Hotel Brands

Traveling nowadays is an experience that can be as tailor-made and individualized as you desire. You can go big – first-class flight, luxury rental car, 5-star resort, the works. Or you can tone it down – economy tickets, Ubers and a moderately priced hotel or Airbnb. For those of you who still enjoy a hotel experience, we’re going to roll into a list of the top recommendations worldwide. But we’re not stopping there, peppered into this list are ones you should also do your best to avoid. A post for everyone, guaranteed!

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Belmond Hotels, originally known as Orient-Express Hotels & Resorts, operates 32 properties across 5 continents. Mostly lavish (so take that into account), the hotel continues to garner rave reviews on friendly and attentive staff and they also regularly respond to their reviews online which is a tremendous value-added.

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Ramada Inns. In fact, a JD Power survey on guest satisfaction revealed a “worst of the rest” score in every single category. Every. Single. One. That might be a new record and a record you surely don’t want to share with anyone.

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A no-brainer here, the Four Seasons. A consistent favorite across the world, the best part about any Four Seasons property is because it’s a Four Seasons you know exactly what you’re going to get. A favorite among every type of traveler (business to tourist), the hotel’s aesthetics are extraordinary and the views, always stunning.

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The Red Roof Inn might have a red roof, but it also leaves guests red in face. Online comments can be scathing for this hotel chain, notorious for broken plumbing, cramped bathrooms, dirty walls, you name it. Sounds like prison, but the difference here – you pay $49.99 per night.

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To say the St. Regis hotel chain is expensive would be like saying LeBron James makes a good living and provides the best he can for his kids. LeBron is loaded, the St. Regis is expensive, put it on the record! Many of the St. Regis luxury rooms contain their own pools and hammocks, and their physical locations are second-to-none. From Paris to Manhattan, butlers are available upon your beacon call and we suggest not reviewing your credit card statement until you’re safely at home post-trip and have removed all fragile objects. 

Hotel brands in general vary widely but if you’re a frequent traveler and seeking where to stay, and of course where to avoid, this is a good starter post.