The deal brakers: what amenities YOUR accommodation MUST have?

No breakfast. It's hard enough to choose where to eat lunch and dinner when abroad. A task that can take time out of my schedule and might cause an arguement (husband extremely food picky). So when breakfast is not offered, I'm looking at a different property.

I'll start with my list: - private en-suite bathroom (e.g., a bathroom comprised of shower and toilet and sink that is directly accessible (without passing ANY public area/alley) from - or integrated - my room and shared with absolutely no one else). - possible to reserve online and, if credit card info is required, the website (or the reservation service I use) abides to online security basic protocols (NEVER, EVER I'd send credit card info by email). I refuse to take my business to any European property that can't be reserved online somehow - no lock-out times whatsoever in any circumstance. I can put up with reception not operating 24/7 so that I use a key to access the property - that is fine. I can't accept the idea of having a time limit to come back or go out as if this was Bible camp of high school times. - known address that I can match on Google Maps, even if at low resolution (I don't use blind sites such as Priceline or Hotwirte) - central heating if the weather at the time/place gets below 50 and air-conditioning if the weather usually gets above 75. No shriving or sweating please. - if the case, that the place, albeit small, is a professional lodging/hospitality service, not a side-business to a restaurant or something alike that looks unprofessional (had bad experiences with that before).

Roof.

Andre: I'm mostly with you except on the bathroom issue. I've stayed in many bed and breakfasts that had facilities down the hall. Many of these places had plenty of vacancies, and I have never had any "scheduling problems" with the bathrooms. The main thing is that the rooms are clean, and have good quality bedding. Some of my most memorable travel experiences have been in 1 star hotels. You know, the ones with the funky wallpaper.
The location is also very important.

Andre.. For me, location is the key. Usually right in the center of things or near public transportation. ALSO, no bed bugs.

I probably have only one absolute requirement - location. I have to be able to get to it by walking or public transportation, even if that's a town bus from the train station. Other than that, I don't know if anything is a "deal breaker". There are some amenities that almost are, but if I want to stay somewhere badly enough, I have accepted them. The closest thing to a deal breaker is probably being able to contact the property directly. That's the main reason I won't deal with the likes of booking.com, hrs.com, etc. Once, for Hall, Austria, I relaxed that requirement because I really wanted to stay there, and there were no email address on the towns website; you had to book through the TI office. The website said the room had a private bath, but when I got there, I found it was shared with the only other room on the floor. Fortunately, no one was in the other room those nights, so I had the entire floor, including a large bathroom, to myself. I'm sure my hostess, had I been able to contact her directly, would not have mislead me; the TI office just didn't know. Many times, I have picked another town if I could not contact any properties directly. Most of the time I use email, but I have phoned directly on occasion. Other than that, a private bath. I have accepted a shared bath a few times, and it was never a problem, but I still prefer not to. I won't say breakfast is a requirement as I have never stayed anywhere that didn't serve it. I also wouldn't let the lack of air conditioning stop me. In over 100 nights, there was only one night when I would have wanted air conditioning. I doubt that there was AC in any of the other places I've stayed, either. It just wasn't needed that night.

When I'm doing the planning for our family of 5, here are my priorities in order; 1) Affordability. Nothing else matters if it's out of our price range. I don't splurge. Once you go down that road, it never stops, budgets explode, and we wind up staying home. 2) Photos on the web. I know this will seem unfair to the mom & pop places out there who have yet to get themselves on the web, but we have never stayed anywhere I have not first seen photos of online, with email and full address included. 3) Location. We want to walk places in a city if at all possible. If rural and we're driving, location is more flexible. 4) Breakfast. Either a place that serves it to us for free or for cheap, or a place where we can eat in after buying groceries. The last thing I want to do on a big day of sight-seeing is spend the first 90 minutes and $40 on breakfast somewhere other than in my lodging. 5) Decent condition. I don't ask for much, but I want it to be clean and in decent repair. That's it, really. I've never bothered to look if a place has AC or not, or how many stairs there are, or how many stars it has. We've stayed in B&B's, hostels, apartments and small hotels. So far we've had almost nothing but good experiences. And I am convinced that is largely because of our #1-5 above combined with not being picky about much else.

Clean and ensuite - has to be. One other thing: no spiders. Sounds strange but we stayed in a wonderful B&B on a farm in England - really liked it. But on the wall the first night was a spider the size of a coffee saucer - never have we seen anything so large. We are going back to the area this summer and didn't book there - just couldn't do it. Perhaps it would never happen again, but not taking a chance!

Private bathroom. NO EXCEPTIONS! however, following a surprise in Venice when we did have our own private bathroom ... but down the hall!! I now must be sure to answer with: PRIVATE BATHROOM IN THE ROOM! lol... that was not fun.

Andre L., I'm not sure if any of these are "deal breakers", but some of the criteria that are important for me..... > Reasonable price - Although it would be nice to try sometime, I absolutely can't afford to stay in five star luxury Hotels. That falls into the same category as flying business class, which is also something I'll probably never be able to do. > Clean, well maintained and in a safe location, preferably close to the main station and other transportation. > Ensuite shower and WC - I can tolerate the 3' x 3' showers, as long as they're clean and work properly. On VERY rare occasions, I will use shared washrooms but these days I don't prefer that option. > Internet presence - I like to be able to see the property on the net, and get some idea of what the facilities look like. > Internet booking with a secure site is preferred, however I have sent credit card information by E-mail in the past (and probably will again). > Credit Card acceptance - this isn't a huge issue, but I prefer to pay by credit card when possible. > Wi-Fi - this is an increasingly important feature that I now check each time. I'm less inclined to book Hotels that charge for net access, such as the Hotel I used in Brussels last year. I don't like the annoying practice of having to get a new code every day or after a few hours, but understand that Hotels are being forced to implement these procedures for "security reasons". That's all I can think of at the moment. *EDIT - No Lockout is also high on my list of priorities. That IS a deal breaker when considering Hostels.

Private bathroom( in room since mentioned, lol ) Clean Good location. No lock out, as said, I don't care about 24 hr reception, but I want to come and go as I please.
Affordability. Everyone has different ideas what that means, but for me, it must average out below 120 euros per night, prefer under 100. I find this not too difficult to do since I am not picky about extras like , elevators, breakfast , phone service, service in general( don't need 24 hr reception, or concierge) . Worn carpets and tired old furnishing don't bother me at all either, as long as is clean. In hot places, in summer, A/C is a must. Nice extra I look for is a mini fridge in room, love to stock it with my own drinks and snacks.

I really don't have any Deal Breakers. Strongly prefer an ensuite bathroom, and given the choice will definitely choose a place with ensuite over one without, but sometimes there just aren't any other options. Other preferences are: Location! Ability to either book online or via email
Ability to pay with credit card I don't consider any of these deal breakers however. I really prefer centrally located small places with history / character, but that's not an amenity just adds to the experience:)

I agree with Lee that location is the most important thing. Other things I can leave out if it saves money. I have saved money at Ibis Strasbourg by not including breakfast. I had a cheaper breakfast across the road. I also saved money at a place in Vienna by going for the shared bathroom rather ensuite. I admit this was in practice a little annoying, but my attitude is that I am only staying there a few nights, not living there permanently.

Pre "toys" nothing was a deal breaker. Now, free wifi can affect my choice of accommodation.

Ensuite bathroom - absolute deal breaker Location - possible deal breaker, depends on lots of things. Eeew, bed bugs - isn't that everyone's deal breaker?

My necessities are an ensuite bathroom, clean facility, and A/C if I'm there in the summer. I'm more flexible on price if I'm traveling with someone and we can split the cost of the hotel. Location is important too - I want to be able to walk to some of the sites.

I have to agree that an in-room, private bathroom (preferably with a tub and shower) isabsolutely required. Hubby would totally refuse to share with anyone unknown (maybe even known, but not family). I also want to feel safe in the neighborhod during the day and at night. And want to be close to sites or public transport. We often stay at rail staion hotels. Most are lovely, old Victorian places and have anice atmosphere. A/C and good heat are strongly- STRONGLY- preferred. In fact, we prefer to be able to control them ourselves, as hubby has a problem maintaining body temperature due to a previous illness.

Deal breakers for me would be poor location. I will stay as centrally located as I can afford so I can try to walk to most things. Central locations typically mean a wider choice of transit options for those times when it's too far to walk. Also, if I can find lots of reviews online before booking it would also be a deal breaker to find a lot of complaints about noise inside the hotel. Living in the city, I can sleep through fire trucks and police sirens, but I will wake up if the walls are so thin I can hear the people talking in the next room. I have stayed in places where there was no a/c in the summer. I know it's possible for me to do it if I have no other option (ie, festival going on and rooms scarce), but if a room with a/c is available in my price range, I'll take it. I'd rather take a/c over a free breakfast or free WiFi.

Must be quiet. I've been stuck in rooms that were otherwise quite nice, but were immediately over a loud bar or disco. The teeth-rattling noise went on until dawn. Never again.

I only travel in the summer months. Absolute #1 criteria....location, almost always in the area of the main train station, a few mins. walk, good clean bed in a clean room with a sink. Never was disappointed in the room accomodation in Germany, regardless who ran the hotel/Pension, Turks, Chinese, Russians, or Germans. In Germany in the Pensionen and small hotels, WC and shower in the hall way ok,..no problems with that; with the other countries en suite facilities preferable. In Germany breakfast must be available, the other countries not that much of a necessity in the small hotel accomodation, though preferable For booking I go on line, booking in Germany, other than hostels, I use the phone for hotels and Pensionen.

Location. Must be able to walk to a high proprtion of local sights. wasting travel time on tube/Metor/ bus/ train etc to get into central area no longer appeals bathroom en suite. Dome enough creeping down the hall in the early hours of the morning

Must have a bed and a roof. Everything else is relative, although breakfast and a good location would be nice.

Andre, good question. Private en suite bathroom, definitely (not so important when I was much younger). Location (center of the city). Price (I need to turn money into time). If I'm traveling with friends with a car, the center of the city will yield to on-premises parking.

So James isn't comfortable with "charming." Huh. Who knew? :) I need an ensuite bathroom & toilet, AC in the summer, good location if it's in the city. I also need breakfast on site or a short walk away. When the kids were younger, we quickly realized that getting everyone dressed and corralled and into the car to drive to breakfast WHEN WE HAVEN'T EATEN AND THERE'S NO COFFEE!! is not a good way to start the day. Now that the kids are teens+ we're the ones up early, but at least we can all get food when we need it.

James brings his own charm.

Clean is really it for me. If it's clean, I can live with anything else. A comfortable bed may be the next most important thing, but I'm pretty easy to please. No lockout time is a good one too - either during the day or curfew. Breakfast is nice, but I can find something on the street if I need to. I prefer quiet, but I have earplugs if I need them. I prefer dark, but I have eyeshades (for the plane) and can use those. I don't need AC because I typically won't travel in the summer. I don't care if the bathroom is down the hall (but see clean above). I don't need an elevator, concierge, in hotel bar, workout room, etc.

Great question!! Great responses, and I totally agree with all the obvious desires, re: bathroom, on-line presence, etc. I comb the inn's web site, then I read reviews/photos on Trip Advisor...some reviewers recommend specific rooms for certain reasons. Consider the location (love when site pinpoints on map) and if relatively (15 min walk) close to train/Metro stops and prefer quiet side streets when possible, experience of other reviewers (cleanliness, kindness of innkeeper/staff, noise, did reviewers mention unresolved issues or reservations not upheld, etc.?). Since trips to Europe are HUGE bucket-list events for us, I spend a great deal of time choosing hotels......not necessarily the most expensive or the least expensive offering, but highly rated on Trip Advisor, Fodors, etc. Will spend a little more for a great experience....but I look for on-line specials on hotel's site or ask. When staying on a coast, sitting on a balcony watching/feeling the calm and enjoying the peaceful beauty before a town comes alive is a vivid memory that is worth the extra $s. In Athens, we used a place that was the #1 rated on Trip Advisor, not only for all the obvious normal things, but because of rave reviews for guest care and the quiet side street location..... important to us since Athens was experiencing "issues" that year. After staying there, we understood the glowing ratings :) Travel is about experiencing and creating memories. I feel embraced by an inn/hotel, the decor, the feeling I have when I wake up, look out the window, enjoy breakfast, returning after touring, enhances the trip experience. The authentic beauty of the place is important...prefer historic to brand new. I'd rather save $s by making lunch the big meal of the day vs. dinner and redistributing $s toward a great accommodation. All the bits/pieces are the deal breaker.

i dont have any legitimate dealbreakers. or maybe i do and im just a hypocrite because im breaking a couple on my next trip. but things i strongly desire: - hotel near the train station. id much rather have to travel to see the sights, than travel to the train. (im breaking this on my upcoming trip when i stay in bled) - i strongly prefer a hotel with air conditioning. if i have a choice of two hotels, ill pay a couple of extra bucks if one has air conditioning (im breaking this on my upcoming trip when i stay in geel, belgium. i need to be in geel, the only hotel with air conditioning was sold out before i booked) - id prefer my own bathroom, but am willing to share if im staying only one night AND its a significant difference in price. i wont share to save ten bucks. i will share to save $25. but again, only for one night. i try my hardest to keep my room costs under $50 a night. i now get seven weeks vacation per year (that i can not use all at once, unfortunately) and the more i can save, the more i can see.

Like Randy, I need to see at least one picture on the web before I'll book. I've discarded plenty on that basis even though I suspect they were just fine. Location is important. Once we went out of our way to stay somewhere intriguing; the hotel was indeed lovely but in the end the location made it the low point of our trip. BORING! Hubby will not take a place without ensuite. I'd be a bit more flexible but he says he'll work overtime before he'll share a toilet! And of course cleanliness and price. We get a lot of joy from planning so don't mind spending hours comparing places before we make final decisions.

I am mostly in agreement with others. Like Tom it depends on what I'm paying. I'm happy to share a bathroom for 50/night, if that's my budget. My expectations go up with what I'm paying, because whether I'm "splurging" or going cheap, I want the best accommodations for what I'm paying. I've decided that A/C is a must in Paris for me, personally, because of two horrible nights last June. Normally I'm fine as long as there's enough window ventilation to get a good breeze in, but the way this particular hotel was structured meant no breeze got in - at night outside was at least 10 degrees cooler than our room. That was horrible. Other than that, cleanliness is my main concern. Location insofar as I need to be close to public transit and don't want to be more than 10-15 minutes away from a town "center" or major neighborhood for sightseeing/transit hub. I prefer to stay more centrally but I tend to travel budget and as convenience increases so does price. I don't give a rat's butt about breakfast, most hotel breakfasts aren't very good and a croissant and coffee (or the equivalent) at a cafe is usually under 4 euro. And if I'm having fun, I'm not up in time for breakfast anyway.

En-suite bathroom, as so many others have said, breakfast on site, a comfortable bed, AC in summer ,Wi-Fi and a central location.

En suite bathroom and location close to public transportation are my" must haves".

Clean. Clean. Clean. An ensuite bathroom is a close second.

James that place does look charming.

I think location is my only real dealbreaker. I usually choose the neighborhood first and then look to see what hotels are there. There are few other things that are near dealbreakers. I'd think pretty hard before I'd book something without an ensuite bath or any reviews. However, I've stayed at plenty of places with baths down the hall (when I was really traveling on a tight budget) and no reviews (before the days of tripadvisor) and never really had a really bad experience. I like to have wifi and it is pretty much a must-have on a long stay, but I will go without it for a couple of nights. While I like hotels with character, it all depends on the price. On my next trip I'm staying at a Holiday Inn in London and an Intercontinental in Warsaw. Why? Because I have free nights through their frequent guest program. Free always beats character in my book. I'm going with a flat rental in Berlin so I can take advantage of a little more space and free wifi for a week. I picked a centrally located hotel in Krakow with great tripadvisor reviews and a reasonable price.

Quiet. Kitchen. Ensuite bathroom. Have done the hall thing when I was in my 20s-early 30s, and all I can say is "been there, done that." I don't mind being about 15 minutes away by train from city centre, if I could have a kitchen. And I have found such places for my upcoming trip so am delighted. Everyone is going to have their deal breakers. I am paying more and will pay on transportation for a hotel with kitchen, but this is important to me.

I used to think and wish that I could deal with just about anything. Anything to get to Europe! But that is not true, however much I wish it was. Spending money on hotels is not my favorite way to spend my travel budget. We stayed in a B&B in Rousillon that was within budget and recommended by Rick Steves and the door didn't lock (or stay latched for that matter...that's a bit of a mood killer), we had cold showers in a shared bathroom, and a bossy hostess. No more B&Bs for me, thank you! We stayed in a small hotel-type thing (not sure what to even call it) in Madrid also recommended by RS and it had an ensuite bathroom, was in a great location, and had bedsheets that must have been 10 years old and I'm not actually positive they had been changed before our arrival. Gross... I swore that we would never stay anywhere that bad again, though I don't think I can actually articulate deal breakers. Does being not gross count? Stateside, I have to have cotton bedding. None of those heavy polyester comforters or wool blankets. Those are gross.

The hotel has to have a website, and I have to be able to reserve a room online directly from the place, even if by email. It has to be clean, and have a private toilet and shower. The location has to be close to public transportation and in an interesting area. It doesn't necessarily have to be central, but it has to be an area I would enjoy and feel comfortable walking around in the morning or evening. I prefer places that offer breakfast, but that isn't an absolute deal breaker.

Ensuite bathroom is a must. Room/hotel/B&B must be quiet-no outside noise whatsoever(can make exception to birds singing and trot of horse hooves). Breakfast is preferred but we occasionally make an exception if we love the place. Nice bed linens and pillows are a plus. Hiking multiple staircases to reach the room is a real negative. A common area or sitting room is nice and when possible an outdoor patio, terrace, garden is great-we try to seek these out when possible.

Our two deal breakers would be high cost (relative to the location) and a sofa or pulldown bed in a studio apartment. We generally rent apartments or cottages and look for location and comfort over luxury. Central location is paramount. If a B & B we would almost always want an ensuite but have stayed happily in some without. Other things which are important - wifi, washing machine, depending on season heating or cooling, size of the apt (some are minute), responsiveness (and gutfeel) about the owner or company, if driving, proximity to car parking. Depending on season and location outside space is important. I rarely stay in hotels but my pet hates (slightly off topic) are lack of decent lighting and lack of control over temperature.

I hope someone will do a summary of these answers at some point. It could form a checklist of what to look for when choosing a place to stay. For me, an ensuite bathroom is a must for a hotel or B&B. We don't need a tub, a shower will do, but we want it attached to the room. We have had bathrooms that were ours only both in the US and Europe, but both were way down the hall. We have learned to be sure that "private" doesn't mean down the hall but rather ensuite. However, in choosing an apartment to rent, we prefer the bathroom access to be outside the bedroom. That's because I get up early and my husband sleeps late. Related to that is our requirement that any apartment we rent have a separate bedroom with a door that will close. With my knees these days, no more than one flight of stairs to climb should be a deal breaker, but I will (slowly) climb higher for the right place. That's true for all types of lodging.
In spite of or maybe because of the fact that we live out in the desert where the most night time noise we hear is the yipping of coyotes, a deal breaker for us is being too far from the action. Oddly, the central location noise never bothers us.

I agree with David about the bathroom issue. We go to Europe every summer and have stayed in some of the most charming B&Bs where we shared a bathroom with another room - not sure what my sharing limit is tho. It is nice to see more and more places in Europe having the bathrooms attached to the individual rooms even in some B&Bs. We will not stay in a place that we did not get from one of RS guide books, or the Lonely Planet, that other folks have not recommended or in a place that is not recommended by one of our European folks who frequent this web site. We usually aim for 2 stars and end up at a 3 star. More budget travel means more travel.

Room Service. My wife won't let me book any hotel unless they offer room service.

I do want to have an ensuite bathroom. Do not enjoy going down a hall in the middle of the night or waiting to shower in the morning. If it is summer time and I will be in a city, then I will probably look for A/C. We were so happy we had this in Paris a few years ago, when the temps were really sweltering. Breakfast? Can take it or leave it, but it is nice if it is there. Certainly not a dealbreaker. Location is a top consideration. Being in the center of the city is a lot better than needing to travel 30 minutes to get anywhere at all. I like walking around neighborhoods too, so don't want to be in one of those industrial park areas or out by an airport. Consistent, crappy reviews on Trip Advisor, means that that hotel is OFF my list. Good reviews are important. I also ask about places here on this forum and also from the Destination Experts on Trip Advisor, asking if the neighborhood is good, or if they can recommend a place or not. Local recommendations are a plus as far as I am concerned.

Clean, safe, relatively quiet.

breakfast is so not important to me. im usually up and out by 7:00 am so i miss out on it anyway. i love being places before all the tourists pour in and taking pictures without 9238473 people i dont know in them.

I don't think I have ever stayed in a hotel with 24hr room service,( in Europe, its common in States though and have been in many hotels with it, but i refuse to pay 30 dollars for a crappy hamburger so never order it) , some do serve breakfast in the room if requested, but thats it. It seems it would be hard to find room servicein Europe unless one stays in a big expensive hotel,, often a chain hotel, or a luxury hotel. So room service is never even on the radar!
Peter your family travels differently then alot of us do I think. lol

Must have an en-suite bathroom.
Central location. That's it! Anything else can be worked around.

Since this has been revived, I will add this: Deal Brakers (the original question): Dishonest hosts and/or advertising, surly staff, dirty rooms, filthy bathrooms.
Deal Breakers: Bed bugs, clogged commodes, food poisoning.