How do you decide what hotel to say in while traveling? There are frequent fliers who live and die by how many miles they can get on a trip. They spend hours scouring the internet , looking for ways to get more miles. They do mileage runs, or check into a hotel and don’t actually spend the night. Then there are the people who aren’t worried at all about what kind of points they could accrue; they just want to stay in a nice hotel in a great location with amenities that work for them. So which is better? Certainly people may disagree with me, but I say neither. Both ways of thinking have merits, depending on the circumstance. I actually prefer local places a lot of the time, but I’ll typically stay in a chain to maximize points.

What to look for in a hotel, regardless of brand:

Location. Different locations are important for different reasons. Obviously, proximity to the office can make things a lot easier. Commute time is shorter, and possible delays due to traffic are minimized. Sometimes, however, you want to be close to other things, like downtown, shopping, or the airport.

Food. Will you be working late? Do you need to have room service available? Or is it enough to have good restaurants nearby? And do you want a full breakfast? I know I do.

Hotel amenities. Do you need a hotel with a gym or a pool? What about a fridge in your room? Will you need to print, copy, or fax anything while you are there? Do you need a universally accessible room? And of course, what about beds? Do you prefer a king, or two queens? Does bedding matter? Other amenities to consider are free breakfast and high speed internet.

When to focus on points:

• Anytime you are not staying in a boutique hotel. If you plan to stay in a chain hotel, try to stay in the same family, such as Hilton, Carlson, Marriott, or SPG. Make sure you sign up for the reward points!
• When you need consistency. There is a standard that chains are held to, and you know that staying in a Hampton Inn in Cornelia, GA will be very similar to a Hampton Inn in Boston. That can be comforting, especially when you are on the road a lot.

When to focus on amenities:

• Looking for an “experience”.  This December I went to Pensacola, and the office I was visiting was as far away from the beach as you could get.  But I figured if I’m going to be in Florida, I’m staying at a beach. Even with the thirty minute drive, it was totally worth it.
• You need a specific location. The first time I traveled to West Virginia, there was no Hampton Inn or Courtyard Marriott available. I stayed in a fabulous boutique hotel downtown. They took care of everything I needed, and I honestly have never had a more comfortable stay.
• You are going to an unfamiliar place. Often, independent hotels will offer perks such as a women’s only floor, workout equipment, or a car and driver service. When I travel to Manila, I stay in a hotel that offers me security, not points.

Local, independent hotels can offer some of the most interesting, authentic, convenient places to stay. But if that’s not what you’re looking for, try to stay in the same hotel family so you can accrue those points. However, if you just go on a couple of business trips a year, hotel points probably won’t add up quickly enough to get you anything. You may as well stay wherever you want, and make it somewhere fun!

Road Warriorette is a professional woman who travels for work, a lot, from her home base in Texas. Because of her extensive travel experience, the Road Warriorette wants to share valuable tips and tricks she has learned, in hopes to teach the world about how to be good fellow travelers. She writes a blog, RoadWarriorette.com, for her fellow women business travelers. She loves to help people pack better! Learning to pack efficiently was a huge and fun challenge for the Warriorette who has a slight obsession with clothes and shoes (paring down is not easy, ladies!). In addition to writing and travel, both professionally and recreationally, she enjoys knitting, yoga, and spending time with her husband, the Home Warrior, and their two dogs.