How do you find hotels?

[amcdonald]

@amcdonald and old hack - we rarely get complaints about noise, the building was built in the 19th century with solid thick walls which ensures a good night sleep! We also have free wi-fi and guests are welcome to leave belongings over the weekend (we try to make things as comfortable and convenient as possible to encourage people to return)

Maybe price then, as contractors can be tight gits when paying for hotels themselves. If theres nothing wrong with your hotel, perhaps there are cheaper alternatives nearby that are considered 'good enough'

What other hotels locally are you competing with, that should be your first question

[bless 'em all]

I thought I'd bung my two-pennerth in on this.

You haven't mentioned the price per night? Are you prepared to negotiate on that for 4 night weekday bookings which could run for months? What * rating are you? Do you have goblin' tea-maid for every room?

I have an upper-limit for my hotel expenses and I never go over that limit, it's all about your price-point, then quality.

[someguy24]

We are on a par with all the other hotels in the area (we are £65 B+B for a twin room per night) in regards to flat rate price and we are more than happy to negotiate for Monday - Friday bookings and long term bookings (can sometimes offer as much as 50% discount on bookings).

We have a mix of contractors from different trades and thankfully always have instant hot water available. Tea and coffee facilities are available in all rooms too. and rooms are en-suite with satellite TV and a licensed bar and restaurant downstairs.

I believe (and this opinion is not biased because I am employed here!) that we offer great value for money and a great service suited for contractors, the issue seems to be how to get the word out there for people that may be coming to the area to work.

[bless 'em all]

We are on a par with all the other hotels in the area (we are £65 B+B for a twin room per night) in regards to flat rate price

Then you may well be a click-through for many contractors.

If that's the price they're seeing online, then most would not bother picking up the phone.

One place I stayed offered me the 'laterooms' price I paid for one night as standard if I booked direct in future. It's a suggestion that might get some bums-in-beds, you'll no doubt get a % repeat business.

[Diver]

1. Booking.com
2. Late rooms
3. Reviews, I always check reviews, too many sensible bad reviews and I won't book, it doesn't matter how many stars or good reviews.
4. Cleanliness, If there are stains on any soft furnishings, I won't be back
5. Pillows, I hate pillows that are so soft you sink through them and they wrap around your head. Provide firm/hard pillows that will support my head at least 6 inches off the matress or I will never be back.
6. If you have a menu, make sure that you provide decent Plain food I.e Plain Roast chicken, Grilled Gammon Steak or Sirloin. If 'it's all wierd crap like Poached salmon in lemon and white chocolate sauce (yes it's true) and other artsy fartsy rubish, I either won't book or won't be back.
7. Provide enough coffee and tea making supplies for at least 4 cups, we are contractors and will work from our rooms.
8. Provide decent Wifi and provide it free or cheap enough to interest us. Wifi is one of our first considerations.
9. Provide ironing facilities or an iron & ironing board in the room. Those presses supplied by some hotels are rubish and should be banned.
10. Personally I don't like to spend more than £180 per night 4* in central London so keep the prices down and offer deals to contractors (I spent 106 days in hotels last year)

[BigTime]

1. Booking.com +1
2. Late rooms +1
3. Reviews, I always check reviews, too many sensible bad reviews and I won't book, it doesn't matter how many stars or good reviews. +1
4. Cleanliness, If there are stains on any soft furnishings, I won't be back +1
5. Provide enough coffee and tea making supplies for at least 4 cups, we are contractors and will work from our rooms. +1
6. Provide decent Wifi and provide it free. Wifi is one of our first considerations. +1
7. Provide ironing board in the room. +1

I've got into the habit of booking the best value room with reasonable reviews on booking or laterooms.com at the last minute for variety. Offering your empty rooms on the cheap here will get some new visitors some of which may become sticky.

[NickFitz]

1. If you have a menu, make sure that you provide decent Plain food I.e Plain Roast chicken, Grilled Gammon Steak or Sirloin. If 'it's all wierd crap like Poached salmon in lemon and white chocolate sauce (yes it's true) and other artsy fartsy rubish, I either won't book or won't be back.

This! A thousand times, this!!!

[minestrone]

Feck all IT contract jobs just now in Scotland. Worst I have seen since 2001.

[Avro]

Important things for me are

1. Price
2. Decent Breakfast
3. Wifi (free or low cost)
4. A mattress and pillows that you dont' sink straight through.
5. A room that is nicely furnished and clean.

A TV with an HDMI port so I can plug my laptop into and still work also gets a plus point.

You might want to try talking to the chaps at Contractor Accommodation Services – Contractor Hotels and Rentals Booking Agency Nationwide, which is where I book hotels through when required.

[BigTime]

...

A TV with an HDMI port so I can plug my laptop into and still work also gets a plus point.
...

wow! you don't want much. i stayed at the st. pancras hotel and that seemed to have a plug for everything. a bit more than 65/night mind.