Finding small hotels

by Linda Ledray

I love traveling alone, and I prefer small hotels because of the price and the local flavor they often offer. The names are hard to remember, and many are in out-of-the-way places. On my last trip I was lost twice because the name was too close to those of other hotels, and I felt lucky to eventually find my way back. Is there a way to make sure the hotel I choose is easy to find, besides staying at the big, American-type chains? — Mary S., Iowa City, IA

Location is certainly an important consideration when choosing a hotel. Before booking, you may want to do some research and decide on a couple of major attractions that you want to see in each city. If you make a point of booking a hotel near one of these attractions, not only will it be more convenient, but it will be easier to locate at the end of your day. (“Take me to the Eiffel Tower, please.”)

You also can make a point of booking near the train, bus or airport. This will take a better knowledge of the area to avoid booking in a noisy, unsafe or unattractive part of town.

On my last trip to Amsterdam, in summer ’02, I took my travel agent’s advice to move from downtown to a hotel near the airport my last night, as I had an early flight home the next day. The airport hotel was much more expensive, very isolated and totally lacking in the old-world charm of the hotel I left in the center of the city.

The move was also not necessary. My original hotel was very near the train station, and the train from town took only 20 minutes — not much more than the bus ride from the new hotel to the airport. My travel agent and I both learned a valuable lesson.

For locating, at the end of the day, the hotel in which you’re staying, I also always recommend the old standby method: before you go out of the hotel in the morning, pick up a business card or book of matches with the name, address and phone number of your hotel. This way, even if your pronunciation is unrecognizable, you can show the card or matches to a cab driver and get home.

You likely will want a city map to locate the sites you will visit during your stay. You can also ask the hotel staff to mark your map with the location of the hotel so you don’t have to rely upon memory to find your way home through often-winding streets with unfamiliar names.

Don’t give up your choice of small hotels or bed-and-breakfasts. I agree with you; they are often the most charming (and lower in cost as well!).