How I choose a hotel in ten minutes.
The three questions that matter more than the star rating.
By Brandi Harris · Autumn 2026Clients often send me a list of fifteen hotels and ask which one is best. My honest answer is that “best” depends on the trip. But I can narrow any list to two or three in about ten minutes, because I ask the same three questions every time.
1. Who is this hotel actually for?
Every good hotel is built for someone. Some are built for couples who want to disappear, some for families who need a kids’ club, some for people who want a scene at the pool. Read the photos, not the copy. Are there sun loungers in pairs or in long rows? Is the restaurant candlelit or bright? Who is in the pictures?
If the hotel is built for someone else, it doesn’t matter how many stars it has. You’ll feel slightly out of place the whole stay.
2. What will my days look like here?
I picture an ordinary day at the property. Where do I have breakfast? Where do I spend the afternoon? Can I walk to dinner, or does every meal mean a car? This is where location quietly makes or breaks a trip.
If you want to stay put. Look hard at the pool, the beach and the restaurants. You’ll live in them.
If you want to explore. Location beats amenities. A smaller hotel in the right place wins.
If you’re travelling as a group. Look for shared spaces and room types that work for different people.
“Stars tell you what a hotel has. They don’t tell you how it will feel.”
3. What happens when something goes wrong?
This is the question most people skip. Flights get delayed, rooms aren’t ready, it rains. The difference between a good hotel and a great one is how they handle that moment. I look at recent reviews for how problems were solved, not whether they happened.
It’s also where an advisor earns their place. When I book a property I have a relationship with, there’s a person I can call when something goes wrong, and that changes the outcome.
What I ignore
The star rating on its own. It measures facilities, not feeling.
The single best photo. Look at the twentieth photo, not the first.
Very old reviews. Hotels change management, and quality follows.
Who is this hotel built for, and is that me?
Picture an ordinary day: breakfast, afternoon, dinner.
Read the three most recent problem reviews and how they were handled.
Check the room category, not just the hotel.
Ask what perks come with booking through an advisor.
Send me your list and I’ll do this for you. Most of the time, the right hotel is obvious once you know what the trip is for.
— Bee