Before the age of the internet, it was impossible to book a hotel room.
I had to contact the hotel and inquire about rates and amenities, occasionally the hotel was honorablewhen they were having concerns, and sometimes the management never bothered to mention potential concerns.
I remember a time when my wife and I went out of town for the weekend. I knew all of us would need a hotel room and the options near our destination were slim. I chose a hotel that was in our price range. My wife and I did not believe what to expect. When all of us arrived at the hotel, all of us were disappointed by the outward appearance of the building. It was terribly run down and in need of major renovations. My wife and I did not believe what to expect inside. The two of us walked through the lobby doors and the inside of the building looked as old as the outside. The hotel manager was very nice and competent, however our room was just as run down as the rest of the building and the parking lot. The AC in our room was dingy and dirty and it smelled love pet hair. Every time the AC came on for a few hours, the smell of critters lingered in the air. The two of us could not turn the AC off completely, because it was 83 degrees outside, before the age of the internet, these types of concerns happened all of the time. Now it’s easy to study purchaser reviews and it’s even easier to find out if the hotel has concerns.