A few years ago, we relied on travel agencies and word of mouth to find a hotel. We had to pay cash up front or send a check that needed to be cleared to secure a room. She had no idea if she was getting a good deal and had to wait for a brochure to arrive in the mail to check out the facilities and quality of accommodation.

Internet has revolutionized the hotel market. There are now more than 55,000 hotels worldwide that can be booked online. You can often take a virtual hotel tour, view a location map, find local attractions, check live room availability, and book a room for the night or longer stay.

We all know that the Internet is a great resource of information and some things are better suited to the Internet than others. Hotels, hostels and other accommodations are a perfect internet resource and this absolutely benefits the consumers.

Many of us will have booked a hotel, seen photos in a brochure and were very disappointed when we arrived to find it looks very different. If we all owned a hotel we would make sure to photograph it in the best light, but as customers we expect a realistic impression so that our expectations are at least met and hopefully exceeded.

There are now a growing number of incredibly helpful hotel and customer review websites and resources – the recommendation of others is often as good as any other information available.

I have stayed in many, many different hotels located in England, throughout Europe and around the world. Standards vary wildly and I have experienced no star budget accommodation and five star luxury hotels. I have enjoyed friendly local bed and breakfast and clinic and functional business rooms. The key in all things is expectation – I have been pleasantly surprised with some 2 star hotels and incredibly disappointed with some 4 star hotels.

Now you have more information at your fingertips than ever before. There are fewer and fewer excuses to be wrong and I strongly recommend that you investigate her stay very carefully. Always look at consumer reviews as you can’t beat recommending or not from recent guests.

Always shop around, as there are great prices and deals on hotels.

To start with, if you are looking for a hotel in England, UK or Europe, take a look at http://www.offers-on-everything.co.uk

Plan ahead, take your time, do your research, and minimize the risk of disappointment. You’ll maximize your chances of finding a great hotel, a great deal, and a wonderful stay.