Holidays or business trips are better when staying at a hotel with almost everything you need to make your life comfortable. The worst emotion one can have during a holiday is the feeling of being isolated from the whole world unintentionally and the frustration of not being able to access basic needs, which make life easy. Holidays are supposed to be fun, intoxicatingly relaxing and “heart-stoppingly” awesome to create lasting memories. At times it is difficult to know what you need during a holiday hence we decided to come up with a list of what you need to consider when choosing a lodge or hotel.
Easy access to transport
When on vacation, transport is a basic need without which one can easily be stranded and the whole holiday can turn into a nightmare. The hotel must be easily accessible by either road or air at an affordable fare. Most hotels are located in areas where one can easily drive if they are not using public transport, however, one should consider the state of the roads, as well as some roads, might leave you stranded and alone at the mercy of Lord knows what. It is advisable to choose a hotel that provides shuttle services to and from the airport on request and if not located close to the Central Business District (CBD) the hotel should be able to provide return shuttle services to the CBD regularly. This gives you easy access to several things and enables you to run quick errands should the need arise. For hotels located close to the CBD it might not be necessary but it should be an option available just in case. There is also a need to consider the availability of taxis in case you decide to run an errand outside the shuttle timetable. The taxis should be associated or at least recommended by the hotel to avoid issues of theft and any other security threats.
Easy 24/7 connectivity
Imagine spending two or three days without internet connectivity! Well, if you cannot, then just consider your worst nightmare feeling doubled. That is exactly how it feels to be isolated without any connection to the outside world. The world has gone digital and our lives have become intertwined with the digital world to an extent of internet connection being regarded as a necessity for humankind survival. The morality of this is up for debate, but at the end of the day, only one irrefutable fact remains which is we need the internet. It is therefore highly advisable to make sure that the hotel you end up choosing has internet access to keep you connected virtually even when in isolation physically.
Having internet connectivity is critical to both business travel and vacation travel. Imagine trying to have a video chat with people at home and failing to connect due to the unavailability of WIFI, not being able to instantly share that sweet selfie freezing your happiest moment with a friend or even an enemy, hey no judgement here!. The frustration and anger of not being able to update your Instagram account with pictures you took delaying eating the meal is the equivalent of failing to submit that dear report to your boss and probably end up facing a hearing or a demotion. When making a booking ask about the state of the hotel’s WIFI and check if it is unlimited as well as possible downtimes that can be expected.
Great amenities and facilities
After a fun-filled day, it is more than necessary to wind up the day in style by making use of facilities such as a swimming pool, beauty parlour and hitting the bar. Make sure you choose a hotel with some of these facilities, maybe not all but make sure they have enough to keep you occupied. You do not want to be counting hours until you leave the hotel because of boredom. Make use of the pool but maybe learn how to swim first and if it’s too late well there’s no harm in using the kid’s pool, if you do not take pictures no one will ever know anyway.
Access to activities
Imagine staying at a hotel where you cannot even book activities, get assistance on how to book activities or at least get recommendations and how to access them, that’s the legal definition of boredom. Even a business trip requires at least one activity to show it is not office life as always. Holidays without activities are the equivalent of sleeping in church (you miss the main reason for attending) Check on available options and how you can easily get to do some of the activities which are pocket friendly or interestingly pricey depending on your taste and choice.
Great restaurant or access to a number of restaurants
There is nothing sweeter than access to mind-freezing, heart-soothing and mouth-watering food. Before committing to a hotel make sure that they have an operational restaurant on their premises and their menu options are exactly what you are looking for and maybe a little bit daring as well, hey it’s time to experiment after all they won’t tell on you. In addition to the on-site restaurant, you might want to also make sure that you can access other restaurants in the area in case you are not fully satisfied or you want a change of scenery after all you cannot eat at the same restaurant for seven straight days. Give yourself options and you can even ask the hotel for recommendations to be sure.
Peaceful and quiet.
Relaxing never goes well with noise and disruptions. Make sure you choose a place that is quiet enough to let your mind wander in the other world whilst your body is keeping in touch with the real world. If choosing a hotel located in the CBD be sure to ask if their rooms are noise proof, otherwise there will be no sleeping for you, which is just sad, to say the least.
There are many other things you should consider before choosing a hotel, however, you do not need to worry about the whole list and reading the entire internet to find out what you need to look out for. All our Rainbow Tourism Group hotels which comprise The Rainbow Towers Hotel & Conference Centre, New Ambassador Hotel, Kadoma Hotel and Conference Centre, Bulawayo Rainbow Hotel, Victoria Falls Rainbow Hotel and A’Zambezi River Lodge have all the above and so much more. Next time you think holiday or business trip, think Rainbow Tourism Group and all your needs will be taken care of, feel free to even enquire when making a booking to put your mind at ease.
Remember to travel the world!
By Douglas Mwanza
