Don’t get me wrong – I love our Condo-by-the-Sea. Sixteen years of sunsets, sea breezes, morning and evening swims, and the occasional seagull serenade have etched themselves into my daily life. When we’re here, it’s home in every sense of the word.

And yet… I won’t – can’t – quit traveling. It’s what I’ve done professionally for the better part of my career as a working photographer – and for a couple of decades before that.

This year alone, I’ve checked into 19 hotels in six countries.

Part of this “habit” may have less to do with me and my addiction to hotels and more to do with my marriage and collaborations with Charlotte, my better half, who is an online entrepreneur. She eats, sleeps, and breathes hotels – particularly boutique hotels. Charlotte runs the popular site www.hoteladdict.se, which is basically her 24/7 addiction to all things hotels.

Still, I wonder: is it the surface-level allure – fresh sheets, tiny shampoo bottles, the anonymity of a room – or is it simply that I’ve aged out of hostels, guesthouses, and camping, and so travel and hotels are inherently inseparable?

Planes take you places – hotels embrace you once you’re there. They’re little cocoons of safety and comfort – sometimes an oasis when you’re visiting a bustling metropolis, sometimes even a safe house.

Maybe it’s the novelty – not knowing how a hotel will perform in relation to what we’ve read, whether glowing reviews are spot-on or wildly generous. Or whether someone forgot to mention the construction project next door… something that’s happened on a few occasions.

Whatever the reason, I’ve accepted that my urge–addiction, lust, call it what you will – for hotel living isn’t going away anytime soon.

And because every good confession deserves a list, here are five things I look for when booking a hotel:

1. Is the bed comfortable? Hotel beds are far from perfect, but they are usually decent. Nowhere near as comfortable as ours, though.

2. What’s in the minibar? A treasure chest of overpriced curiosities? Is there at least complimentary water?

3. How is the lobby? Equal parts catwalk, living room, and sociology experiment?

4. Is there a gym? These days, the hotel has to have a gym or at least be in the immediate proximity to a local gym.

5. Is there a co-working space? Is there a quiet space in the lobby, or can we borrow a conference room to work in?

   The image above is from a now-defunct hotel that we stayed in a few years ago in the legendary ski and spa resort Bad Gastein, way up in the Austrian Alps.