1. Does the price I see include taxes and fees?

Not necessarily. The first-line rate is often the room price before tax, service charge or city tax. Scroll to the "total to pay" before you confirm, and check whether anything is collected separately at the hotel — some cities charge a local tax at the front desk.

2. Until when is "free cancellation" free, and is it a refund or a credit?

Almost every free-cancellation rate has a deadline, such as a number of days before arrival in the hotel's local time. After that you pay the first night or the full stay. Put the deadline in your calendar, and read whether the refund goes back to the original payment method or becomes a credit for a future booking.

3. What is the difference between paying now and paying at the hotel?

Prepaid, non-refundable rooms are usually cheaper but cannot be changed at all. Pay-at-hotel rooms are more flexible but usually require a card as a guarantee. If your plans are not fixed, take the flexible rate and re-check prices closer to the trip.

4. How much will the hotel hold on my card at check-in?

Most hotels place a pre-authorisation for incidentals. The amount varies and can take several days to be released. On a debit card that hold comes straight out of your available balance, so bring a credit card or leave a buffer in the account.

5. Which bed type — one large bed or two singles?

Check the room-type name and the bed photo. If it says "bed type subject to availability", the hotel decides at check-in and nothing is guaranteed. If the bed matters, choose a room that states it clearly or send the hotel a request in advance.

6. How many square metres is the room?

In cities like Tokyo, Hong Kong or Singapore, rooms of the same class are usually smaller than many travellers expect. The square-metre figure tells you more than a wide-angle photo. If there are three of you or you travel with a large suitcase, check this number first, every time.

7. Is breakfast included, and is it worth more than buying it outside?

The same room often comes with and without breakfast. Divide the nightly difference by the number of people and compare with what you would actually eat nearby. In cities full of breakfast places, the rate without breakfast is usually the better deal.

8. What are the check-in and check-out times, and can I leave luggage?

Standard check-in is in the afternoon and check-out in the late morning. If your flight lands early or leaves late, check whether the hotel stores luggage and whether it charges. Early check-in almost always depends on a room being free — it is not a right.

9. Up to what age do children stay free, and how are guests counted?

Child policies differ at every hotel. Some let young children share a bed with adults for free; others count them as full guests. Enter the number of people and the children's ages correctly from the search page, because the prices and rooms shown will differ — and adding a guest at the desk is usually more expensive.

10. Hotel stars or review score — which should I trust?

Stars describe facilities and size against each country's criteria. Review scores describe the recent experience of people who actually stayed. Look at both, but weight reviews from the last six months, and read the middle-rated reviews — they describe real downsides better than either extreme.

11. Is "near the station" actually near?

Do not trust the hotel name or the marketing line. Open the map and measure the real walk from the hotel door to the station entrance, and check whether the route has ramps or stairs for a wheeled suitcase. The right neighbourhood matters more than the right hotel.

12. Why is the same room priced differently on each site?

Because what you are comparing is usually not the same thing: different cancellation terms, breakfast in or out, tax shown at a different step, or a different currency and exchange rate. Compare only the "final total" on identical terms. A comparison page lines them up on one screen.

13. Should I pay in my home currency or the local one?

When a site or card terminal abroad offers to charge you in your home currency, the exchange rate used is usually worse than letting your card issuer convert. Choosing the local currency generally costs less — but check your own card's foreign-transaction fee too.

14. How far ahead should I book?

There is no single number that works for every city, but in festival periods and long weekends the good rooms in good areas always go first. The safe method is to book a free-cancellation rate once your plans start to settle, re-check prices near the travel date, and if it is cheaper, book again and cancel the original within the deadline.

15. What should I check in the confirmation email?

Five things: the guest name spelled exactly as in the passport, the check-in and check-out dates, the number of guests, the room and bed type, and the cancellation terms with their deadline. If you booked through an intermediary, keep both the site's and the hotel's confirmation numbers, and check that the hotel can see the booking 2–3 days before you travel.

Know before you bookAug 31, 20266 min read

15 Questions to Answer Before You Book a Hotel — the Checklist That Saves Every Trip

Most hotel-booking mistakes do not come from picking the wrong hotel. They come from not reading the three lines under the price.

This page collects the questions you should be able to answer before you confirm, in the order you meet them — from the search results to the confirmation email. It takes under five minutes to read and saves both money and an argument at the check-in desk. All 15 answers are in the FAQ section below.

Before you confirm: price, terms, room

Questions 1–9 are what to check on the booking page before you press confirm — the final total, the free-cancellation deadline, pay now or at the hotel, the card hold, bed type, room size, breakfast, check-in times and the child policy.

Choosing well: stars, reviews, location, price gaps

Questions 10–13 are about reading what the site shows you — how stars differ from review scores, how far to trust "near the station", why the same room is priced differently on each site, and whether to pay in your home currency or the local one.

After you book: timing and the confirmation email

Questions 14–15 are about timing — how far ahead to book, and what to check in the confirmation email before you travel. Once you can answer all 15, what remains is price, which changes by the hour — compare the same room on the same terms from several sources on one screen, then book at whichever source is cheapest.

Frequently asked questions

1. Does the price I see include taxes and fees?: Not necessarily. The first-line rate is often the room price before tax, service charge or city tax. Scroll to the "total to pay" before you confirm, and check whether anything is collected separately at the hotel — some cities charge a local tax at the front desk.
2. Until when is "free cancellation" free, and is it a refund or a credit?: Almost every free-cancellation rate has a deadline, such as a number of days before arrival in the hotel's local time. After that you pay the first night or the full stay. Put the deadline in your calendar, and read whether the refund goes back to the original payment method or becomes a credit for a future booking.
3. What is the difference between paying now and paying at the hotel?: Prepaid, non-refundable rooms are usually cheaper but cannot be changed at all. Pay-at-hotel rooms are more flexible but usually require a card as a guarantee. If your plans are not fixed, take the flexible rate and re-check prices closer to the trip.
4. How much will the hotel hold on my card at check-in?: Most hotels place a pre-authorisation for incidentals. The amount varies and can take several days to be released. On a debit card that hold comes straight out of your available balance, so bring a credit card or leave a buffer in the account.
5. Which bed type — one large bed or two singles?: Check the room-type name and the bed photo. If it says "bed type subject to availability", the hotel decides at check-in and nothing is guaranteed. If the bed matters, choose a room that states it clearly or send the hotel a request in advance.
6. How many square metres is the room?: In cities like Tokyo, Hong Kong or Singapore, rooms of the same class are usually smaller than many travellers expect. The square-metre figure tells you more than a wide-angle photo. If there are three of you or you travel with a large suitcase, check this number first, every time.
7. Is breakfast included, and is it worth more than buying it outside?: The same room often comes with and without breakfast. Divide the nightly difference by the number of people and compare with what you would actually eat nearby. In cities full of breakfast places, the rate without breakfast is usually the better deal.
8. What are the check-in and check-out times, and can I leave luggage?: Standard check-in is in the afternoon and check-out in the late morning. If your flight lands early or leaves late, check whether the hotel stores luggage and whether it charges. Early check-in almost always depends on a room being free — it is not a right.
9. Up to what age do children stay free, and how are guests counted?: Child policies differ at every hotel. Some let young children share a bed with adults for free; others count them as full guests. Enter the number of people and the children's ages correctly from the search page, because the prices and rooms shown will differ — and adding a guest at the desk is usually more expensive.
10. Hotel stars or review score — which should I trust?: Stars describe facilities and size against each country's criteria. Review scores describe the recent experience of people who actually stayed. Look at both, but weight reviews from the last six months, and read the middle-rated reviews — they describe real downsides better than either extreme.
11. Is "near the station" actually near?: Do not trust the hotel name or the marketing line. Open the map and measure the real walk from the hotel door to the station entrance, and check whether the route has ramps or stairs for a wheeled suitcase. The right neighbourhood matters more than the right hotel.
12. Why is the same room priced differently on each site?: Because what you are comparing is usually not the same thing: different cancellation terms, breakfast in or out, tax shown at a different step, or a different currency and exchange rate. Compare only the "final total" on identical terms. A comparison page lines them up on one screen.
13. Should I pay in my home currency or the local one?: When a site or card terminal abroad offers to charge you in your home currency, the exchange rate used is usually worse than letting your card issuer convert. Choosing the local currency generally costs less — but check your own card's foreign-transaction fee too.
14. How far ahead should I book?: There is no single number that works for every city, but in festival periods and long weekends the good rooms in good areas always go first. The safe method is to book a free-cancellation rate once your plans start to settle, re-check prices near the travel date, and if it is cheaper, book again and cancel the original within the deadline.
15. What should I check in the confirmation email?: Five things: the guest name spelled exactly as in the passport, the check-in and check-out dates, the number of guests, the room and bed type, and the cancellation terms with their deadline. If you booked through an intermediary, keep both the site's and the hotel's confirmation numbers, and check that the hotel can see the booking 2–3 days before you travel.

Before you confirm: price, terms, room

Choosing well: stars, reviews, location, price gaps

After you book: timing and the confirmation email

Frequently asked questions

Keep reading / next steps