Siliguri, along with being a transit location for popular hill stations, such as Darjeeling, Gangtok, and Kalimpong, is also a premier business destination. In addition, Siliguri itself has several prominent tourist attractions in and around the city that you can explore. Thus, this city receives a massive influx of tourists in almost every season.
However, tourists and business travellers often make mistakes during hotel booking in Siliguri due to unfamiliarity with the local language and roads. In this blog, you will learn about the 10 mistakes that you need to avoid while booking hotels in Siliguri, which in turn will promote smarter booking decisions.
Know The 10 Mistakes To Avoid While Booking Hotels in Siliguri
Here are the top 10 mistakes that you need to avoid during hotel booking in Siliguri:
- Ignoring the aspect of strategic location: It is the natural tendency among travellers to book hotels based on prices alone, which ignores the aspect of Siliguri being a transit hub. For example, if you have an early morning flight, then it becomes crucial to book a hotel in proximity to the Bagdogra Airport. On the other hand, if you have a train to catch, it becomes crucial to book a hotel in proximity to the New Jalpaiguri (NJP) Railway Station.
The mistake here is that if you focus on saving expenses by booking a hotel that is not located in a strategic location, you might end up paying a higher amount of transportation cost for reaching the airport or railway station. Therefore, avoid ignoring the importance of strategic location while booking hotels in Siliguri.
- Underestimating traffic issues: This mistake is based on booking a hotel at a main location for convenience. However, main locations in Siliguri, such as Hill Cart Road and Sevoke Road, often experience traffic congestion. This leads to delays in travel to tourist spots that are on the city’s outskirts. Remember, a hotel that might look convenient on the map might take significantly longer to reach during peak hours.
Thus, it is advisable to use Google Maps for real-time traffic updates before booking a hotel, so that you get an idea about the estimated time required to reach your destination during peak hours. Overall, failure to consider traffic issues might lead you to experience a stressful stay and transit.
- Falling for misleading photoshopped images: It has been observed that hotels often use wide-angle lenses and bright lighting to click pictures of their rooms. This technique leads to smaller rooms appearing bright and luxurious. Thus, people make this mistake in terms of choosing rooms based on images that appear on the website. To avoid this mistake, you need to cross-check the website images with guest-uploaded images in the review section.
This approach will allow avoid disappointment once you enter the hotel room. In addition, it is highly recommended to look for recent photos uploaded by guests in the review section to gain an idea about the cleanliness and maintenance of the rooms.
- Neglecting power backup facilities: Siliguri often experiences power outages, especially during summers and monsoon. It has been observed that people often book budget rooms that do not have power backup facilities or a generator. Imagine spending a night in a hotel room with no power during peak summer. This is something you would not want after a hectic trip or sightseeing.
Therefore, you need to check reviews of the hotel in official website as well as on trusted third-party websites and look for keywords such as “power backup” or “24/7 electricity”.
- Ignoring hidden charges: It has been observed that the price mentioned on the website for booking a room is not always the final price that you will pay during checkout. Some hotels might add charges such as “service fees” and “parking fees” during checkout.
Thus, it is highly recommended to verify if GST is included in your online booking price. In addition, you need to check if amenities, such as “Wi-Fi” or “breakfast”, are provided for free or not. Overall, the key is to ensure that you do not encounter hidden charges after you check in to the hotel.
- Not considering recent guest reviews: This mistake is based on considering the star rating solely for determining the quality of the rooms and services. It has been observed that a star rating does not necessarily reflect the current quality of services and amenities. This is because staff and management might have changed over the years.
Therefore, you need to prioritise checking recent guest reviews, especially within the last 6 months, so that it becomes clear about the current situation of the services and amenities. In addition, you must not overlook repeated negative reviews, such as poor service and slow Wi-Fi.
- Overlooking the cancellation policy: Travel plans to the hills are subject to change due to bad weather and road blockages. Thus, cancellation of hotel booking might be required under such circumstances. It has been observed that people often book “non-refundable” rooms to save expenses, which tends to backfire during cancelled trips.
Therefore, the key is to look for flexible cancellation policies before check-in so that you do not lose out on your entire payment during cancellation.
- Not checking for amenities: Not every hotel in Siliguri provides free Wi-Fi, parking, and hot water. Imagine being on a business or corporate trip and not having access to proper Wi-Fi services. In addition, some old hotels might have AC only in specific rooms.
Therefore, you need to ensure the availability of basic amenities such as AC, seamless Wi-Fi, and a geyser before confirming your booking.
- Not verifying entry and ID policies: This mistake is based on choosing hotels that do not allow unmarried couples or local ID holders to stay. Booking without verifying these policies leads to last-minute embarrassment due to denial at the front desk.
Thus, you must take time to read all the policies of booking and check-in so that you can avoid last-minute inconvenience.
- Not availing direct booking benefits: It is common for people to book hotels from third-party websites to avail discounts and benefits. However, direct booking from official websites or by calling the reception often helps in availing better offers or discounts, such as free upgrades.
Therefore, you need to avoid the mistake of not indulging in direct communication with the hotel so that you avail the best offers and discounts.
Final Thoughts
If you are planning to book a hotel in Siliguri, you must prioritise striking a balance between in-depth research and logistical consideration. This is because a lack of research and careless booking can lead to high-level inconvenience during your stay and transit.
You can choose to book well-appointed rooms with modern amenities at the best hotels in Siliguri, such as Sunhill Portico. This is because such reputed hotels have transparent pricing and cancellation policies, along with proximity to the Bagdogra Airport and NJP Railway Station.
You must prioritise considering the basic needs and amenities during hotel booking in Siliguri. Contact the best hotels in the city to check for offerings before booking.
