5 ON YOUR SIDE: Booking a better hotel

Planning a vacation is exciting, but stressful – glowing reviews and a low nightly rate might not tell you everything you need to know before you book a hotel. Consumer Reports explains how to avoid disappointment and keep your hotel bill in check.

Glossy photos and glowing reviews can make every hotel listing look like a luxury resort. But with everything online – what looks like a great deal may come with a few surprises. So, before you book, do a little research – Consumer Reports says to check the location, the reviews, and what you’ll actually pay.

Start with Google Hotels and Kayak to compare options on a map to see how close it really is to the places you want to visit. For reviews, try a site like TripAdvisor. Don’t just read the best and the worst reviews. Those can be outliers. Also, read those three- and...