How to Find The Best Accommodation For Your Vacation
How to book a perfect stay for your holiday?
In this article, I will list ten tips to find the best accommodation for your trip. Whether you are traveling to Europe, Asia, or Australia, these tips will help you plan your trip easily.
1. Use trustworthy booking sites
Safety first!
Imagine that you almost get to the city and realize that your host canceled at the last minute or the hotel declined your booking request? You can receive excellent support and the best deal by using trustworthy sites.
I have traveled to 31 countries and stayed at different types of accommodation. Here are a few trusted websites that help me to save money and time searching:
- Booking.com
- Hotels.com
- Airbnb
- Expedia
2. Choose the location carefully
Location is an important factor in choosing accommodation. Before booking any place, you should consider:
- How to go there from the airport? Does the hotel provide an airport shuttle?
- Is it near the center/ train station/ bus station?
- Are there any restaurants and shops around?
- Is it easy to reach the main attractions of accommodation?
There are several cheap accommodations on booking sites, but many are far away and not convenient to reach or commute.
Unless you’d like to take a cab or get on a long bus/ train ride every time, you should stay in the central area close to public transport, airports, local attractions, restaurants, and can get out and walk to most things.
How to choose the best hotel location?
Unfortunately, you can choose the location wisely with Booking.com interactive map. Using Booking.com‘s map view to compare options and prices, you will be able to find the best accommodation that fits your needs.
3. Read reviews
Reviews written by other guests are informative and helpful. Text reviews and scores are two factors you should consider when looking for accommodation.
The best way to read reviews is to check reviews from travelers who have similar trips like you – solo travel, family travel, couple travel, and which type of room that they booked – Dorm bed, Dingle room, Double room, Twin room, Triple room (for family), etc.
Also, you can read reviews from different booking sites if you have more spare time –Booking.com, Hotels.com, TripAdvisor, and Expedia.
4. Consider scores in all features
You should consider the overall rating of the accommodation and take a closer look at other scores such as Cleanliness, Comfort, Facilities, Staff, Value for Money, Location.
5. Use stars as a guide only
You should not consider much about the hotel’s star because it can vary from country to country.
One 3-star-hotel in one country can be better than a 4-star-hotel in another country. You should consider the facilities and services to choose the best accommodation.
6. Look for extra hidden cost
Sometimes the accommodation does not show all the prices as their “final cost.” The most common hidden charge is a tax (per night/ per stay).
Also, you may need to pay extra for service, facilities such as towels, bedsheets, property service charges, etc.
Therefore, you should check whether there is an extra cost, so the actual price will not add up than you expected.
7. Check the facilities & services
It is worth checking the facilities and services carefully before booking your stay. Some accommodations may charge for necessary facilities such as wifi although major places don’t.
Some places may have a restriction on using time of services.
For example, you cannot use the hairdryer after midnight till 6 am, or you will need to leave the hostel from 10 am to 2 pm during the stay for cleaning purposes (It happens a lot in Osaka, Japan).
Also, you should check other facilities such as parking, swimming pool, spa, gym, washing machine, etc., to have a great stay.
8. Book early
Don’t book at the last minute because the price can go up or the place is sold out. The worst thing is opening the browser to book your dream place and realizing that it is sold out on the day you intend to stay.
Also, you can cancel at no cost before arrival day withBooking.com, so even when you change your mind, it will not matter much.
9. Sign up for the loyalty program
When you sign up as a member on any booking sites such as Booking.com, Hotels.com, or Airbnb, you will get a discount or deals from them.
For example, you will get one free stay after ten stays at Hotels.com. Isn’t it great? Check it out here.
10. Don’t hesitate to ask
If you have any questions or inquiries regarding the facilities, services, etc., don’t hesitate to email or call the property. Sometimes you can even add more services with discounts by negotiating with the hotel.
Also, it is recommended to double-check with the property to make sure that your booking is correct.
My aunt has been thinking about staying in a hotel during her vacation in order to have more fun. I liked what you said about how it should be close to the main attractions, airport, train station, and restaurants. Making sure that she can stay in a professional place could allow her to be safer.
I want to make sure that I get the right hotel for me. It makes sense that I would want to look around carefully for a good one! I’ll be sure to use a good website for this.
My aunt really wants to get some time off for a vacation because she should really like to relax. Staying at an inn run by a professional could be more relaxing because she won’t have to worry about a lot. I’ll be sure to tell her about how she should book early to make sure that it isn’t sold out.
Thanks for this amazing article. I generally read your articles with a lot of enthusiasm because of its content.
I love how you mentioned that in order to find the best accommodation, we should read reviews of travelers who have similar trips like us. I am looking for a single spacious room for my next vacation. I will be sure to look up the hotel’s reviews before booking a stay.
Thanks for pointing out that the reviews that are written by other guests will be an informative and helpful source for you. I will definitely read online to find a hotel room that will be perfect for our honeymoon trip this coming December. It would be a very memorable trip that is why we must make sure that the stay in accommodation would be seamless and safe.
Thanks for the reminder that when we look for accommodations like inns and hotels, we should consider how clean, comfortable, functional, friendly, and accessible it is for us to get good value. I’ll really keep this in mind when my husband and I go on a much-awaited road trip next month. We’ll probably plan it out well and book ahead too just to be safe.
I like how you mentioned that one of the most important factors in choosing accommodation is the location. My sister mentioned to me last night she is planning to have a vacation in the holidays and asked if I have any idea what is the best option for choosing the best hotel for us. Thanks to this informative article and I’ll be sure to tell her that we can try to consult a well-known 5-start hotel.
The other day my sister mentioned she is looking to go on a vacation. I do agree that it is important for us to choose the right accommodation. I will definitely keep this information in mind when I look for the right rental serviced apartment for her.
Thanks for the tip to email a property if you have any questions. My wife and I will be traveling next month, and we are looking for some hotels we can stay at as we travel across the country. I’ll make sure to email or call the hotels we consider staying at to determine if they are right for us.