I’m always leery about giving hotel advice. Just as people have different opinions of what makes a comfortable seat on an airplane, there are varying thoughts on what amenities, perks and other features make a great hotel room. That said, I’m confident that a little simple strategy will find you the right room at a pretty reasonable price.

1. Research.

Make good use of hotel ratings and reviews online. I’ve yet to find a reasonable competitor to tripadvisor.com. The site allows you to search by destination, then arrange by overall rating. From there, you can scroll through and find the best rated hotels while looking at their average price. I recently found a great, centrally located hotel in Barcelona with a top 20 rating whos average nightly price had come down considerably because of ongoing construction of the hotel restaurant. Tripadvisor also provides user pictures and videos for an unbiased real-world look at the facilities.

2. Book early, change later.

When you find a hotel you like at the right price, book it. Just make sure to check (and re-check) the cancellation policy first. With the exception of some online deals that require you to pay up-front, most hotels will let you cancel without penalty as long as you cancel within the allowed time before the reservation (usually 24 hours). Then keep your eye out for specials and remember to cancel your existing reservation if you find a better deal.

3. Join Loyalty Programs

Hotel loyalty programs are becoming (or..are) far and away superior to airline programs. In addition to having points stack up toward free stays, it may often get you a free room upgrade just for being a member. During a recent stay at a Holiday Inn in Florida my Priority Club membership got me an upgrade to an ocean view room with patio and easy beach access. Nice. Of course, upgrades only happen when they’re available (but they do happen!).

In all, personal preference is going to win out in choosing a hotel room. You can find great value if you do a little homework and apply patience to the reservation process. Keep an eye on modhop for trip reports and our visitor reviews!