The Key Quality That Makes A Hotel Stand Out From The Rest, Per Samantha Brown

Even though it may seem like finding the ideal hotel requires some secret formula, certain critical aspects of a room can make or break your stay. One person who has her perfect accommodation all figured out is travel presenter and expert Samantha Brown. In an interview with the Travel Channel, she discussed her ultimate essential in a hotel: an elegant bathroom.

Brown's preferred bathroom has a deep bath, lots of space on the countertop for her toiletries, and drawers for storage to prevent the surfaces from becoming cluttered. She also dislikes it when a bathroom has a separate shower and does not have a dedicated space or shelving for toiletries, so you have to bend down to get them repeatedly. Brown finds it strenuous, saying, "By the time I'm done it feels like I've done aerobics, and at 6 a.m." When you first get to your vacation destination, she recommends unpacking straight away to make your room feel like your own, making your stay feel more homely.

Brown also mentioned another one of her top dislikes in a hotel in the same interview — bad lighting. She believes this is a critical deciding factor when choosing a hotel because people don't want to look at themselves in the morning and feel terrible. To avoid this, examine hotel photos from reviews or see if travelers mention the lighting issue in their feedback.

In a reel on her Instagram, she revealed the types of hotel rooms that she avoids at all costs. The first is a room next to the elevators because you can hear their mechanical sounds as they operate. She also avoids being close to the ice machine due to the noise and keeps away from first-floor rooms for safety reasons. She advises requesting rooms farther from these distractions to avoid these annoyances while traveling. There are also a variety of conveniences that Brown enjoys in a hotel.

Brown took the opportunity in her interview to discuss her wonderful experience at the Grand Floridan Resort & Spa at Disney World. She liked that the hand towels were folded to mimic cute animals like rabbits and ducks. They were also filled with toiletries, and she enjoyed walking into her room to find these comforts awaiting her. She described it as "a heartwarming touch."

Brown's ethos is that you can try yourself to "date the hotel," meaning you spend time getting to know a hotel. She revealed on the We Said Go Travel podcast that she did that at the upmarket Adare Manor Hotel in Ireland, where she enjoyed high tea in the second-longest room in the country. Ireland is also one of the favorite countries she has ever visited, making dating a hotel all the better. Brown also says that being too familiar with a place makes it lose its sparkle, so make sure to leave something undiscovered to prolong the mystery.