Where To Stay
Research Your Destination
You've got your destination and transportation! Now the next step is figuring our where your are going to stay once you get there.
The first thing I always do is figure out what neighborhood (if in a city) or town (if in a more rural area) is best for my purposes. Friends can be a great resource. You'll also often find Facebook or Reddit groups that can be of help in narrowing down your choice. Google is helpful too.
For example, not long ago, I planned a trip to Tokyo, a city I had never visited (except the airport). Tokyo is a HUGE city, so after doing some Internet research, I narrowed my search to 3 neighborhoods that seem to be good fits for first time visitors. Specifically, I wanted: 1) neighborhoods that are safe (nearly everywhere in Tokyo is safe but that's not true for every city); 2) accommodations that are located within a reasonable distance of the majority of the sites I wanted to see; and 3) places that have easy access to public transit. I considered Shinjuku/Shibuya. Ginza and Asakusa. I ended up in Asakusa because it's slightly quieter than some of the other neighborhoods, and was very happy with my choice.
Free Hotels!
The #1 way to get cheap accommodations is to book them using travel credit card points. I now have a work-in-progress guide to travel credit card "hacking." The guide is mostly directed to flying for free, but the same principles apply. Many transferable point cards have hotel partners. (For example, if you have Chase Ultimate rewards points, you can transfer points to Hyatt or Marriot to use for free nights.) Also, although I don't usually recommend getting hotel credit cards (like a World of Hyatt card or a Marriot Bonvoy card), sometimes co-branded hotel cards offer deals that are almost too good to pass up. Not long ago, I got a Marriot Bonvoy card because it offered 5 free nights at many Marriot hotels. Hotel point redemption rates vary wildly from brand to brand (Hyatt seems to be the best these days), so shop around if you're using points for your stay.
Setting a Budget
If you can't get a hotel for free, you will need to set a budget. While I wish I had unlimited funds, I travel on a budget. But my budget has to be flexible enough to take into consideration the fact that some places are much more budget-friendly than others. If you're looking for a place to stay in Manhattan that is safe, clean and less than $100/night, good luck; you're looking for a unicorn. If you're looking for the same characteristics in Bangkok, congratulations, you'll have lots of choices.
To keep yourself within budget, you may need to prioritize the features you MUST have, the features you would like to have and the features that you can live without. For example, do you NEED an on site swimming pool? Do you need an on site restaurant or room service? Can you bear to carry your luggage up a flight of stairs with no elevator and no valet? Do you require a 24 hour reception or a doorman? Do you want daily housekeeping? Would you be willing to share a bathroom? Prices will vary with the amenities offered, and what you would be willing to sacrifice in one destination may be a must-have in another destination.
Hostel vs. Hotel vs. Airbnb
Once you've set your budget and figured out your parameters, it's time to start looking for a place to stay.
Your options loosely fall into three categories: 1) a hostel; 2) a hotel; and 3) an Airbnb. Other labels that are loosely applied are "B&B," "Inn" and "homestay," but those terms can mean wildly different things at different properties, so you need to look carefully at what is being offered. For the sake of simplicity, I'm going to stick with the three broad categories. And please note that I am talking in broad generalizations. There are, of course, exceptions to everything I'm discussing here.
Hostels
In general, hostels are dorm-like facilities where guests share sleeping areas and bathrooms. Some are very bare-bones. Some are borderline luxurious. Many have kitchens that can be used by guests. Some have restaurants or bars or areas where you can socialize with other guests.
The stereotype is that hostels are for young backpackers who like to party. But as with many stereotypes, the reality can be quite different. Some hostels cater to groups or families. Many hostels have guests of all ages, and it's not unusual to see retirees in hostels (even if they carry the label "Youth hostel.")
That being said, some hostels have age limits -- both on the lower end and the upper end. (And the upper end can be young -- like 35.) So carefully check to make sure that you'll be able to check in. Also, some hostels are clearly marketed for young partiers, so if that doesn't appeal to you, you might want to keep looking.
In addition to the dorm-like rooms, some hostels have private rooms -- some with private baths, some with shared baths. But nearly every time I've looked at private rooms in hostels, I've been able to find a hotel room that is better for the same price or less.
If you're interested in staying a a hostel, the best place to look is hostelworld.com. Pay close attention to the reviews and guest ratings. Some hostels can also be booked through websites such as Expedia, Hotels.com etc. And there's always Google.
Hotels
This category is self-explanatory. It’s usually a private room with a private bath (although a few have shared baths). But after that, hotels can range from filthy hellholes to the most luxurious accommodation imaginable.
So if I'm looking for a hotel, how do I start? Often, I start with TripAdvisor or Google. I use filters to set dates, budgets, and amenities I MUST have. I also usually filter by neighborhood, but caveat emptor, some of the search engines just give you the distance from the hotel to the desired neighborhood. If it shows up, it doesn't necessarily mean that the hotel is located in your desired neighborhood. Also, set your upper budget slightly higher than what you want to pay. You can often find a better deal on a hotel than what shows up in your initial search.
Once you set your parameters and run your initial search, go to the "sort" function and have the list sorted by guest ratings. "Guest ratings" seem to be a much better indicator of the quality of the hotel than the number of stars or the search engine's recommendations. (I usually disregard properties that have less than 10 guest reviews or that don't have recent guest reviews.)
Once you identify a hotel that looks like it fits your wish list, drill down. Look at the customer reviews and prices on several different sites. TripAdvisor and Google will often show you different prices for different booking companies.
Although many people tell you that you should book directly with the hotel (like I recommend for booking flights), I almost never do that. I usually book through hotels.com, booking.com or Agoda. I've never had a problem with any of those companies. And if you book with them enough, you may qualify for status that gives you discounts, upgrades, free nights or free breakfasts. Those perks may be available at some chains if you book directly, but if you're booking at non-chain hotels, you're more likely to qualify for perks through one of the booking sites.
Airbnb
I'm using "Airbnb" in the most generic way to describe renting a whole house, or apartment or a room in an apartment or house. (Sometimes Airbnb offers shared rooms too, but that's a hard no for me.) You can find these types of rentals on Airbnb, VRBO, and many of the hotel booking sites (like booking .com and hotels.com).
Before I book anything, I compare hotels with Airbnbs. It's been my general experience that hotels are better values if you're only looking for one room and will be in a place for less than a week. If you're looking for multiple bedrooms or a longer stay, Airbnb is a often a better value. Usually, I only book Airbnb if I am booking the entire unit. But there are exceptions. I will sometimes book a room in an occupied house or apartment if I will have my own bath and bedroom and the reviews are exceptional. For example, I had a great stay in an occupied house in Mexico City.
Airbnb recently addressed what had been my biggest pet peeve with them. Units were marketed with their base price, but when you went to book the unit, fees often raised the price exponentially. Now you have the option of looking at the units with all fees included up front.
Three other things you should be aware of before you book an Airbnb: 1) anecdotally, Airbnb hosts can be more flaky than hotels by doing things like canceling at the last minute; 2) Airbnbs sometimes come with a list of chores that will need to be completed before you leave the property (vacuuming, trash, stripping the beds and putting the sheets in the washer etc.) or there are rules that will interfere with your enjoyment of the property; and 3) look at the reviews and fine print carefully. For example, there are lots of units that look fabulous at first glance, but then you look at the fine print and discover it's on the sixth floor of a building with no elevator or it has no air conditioning in Rome in August or there is construction going on in an adjoining unit. so just be careful.
One More IMPORTANT Thing
COVID did a number on the hospitality industry. A lot of hotels closed during the pandemic and have not reopened or have cut back on services that were previously available. If you don't see recent reviews of a property make sure it's operating, and if it's operating make sure it's offering the services that are crucial for you. During my recent trip to SE Asia, I saw many properties that were closed, but when I checked, they were still available for booking through some of the booking sites. (Yikes!) If you're not sure, find some place that you are sure about.
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