Monday, July 4, 2011

Lodging Wimberley, Texas | Find The Right Place - Tips

Anytime of year is a perfect time for a road trip to Wimberley, Texas but the prime months for hitting the highway are just ahead, and that leaves you precious little time to prepare. In haste, many road travelers tend to overlook, or simply defer, one critical aspect of their journey: lodging. For whatever reason, lodging has become more of a hassle and unsatisfying expense than anything else. Call it the empty calories of a road trip. Lodging doesn't have to be that way. One of the best aspects of exploring the Texas Hill Country and Wimberley, TX by road is the near limitless amount of options you'll have when looking for a place to stay, rest, and revitalize.

With over 400 places loosely fitting the definition of lodging (more on the definition of lodging in a later post), Wimberley, Texas offers some of the best and the worst lodging and hotel experiences in the Texas Hill Country. Travelers can avoid ruining their vacation by planning ahead. Here are 3 simple steps that you can complete in 30 minutes to reduce your risk of staying in a place you'll regret and to maximize the likelihood of being satisfied with your lodging experience.

Step 1: Use TripAdvisor To Find The Top Rated Lodging.
Go to http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g56901-Wimberley_Texas-Vacations.html and you'll see TripAdvisor has done the homework for you. Your screen should look similar to the screen shot below.


Source: TripAdvisor search on 07/04/2011.

Notice TripAdvisor shows you the top rated places to stay by category - i.e. Bed and Breakfasts and Hotels. In our example, TripAdvisor's results page tells you that based on their algorithm for analyzing unbiased reviews, The Balir House Inn (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g56901-d142078-Reviews-Blair_House_Inn-Wimberley_Texas.html) gets top rating for B&B and Cypress Creek Cottages gets the best hotel ratings (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g56901-d642703-Reviews-Cypress_Creek_Cottages-Wimberley_Texas.html).

You also get the second best rated places for each of the lodging categories. Both the first and second best rated places are sure bets so don't stray too far off the path. If you do, we wish you luck and would like to hear about your experience.

There are other places, but TripAdvisor just gave you the sure thing. If you do wonder off, it is best to start with those that have the most guests reviews and the highest overall ratings. Places with less than 30 guests providing feedback are like a pot luck lunch. You just don't know what you are going to get.

Step 2: Dig Deeper, Read Reviews, And Find The Best Place To Stay.
Now that you know who the best in class are, dig a little deeper by clicking on the link for the top rated B&B - Blair House Inn, and the top rated Hotel - Cypress Creek Cottages. There you will find all of the guest reviews, photos, limited rate information, and important site links and contact details for the specific B&B or Hotel. If you clicked on the Cypress Creek Cottages link under the Top Rated Hotel heading, your screen will look similar to the screen shot below.



Here is your homework. Take a few minutes to read a sampling of the best and worst guest reviews. All TripAdvisor reviews are unbiased. In other words, reviews are not manipulated by the B&B and/or Hotel owners/operators in any way and all feedback is sent directly to TripAdvisor by the guest. Feedback this direct and uncensored is usable by you. Take the time to see what makes each place special and unique as seen from the eyes of other travelers just like you. Read the reviews...

Here are the tips for quickly assessing your lodging prospect:
  • Take a look at the graph summarizing the number of reviews by rating.
  • Read the most recent top and lowest rated Reviews.
  • Don't hang on any review good or bad. Just look for themes.
  • Make a wish list of what you would like in your lodging experience - e.g. kitchen, flat screen TV, convenience to town and local area attractions, king size bed, type of room, decor, other amenities, etc.
  • Go to the respective web site for the B&B or Hotel you are interested in and check off the items on your wish list that are satisfied. You can click the link for the web site right from the page where the B&B or Hotel details are provided. In our example, the direct web site links are: Blair House Inn and Cypress Creek Cottages.
At this point you should have a pretty good feel for the lodging that best meets your expectations. Give them a call and ask them any remaining questions you have. A few that you must ask if you don't already have the answer to are:
  • Is there availability for the dates of your trip?
  • What is the cancellation/rescheduling policy?
  • Any discounts for online booking?
  • Any other kind of discounts - military, AAA, etc.?
Step 3: Reserve, Book, And Review Your Confirmation
No that you've made your decision its time to reserve and book your lodging experience with confidence. Most of the top rated B&B's and Hotels offer the convenience of online booking. You can always call and make your reservation the old fashion way. Either way, be prepared to pay a deposit or all of the amount due upfront.

You should receive confirmation paperwork as soon as you complete your reservation and book your stay. Make sure to review the details. Are the dates correct? Is it the room you agreed wanted? Are the charges correct? Are their any special instructions? Make sure to store your paperwork electronically or physically for later retrieval.

That's it. For a 30 minutes investment of your time, you can now rest assured that your lodging experience will be satisfying. Enjoy.

Friday, June 24, 2011

A few words @ posting, comments, and participation

This blog is open to everyone.
  • On topic comments are always welcome and ecouraged.
  • All postings are reviewed for appropriateness.
  • Participate to your level of comfort.
  • Respect the views and opinions of others.
  • Be objective and grounded in your comments.
  • Sharing of relevant articles and news postings are encouraged.
  • Reviews and links to the same are welcome.
  • Have fun and help contribute.
Together we can make this blog a one stop source of information for anyone planning a visit to Wimberley Texas.

Is this blog for you...

You know this blog is for you if any of the following is true:
  • You are planning a visit to Wimberley, Texas in the near future.
  • You want to learn more about what to see and do, where to eat, and where to stay while in Wimberley, Texas
  • You are interested in finding links, videos, and photographs to the many and diverse activities and attractions in Wimberley, Texas.
  • You like to share your stories, photos, reviews, suggestions, or anything else about your visit to Wimberley, Texas with others who have a similar interest.
Let us know if you'd like to see coverage of anything else as it relates to Wimberley, Texas. Your on topic comments and suggestions are always welcome.