You’ve searched online and found a hotel that looks decent, and you’re about to hit “Reserve.” But wait. Booking a hotel room without doing a little homework first is how you end up with a broken AC in July or walls that hide none—and we mean none—of your fellow vacationers’ activities.

Fortunately for you, you’ve found this blog. Read on to learn about the red flags to catch before reserving at a hotel so you can avoid a stay you’ll regret.

A Bad or Heavily Mixed Review Section

Your first stop should always be the review section. These are opinions from real people who stayed at the hotel.

Any hotel with a majority of 4- and 5-star reviews is probably going to provide a great experience. Conversely, one with 1- and 2-star reviews is the clearest sign you could need to run away from the booking.

But what about when the review section is a mixed bag? Check the following:

• Date of the reviews: The reviews might be mixed because management changed, and the new owners completely revamped the experience for the better (or worse). Always make sure to prioritize information in the most recent reviews.
• Patterns: If you notice trends of specific complaints (such as for noise, cleanliness, customer service, etc.), those complaints are probably valid.
• Responses from management: If a hotel has bad or average reviews, but the management responds respectfully and with action items they’ll take to improve, then things might be fine.

Vague or Missing Cancellation Policies

Before you book anywhere, you need to know exactly what happens if your plans change. A hotel with a transparent, reasonable cancellation policy is one that trusts its own product. A hotel that buries its policy in fine print or makes it nearly impossible to find is telling you something (i.e., “We have to trap customers because otherwise we’d go under”).

Non-refundable rates are common, and that’s fine as long as you know what you’re agreeing to. The problem is when a hotel isn’t upfront about it. If you can’t find clear cancellation terms on the booking page, call the property directly and ask. If they’re vague on the phone too, walk away.

Photos That Don’t Match the Property’s Actual Location

Hotel photos can be deceptive in a very specific way. A room might look clean and modern in the listing, but those photos may be outdated, digitally enhanced, or pulled from a renovation that only affected three rooms on one floor.

One solid way to verify is to cross-reference the listing with Google Maps Street View and check what’s actually surrounding the property. Is there a highway overpass right outside? A construction site next door? A neighborhood that doesn’t match the “quiet boutique getaway” vibe the listing is selling?

Also, look for Google reviews that include guest photos rather than the hotel’s own uploaded images. Guest photos are unedited and give you a far more accurate sense of what you’re walking into.

Fees That Appear Only at Checkout

Resort fees, destination fees, amenity fees, parking fees, Wi-Fi fees, early check-in fees—the list could go on and on. These are all charges that some hotels tack on after you’ve already mentally committed to the price you saw in the search results. Plus, those fees often cover things you didn’t ask for and might not even use, like access to a pool that’s open for three hours a day or a fitness center with two treadmills.

If a hotel has a long history of fee complaints and no transparent pricing on its website, that’s a pattern of behavior you’ll want to walk away from.

No Mention of Security Features

Being in a building with hundreds of other travelers is inherently risky, and good hotels go the extra mile to ensure your peace of mind. For example, many hotels use NFC access control to improve security because it practically eliminates the risk of unauthorized room access.

If a hotel’s website or booking page makes no mention of room security features, or if reviews mention issues like broken door latches or lobby access that anyone can walk through unchecked, take this seriously. A property that doesn’t invest in guest security is usually one that doesn’t care about the overall guest experience.

A Website That Looks Like It Hasn’t Been Updated Since 2009

You can tell a lot about how a hotel operates by looking at how it presents itself online. If you find a hotel with an ancient website that isn’t user-friendly, then that hotel isn’t paying attention to essential details.

That same inattention is extremely likely to show up in the property itself. After all, a hotel that doesn’t bother maintaining its digital presence probably isn’t prioritizing maintenance of its physical one either.

This doesn’t mean every great hotel has a flashy website. But a website that’s clearly been neglected is a red flag worth noting.

No Clear Contact Information or Unresponsive Staff

Try contacting the hotel before you book. Send a question through their website form or give the front desk a call. How they respond—and how quickly—is a preview of how they’ll handle requests when you’re actually a guest.

A hotel with a three-day lag before responding to an email is going to be just as hard to reach if you show up and find your room isn’t ready or need anything extra during your stay. Overall, responsiveness before the booking is one of the clearest indicators of what the stay itself will feel like.

Don’t Skip the Research

These red flags take maybe 20 minutes to check before reserving at a hotel, and they can be the difference between a trip you remember for good reasons versus one you’re filing a dispute over. Just do your research and trust your gut. If you feel even a little bit uneasy about a booking, then follow that feeling. Likewise, if you find an option that seems too good to be true, dig into the nitty-gritty. You deserve exceptional stays while you travel, and a little digging before you book can protect you from a whole lot of frustration once you arrive.