Every once in a while — but pretty rarely — someone tells me about a remarkable hotel in which they’ve stayed and I add it to my wish list for a future trip. More often, I read about a new hotel — the New York Times’ “Check In” hotel review column is a good resource and Atlas Obscura can be as well — and add it to the same list. I’m also on the mailing list for a number of hotels, so I get alerted to new openings from time to time. And Instagram has become more of a resource for me — particularly since I launched this site and the @166Beds Instagram account. But, most frequently, I find the hotels in which I stay when it’s time to book.

It’s not magic. I generally just do a Google search, something like “boutique hotel + (name of the city to which I am traveling) + the year.” Including the year ensures I get a recent assessment of the hotels and I surface new hotels that may not have been opened the last time I was in town. Occasionally I use terms like “quirky,” “cool” or “unusual” — versus “boutique.” This tends to be more fruitful in larger markets that have more hotels.

I ignore the results generated by the big hotel sites like Trip Advisor or Booking.com (their definition of “boutique” tends to be a little broad) and focus instead on the lists from sites like TimeOut, Travel + Leisure, or Telegraph UK (which lists sites in cities all over the world) or smaller lifestyle sites that have created lists. I’m aware that the list was generated by a freelancer who was paid $150 to transcribe a pile of press releases and has likely never been to any of the hotels, but these lists are often a good jumping off point for my own research.

I don’t bother with the big chains on these lists, although I will still consider a Kimpton because occasionally they have done something cool with one of their acquisitions — like the Goodland outside Santa Barbara with its cool kid roadside motel feel. (I think the bottle cap remover drawer pulls in the rooms border on brilliant.)

I’ve had pretty good luck, but I still think there could be an easier way to find the gems. Maybe that’s what 166Beds.com will do for others.

Once I’m digging into the hotels on these lists, I’m obviously looking at rates and availability, but I’m considering the website itself as well. A bad user experience — like a shitty reservation system — is an easy deal breaker, but I’m also seeking clues about what the actual hotel experience will be like. (Although those two things can clearly be related. If you’re not thoughtful about my online experience, how can I trust that you’ll be thoughtful when I’m booked at your establishment?) The photos are important — what the rooms are like, whether there’s a robust common space — but I’m also trying to get a sense of the mood of the space, as well as who my fellow guests may be based on the marketing: younger and relaxed versus old school and stuffy. I’ll review the amenities to make sure that the basics are all in place.

I also like to take a look at the menus for the hotel restaurant and bar. My recent first stay at the Freehand in New York (I’ve stayed at their Downtown LA location multiple times) was confirmed when I realized that Simon & the Whale — which I had wanted to check out — was located off the lobby. And my desire to stay at the Artist Residence hotels in both London and Brighton was heightened by their onsite restaurants, the Cambridge Street Kitchen and the Set, respectively.

If I need extra reassurance I will do a Google Image search for the hotel AND take a look at the photos that guests have posted to sites like Trip Advisor to confirm that the website isn’t a giant con job. It isn’t fool proof (Exhibit A: Life Hotel in New York), but this extra step in the process helps to wipe away some of the veneer.

If I encounter particularly high rates on a few sites — like I did when I was recently booking a hotel in New York — I’ll do a search on Booking.com for my dates and location so I can get a bird’s eye view of what I should expect to pay and to confirm that the rates are inflated market wide and not just at the hotels where I happen to be looking.

I’ve had pretty good luck, but I still think there could be an easier way to find the gems.

Maybe that’s what 166Beds.com will do for others.