Booking a hotel in a country you’ve never been to is daunting enough without having to worry about what you’ll find when you get there. The Sanctuary Standard I’ve created tells you exactly what you can expect from the hotels I’ve reviewed.
The Curator’s Perspective
As a 50+ American expat who has lived in the United Kingdom since 2022, I’ve had the opportunity most Americans don’t: to travel easily and often to cities throughout Europe. I’ve been to 16 cities since moving here and stayed in upscale hotels. Some have met my Sanctuary Standard, and some have challenged discerning travel expectations.
The biggest question my audience asks is:
Does the hotel have AC? Answering the Questions that Matter
My hotel reviews, which I call my Sanctuary Standard, answer questions that require objective answers, not opinions.
TripAdvisor is fantastic for finding out what other people have to say about a hotel. But they tend to talk about how pretty the lobby is. They don’t answer key questions like, ” Is the King bed really king-sized?” (Short answer: No. Not by American standards.)
My system avoids “The Lobby Trap.” My Sanctuary Standard hotel reviews use a weighted rating system based on 5 basic pillars:
- Sanctuary Silence & Climate: How quiet is the room? Is there A/C?
- Bed Size & Room Space: Will the queen bed be one mattress or two mattresses shoved together? Can I actually open my suitcase in the room, or will it be too small for my luggage?
- Accessibility & Logistics: Is there an elevator or just stairs? How far is the hotel from public transportation?
- Amenities & Routines: Are there washcloths in the bathroom? Are there USB-C ports next to the bed?
- Booking & Arrival: Was the cancellation/change policy easy to find or buried in fine print?
*The questions above are sample questions to illustrate what types of questions my hotel reviews answer.
Is Your Hotel Review Trustworthy?
Yes. My hotel reviews use numbers based on measurable facts. I use a weighted rating system that prioritizes what’s most important to my readers, with 5 being the highest score and 1 being the lowest. Because a hotel room may be beautiful, but what good is that if you can’t sleep?
Here’s what weighted system looks like:
- Sanctuary Silence is 40% of the total score.
- Bed Size & Room Space is 20%.
- Accessibility & Logistics is 15%
- Amenities & Routines are 15%,
- Booking & Arrival is the remaining 10%.
I examine the facts related to your comfort, not an opinion based on aesthetics. For example, TripAdvisor might rate a hotel highly because of its stylish lobby or impressive view, giving it a 3 out of 5. But my Sanctuary Standard looks deeper: if that same hotel has noisy air conditioning or beds that are smaller than advertised, I would give it a lower score to reflect what actually impacts your stay, not just what catches your eye.
Thankfully, most of the upscale hotels in my portfolio so far have achieved high Sanctuary Standard ratings. But I’m just getting started.
See my Sanctuary Standard in Action: Read my 5-Pillar Audit of Paris’ Hôtel Niepce, one of the few spots where I found quiet sanctuary in a busy city.
Don’t Let Europe Overwhelm You
Pauses in Passages does more than offer hotel reviews.
My newsletter, Pauses Notes, provides insider tips not only on booking with confidence but also on questions like “How does the new fingerprinting and facial scan work when I get to the airport?” or “How do I avoid pickpockets?”
I also offer essays reflecting on my own experiences in each of the cities I’ve visited.
Subscribe and receive a checklist to guide you through vetting your own Sanctuary Standard before you book your hotel.