Having a good hotel room can really make or break your vacation.   Get a big room in a quiet corner with a great view, and you’ll have a wonderful time.  End up in a cramped space above the disco with a broken air conditioner and you’ll wonder why you left home.

But finding the right hotel room isn’t always easy.  We do lots of research, both online and offline, and we still end up disappointed some times.  Sites like Tripadvisor that feature hotel reviews from real travelers are helpful, but they can also steer you in the wrong direction.  And hotel web sites really can’t be trusted.  If you’ve ever checked into a hotel that looked nothing like it looks on their web site, you know what we’re talking about.

So how can you make sure that you get a room that has everything you want and still get a good deal?  Here are our tips for finding the perfect hotel room:

1) First of all, do a little research to figure out what there is to do in your destination.   Visit sites like Fodors.com or Frommers.com for ideas.  Then make a short list of the things you want to see and do.  If you’re going to Rome, your list might be:  Sistine Chapel, Colosseum, Roman forum, Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, and dinner in Trastevere.

2) Next, take a basic map of Rome and highlight those places.  You’ll see that the Vatican and the Colosseum are a bit out of the way, but the rest of the attractions are pretty close to each other.   Now, think about how you’ll get where you’re going.  Do you love to walk?  Do you hate public transportation?  Do you think taxis are an extravagance or a terrific convenience?  The closer in you stay, the more expensive your hotel will be.  But when you compare prices, remember that if you stay close to all the attractions, you won’t pay much in transportation costs.

3) Every city has a vibrant center where the locals come to enjoy the good life.  If you can, stay there.  In Sydney, it’s near the Rocks.  In Paris, it’s Saint-Germain-des-Pres.  In Buenos Aires, it’s Palermo.  And in Rome, it’s near Piazza Navona and the Spanish Steps.  The only downside is that cheap hotel rooms in these neighborhoods can be noisy at night, so read hotel reviews from travelers before booking to determine if that’s a problem.

4) Now that you have a pretty good idea of where you’d like to stay, you can start looking for hotels in those neighborhoods.  Most hotel sites let you find hotels by area, so at this point, it’s really just a matter of how much you want to spend.

A note on hotel star ratings — they’re different in every country, and they may not mean what you think.  The number of stars usually corresponds to specific amenities, things like an on-site restaurant, or an elevator, etc.  So a two-star hotel without those things may actually be a lot nicer than a four-star hotel that has them.  Don’t pay too much attention to the stars.

But do figure out which amenities are important to you and make sure the hotel you’re thinking about staying in has them.  If you want a cocktail when you get back from sightseeing, can’t live without CNN, or want breakfast delivered to your room, don’t assume they’ll be available.  Confirm with the hotel first.

5) Never book the least expensive room at a hotel.  Standard hotel rooms aren’t standard at all.  They’re sub-standard rooms that hotels have to discount in order to sell.  Even the best hotels have undesirable rooms and you don’t want to be in one.  When you’re comparing prices, always look at superior rooms or better.

6) Come up with a short list of two or three hotels that are in the right neighborhood, have all the amenities you want, and are in your price range.  Then use a hotel site like Hotelscombined.com to find the best rate.  If all things are equal, book directly with the hotel.  That way, if you have a problem, you’re more likely to find them responsive.  And they’re more likely to upgrade you.  If you find a better rate online than the rate the hotel is quoting, email the hotel and ask them to honor the rate.

7) Take your confirmation to the hotel.   If you booked via email, take a copy along and present it when you check in.  Confirm any special requests with the front desk at check in.  Then check out your hotel room carefully.  If it’s not everything you thought it would be, ask to be moved to a better room.

8) These days, hotel occupancy rates are very low in many destinations.  If you’re traveling off season, or going some place where tourism is down, consider going without making reservations ahead of time.  A hotel with lots of vacant rooms can give incredible deals to walk-ins.