Choosing a Budget Hotel

After a particularly poor night’s sleep, here are my brief reflections on important things to notice when choosing a budget hotel in Central America.

While there are a handful of things you won’t be able to know in advance, (like, are there cockroaches? for instance), there are a lot of problems you can avoid with a little diligence and attention to detail.

Always ask to see the room first. Look carefully and test things out.

I already knew to look at the room first and to see how clean it is, check for a fan, estimate how much air circulation there will be for cooling off in the evening and test if the wifi works and how broad the coverage is.

As of this morning, I’ve added the following:

• Does the hot water work?
• Does your shower have a shower head or does the water tumble straight out of a  pipe in the wall?
• Are there screens on the windows?
• Is there a streetlight 10 feet from your window?
• Are there bars, discos, nightclubs nearby that are likely to produce loud thumping base late into the night?

Do not overestimate the ability of earplugs to block loud music and barking dogs.

Just my suggestions should you find yourself selecting a budget hotel in Central America.

Now, I’ll get this blog posted…just as soon as the electricity comes back on.