prices.
The offers access to 5 star hotels of every size and type in all different parts of the world, and makes it possible for guests to relax at home, with a cup of tea in their hand, and take their time to slowly look through the pages, reading descriptions and reviews, looking at photographs and making note of facilities and amenities until they find the hotel which is perfect for them.
The factors driving the choice of perfect hotel will be many and varied. Perhaps first and foremost will be the location. It could be that you have a certain specific location in mind, such as the city of Paris, and then merely have to narrow it down to a particular district. Many people, however, go in with a more open mind and vaguer aspirations, such as wanting a city break in a place which offers varied cultural attractions, or seeking s stay in a hotel which is near the coast and within easy walking distance of the beach. Online search engines make narrowing down your options in this manner simple, even if you start with an idea as broadly stated as ‘a luxurious hotel somewhere that’s nice and sunny in October’. Location aside, the other overriding factor will be the type of holiday you want. Will it be an action packed family getaway crammed with visits to theme parks, a romantic long weekend in an out of the way boutique hotel or a week spent soaking up cultural attractions in the heart of one of the world’s great cities? The point is that it hardly really matters. Whatever you’re looking for you’ll be able to find it, right down to the individual details of each and every hotel. If you’re travelling with children, for example, you might want to book a hotel which has extensive children’s play facilities and perhaps even a guest crèche. Keen amateur chefs may wish to stay in an apartment rather than a hotel, with a fully equipped kitchen which allows them to experiment and whip up their own creations using the best local ingredients, whilst honeymooners might be more interested in finding a hotel which is smaller and more intimate and with as luxurious and relaxing a room as possible.
Other factors which might recommend one hotel above another will include the fitness and sporting facilities on site, since these can vary from hotels which have a gym, sauna and fitness room to those which offer squash and tennis courts, a running track and perhaps even access to horse riding.
By Mr. Jones
