The once prospective hotel industry in Ghana is now a booming phenomenon in our everyday lives. Presently in Ghana, there are over 3000 lodges, guesthouses and hotels in Ghana.
Interestingly, these Ghana accommodation types are becoming sophisticated with each new one that emerges. This has made the hospitality sector in Ghana as equally competitive as exciting. What this means is that, making a choice for a Ghana guesthouse, hotel, lodge, apartment or resort is tougher. Who does not want the best of accommodation? Who does not want value for his or her money?
With this in mind comes the best way of getting the best hotels in Ghana to suit your needs. Currently, booking hotels online is a whole new dimension to the industry. It is now big business to ease all the stress of looking for hotels, making a choice, finding its location and ensuring that your room is secured against the d-day. This is the business of allowing you the convenience of booking a Ghana hotel online.
Next, comes the way to make this new process easy for everyone. So let’s try and answer 12 of the most frequently asked questions about booking hotels in Ghana online.
Booking Hotel Online
What is the advantage of booking online walk-in reservations?
Making a reservation online is a convenience that cannot be over-emphasised in the modern world we live in. By booking online potential hotel guests embrace 3 key things: safety, security and convenience.
First-time travellers to Ghana will be quickest to admit that the safest hotel options are the ones that you can find information about online and can assure you of a secured booking. Previous guest reviews will serve as a guide so that there are no surprises.
Booking online means securing a room well ahead of time. Guests, therefore, do not have to travel all the way to the hotel only to be told that there is no availability.
Again, the booking hotels online is a reliever. No matter the time you arrive in any city in Ghana, the only thing that separates you from that well-deserved shower and rest is the check-in procedures. For most foreign travellers, booking online also means paying online. It, conveniently, eliminates the hustle of finding local currency upon arrival before finding a place to rest.
What are Online Travel Agencies  (OTAs)?
An Online Travel Agency is a company or an organised group that specialises in travel information distribution and may provide travel-related booking capabilities. Popular examples of OTAs, Online Travel Agencies in Ghana are Jumia Travel and Booking.com
Pricing
What are the Payment methods available?
The majority of guests at hotels in Ghana are guests who pay cash at the hotel either fully at check-ins or at check-outs. This option, though desirable by most hotel users, may come with a number of uncertainties.
In the emerging Ghana market, the Mobile Money concept has come to stay. Many budget hotels in Ghana and even the top luxury hotels in Ghana are incorporating this payment mode in their systems.
The other preferred payment systems are the virtual banks and online credit facilities like Paypal, Mastercard, Mpesa, Skrill and the like. Business travellers use these almost always. It can be done in a split second and the transactions are easily verifiable.
For most group/corporate bookings, bank transfer is the common and most preferred mode of payment. This is because it allows the company or organisation to have a trail and keep track of their expenditure.
What is Best Price Guaranteed?
Best price Guaranteed is a kind of ‘magic’ OTAs conjure. If a hotel has the best price guaranteed tag, then it means the OTA offers the cheapest rates for that hotel. With Best price Guaranteed, find a cheaper rate elsewhere, the OTA pays the difference to you.
What are Vouchers/Coupons?
Vouchers/Coupons are rate discounts that OTAs and or hotels give to their users and guests. A voucher code is inserted in the promotional code column when making an online booking to reduce the final amount of the booking.
A coupon, on the other hand, is an official document that guests can use to redeem a prize from the OTA and or the hotel.
Arrival
What are the standard Check-in and Check-out times?
The standard check-in time for most hotels in Ghana between 10:00 am and 12:00 pm. Occasionally, you will find the check-in time of some hotels being after 2:00 pm. But, these are just a handful. The majority of them stick to the standard time. Ridma Hospitalities and Frankies Hotel are very good examples.
The same thing applies to the check-out times. Whereas between 11:30 am and 1:30 pm is the standard check-out times for most Ghana hotels, a few have their check-out time being before 11:00 am.
How do I book an Airport Pick-up?
Airport pick-up is a complimentary service offered by most hotels in Ghana especially those in Accra. Other cities in Ghana with airports are Tamale, Kumasi and Takoradi. Top hotels in these cities also offer airport pick-ups for free.
When booking online, just select the airport pick-up option in the list of services available. Alternatively, leave a comment in the comment section requesting airport pick-up and then giving you flight details.
Procedurally, OTAs/hotels call to confirm your booking and also call a day prior to your trip to remind you. Do remember to also confirm your airport pick-up with them.
Group Bookings
Do I get a discount on group bookings?
This is called a corporate rate by most hotels in the country and 7 out of 10 hotels will offer these rates to guests without even asking. It is part of business. The first impressions count as far as group booking or corporate bookings are concerned and the hotels and OTAs know this.
Can the hotel take-
·         10 to 15 people?
With a good rate of between One Hundred and Two Hundred cedis per guest, an array of hotels which include Hotel Loreto, Sheridan Hotel and Kee Gee Hotel give you their best of services and packages.
·         30 people?
On a regular day, getting 30 rooms at a Ghana hotel may not be easy. Though several 3-star hotels and some 2-star hotel in Ghana may have 30+ rooms at their hotel, some may already be in use at the time of the group booking.
Sealane hotel Prampram is a good example of a hotel which you can trust for a group booking of 30 people day-in, day-out. If you are also looking for a holiday home for the entire staff or church, then Ramada Resort is your best bet.
Restaurants
Does the hotel have a restaurant?
Restaurants have become commoner these days for hotels in Ghana than in the past. Most hotels in Ghana have a restaurant or eatery of a sort: being competitive in the today Ghana hotel structure demands it. But for a few guesthouses, hostels and lodges in Ghana, the answer to this question will be a firm ‘Yes’.
Does the hotel serve vegetarian food?
Whereas the many of the hotels have restaurants, the bulk of them only serve the popular local and continental dishes. Some hotels do adapt based on the preference of the guest to serve other kinds of meals.
Only a few hotels (especially the top 3 & 4-star hotels in Ghana) have vegetarian food on their everyday menu. Tang Palace is a good example of a hotel that specially serves Vegetarian food as an everyday habit.
Which hotel in Ghana has the best restaurant?
The answer is purely subjective because of difference in preference and must be answered as such.However, in Accra, Alisa Hotel Restaurant, African Regent Hotel Restaurant and Golden Tulip Hotel Restaurant are some the most patronized: probably due to their quality.
General
Where can I find a quiet
·         Accra Hotel?
       East Legon: Sonant Court Hotel
       Labadi: Kings Royal Atlantic Hotel
       Accra Airport Area: Villa Monticello Boutique Hotel
·         Takoradi Hotel?
        Airport Area:  Takoradi Standard Hotel
What else will get me excited at the hotel?
This is a very popular question asked by leisure travellers and tourists who want a bit more than the ordinary hotel stay plus complimentary breakfast. Straight away the holiday home, Golf hotels, hotels with spas and beach resorts in Ghana readily comes to mind.
Aqua Safari Resort, Beige Village Golf Resort & Spa and Zaina Lodge are top destinations for other exciting packages in addition to a room. The Zaina Lodge, for ins an ance, offer you action-packed safari tours through the Mole National Park. Aqua Safari presents guest with jet-skiing and boat riding trip as well. And at the Beige Village, the golf course is another sports experience altogether.