These are the best blogs for getting the inside scoop on hotels before you book

Planning a trip? Check out the following blogs before booking your hotel to maximize rewards, stay up to date with accommodation news and get the lowdown on your potential property.

1. Jetsetter. This flash-sale accommodation site offers insider deals to members. It's free to join, and every property is investigated for style and personality by a team of correspondents. Plus, the blog features trip inspiration, destination guides and travel tips.

2. The Points Guy. Also one of our favorite miles and points blogs, The Points Guy helps you maximize your rewards. The Hotel section can help you choose the right card for your stay, while the Wallet Maximizer tool provides personal recommendations based on your spending habits. Browse the topics to learn more about your hotel brand and reward program of choice.

3. Skift. Skift focuses on travel trends, analysis and data, and is a great starting point for researching hotels if you want to know what's new and exciting in the industry. While not fully an accommodation site, Skift does have a Hotels section, with pieces ranging from Airbnb impact studies to hospitality trends.

4. Boutique Travel Blog. This well-organized blog allows you to search for luxury, boutique and eco-friendly properties, as well as by destination, to read hotel reviews and dispatches. Posts feature beautiful imagery and text containing enough sensory details to make you feel like you're really there.

5. A Luxury Travel Blog. Focused on the luxury travel sector, this site features travel — and often hotel — stories from bloggers around the globe. Along with accommodation-booking tips, this is a great spot for getting inspired with hotel roundups, news and reviews with lots of beautiful images.

6. Oyster. While there are many blogs out their detailing stay experiences, Oyster is where you'll get the real story. Oyster's "special investigators" get the facts of a property and publish only unedited photos. On the website, you can search hotels by location, Oyster Pearl Rating (the site's own version of a star), amenities and travel style (think adults-only or business travel), and see prices to book on Oyster's partner OTA sites.

7. Mr & Mrs Smith. This blog focuses on experiential boutique hotels — especially those with a romantic edge (hence the name). The site is curated by a team of reviewers who go out and experience properties in person. Search reviews by theme (such as child-friendly or budget) or destination, with posts answering almost every question you may have about a property. This blog is also a booking site that price matches, with a section for special offers and even a tiered membership program ranging from free to $600 per year.

8.how may we hate you?. This hospitality blog is run by two hotel concierges in Times Square who also happen to be writers and comedians. They showcase their funniest and most bizarre work encounters, often written in dialogue form. Peruse this site for some hotel-focused humor before or after making your actual booking.

Jessica Festa is the founder on the solo and offbeat travel blog, Jessie on a Journey, and the online responsible tourism and culture magazine, Epicure & Culture. She's constantly searching for local experiences beyond the guidebook. You can follow her travels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.