Oh, the joys of traveling. Most of us have had both good and bad experiences over the years, but what usually kick starts the trip off to either a fine or poor start is the accommodation. It’s so important for the owners of holiday lodgings to create a welcoming feeling on arrival. Whatever the type of business, there’s never a second chance to make a first impression, and the hotels and motels of the world are certainly no exception to that rule.

All the glossy brochures and posters promoting the hotels and motels are going to create great visual impact, but just how much of what we see in these illustrated ads bears a resemblance to the places in reality?

The search for fine hotels and motels starts with knowing how to locate them. Years ago this was no easy feat as all we had to go on were a few brochures and a bit of a hard sell from the travel agents. Thanks to the internet, those methods are now in the dark ages of travel and tourism.

The best thing about the booming travel industry worldwide is the availability of hotels and motels that have sprung up everywhere. An abundance of places to stay has created some healthy competition among hoteliers and that can only be good for customers in terms of both the quality and affordability of available lodgings.

If you already know your destination or general geographical preference, you can simply hop online and log onto Google or one of the other great search engines out there. With Google at your disposal, just type in your destination and within a millisecond you’ll have a whole bunch of hotels and motels to browse through based on your search terms.

On my last trip to Orlando, I made great use of the World Wide Web a few months before the trip. It was so easy to find a choice of 4 and 5-star hotels and up-market motels to choose from. Each one of the hotels and motels that I short-listed had its website. It was just fantastic to get recent pictures of the layout, the rooms, the restaurants, and the recreational areas, plus of course, the latest prices and promotions. A few of these places had online virtual tours which gave panoramic scrolling views of the establishment.

Whether you are someone who travels a lot on business or just a carefree holiday-goer who loves to take trips, I strongly recommend you do all your searching for hotels and motels online. Even if you have some loyalty in places you’ve stayed for years, why not jump online and see what’s available? You’ll be truly amazed at the variety in quality, location, and cost that’s around these days. Oh, and let’s not forget to mention the terrific promotions that get thrown out there from time to time, and yes, many of these special deals are available to internet bookers only.