ACCOMODATIONS
While most travelers try to save on airfares and rental cars, decisions become more complicated when it comes to accommodations. Location, amenities and parking are all valid considerations as, of course, is cost. But the decision on accommodations is often not entirely finding the cheapest place possible – since not all hotel rooms are created equal. Some travelers are perfectly comfortable at youth hostels or even crashing in bus terminals and airports, while others may only be interested in staying in a hotel suite of “international standard” with concierge service and where they are known by name. Most travelers fall somewhere in between. Here are some of the factors that likely go into your lodging decision: Purpose
Room amenities
Hotel/Resort amenities
Location
Parking
Local Color
Reviews and Recommendations
OK, you know in general the neighborhood or area where you want to stay, the amenities you would like and your parking needs. There are three good sources of accommodation suggestions and recommendations.
Keep in mind that folks who had a bad experience or a truly great experience are more likely to send in a review than those who had an OK time. Some hotels get friends/colleagues to write reviews based on nothing but the prompts of the owners, so the more reviews you see for a hotel, the better off you are. Focus on reviews during the past 6 months, since a change in management or personnel can result in a major change in traveler opinions. Pay particular attention to comments concerning how soundproof the room is (thin walls is a common complaint and won’t change), whether the hotel as a karaoke bar/nightclub/ballroom in the lobby beneath the rooms, and the cleanliness of the rooms. These are the things that you don’t pick up from the guidebooks. Again, one bad review set against 10 good reviews shouldn’t disturb you much; a 50-50 split is another thing altogether. Also look at the trends – if comments during the last three months are better or worse than the previous three months, that can be a strong indicator.
Understanding which of the above are necessities is important in making the right lodging choice. It’s usually the case that the more amenities provided, the higher the nightly cost.
Costs and Reservations
Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz are again the big three, joined by specialized ones such as www.hotels.com and www.booking.com. All offer specials on selected accommodations. Rates generally are the same among sites, but not always, especially when it comes to “specials”. One of the sites may have negotiated a special rate on a block of rooms; another site may show the hotel as unavailable or at a substantially different rate. A great place to start is Kayak.com that searches a variety of sites, including Hotwire, Expedia, Priceline, Hotels.com and Travelocity, as well as the hotel sites themselves.
A site that I particularly like is www.booking.com. It’s very good for moderate cost European hotels as well as for U.S, destinations. While there is overlap from what you will find on Expedia, there are a number of accommodations that are not duplicative.
As with airfares, also check the hotel website itself. If the price at the hotel site is the same or lower than the reservation services, I suggest going with the hotel site. They will likely treat you better, assign you better rooms, and be more accommodating of room changes than if you booked through another service. It also could serve you well to call the hotel directly and see if a better rate can be negotiated. This can work well during non-peak/ non-convention periods where the hotel expects to have a lot of otherwise empty rooms.
Also get a clear understanding of amenities and their costs (is the outdoor pool open in the spring?), is there a “resort” fee? Is parking included? Is a full or continental breakfast included? Is there a fee for a third or fourth person in the room? (Note: some reservation sites don’t necessarily reflect the cost of an extra person – always check the fine print.) Be sure to understand cancellation fees and deadlines. It’s becoming more common, unfortunately, for hotels to offer non-refundable rates at a discount from normal rates. If you go that route, be sure you know you’re going! It is also an instance when trip cancellation insurance may be of value (at an added cost).
Finally, always be on the lookout for special deals. Coupons or hotel loyalty programs or specials found while on the road can result in sizeable savings or even free nights. Some airline frequent flyer programs also offer hotel rewards.
When to Book
When should you book your accommodations? It is possible in most instances to book hotels a year or more in advance. If traveling to New Orleans during Mardi Gras, Orlando during spring break, or almost any beach resort during the Christmas/New Years period, then booking a year in advance may be recommended, especially if you have certain hotel preferences or want an “affordable” place to stay. Same goes for staying in National Park lodges during their peak seasons. If traveling to see a special event, be it a fair, festival, or sporting event, advance bookings are also highly recommended.
At a minimum, I recommend booking your first night’s lodging in advance. Getting to the airport, dealing with the ordeal of check-in, security, waiting and boarding, and then flying, connecting, flying again, waiting, getting luggage and finding ground transportation is enough for one (or two) days. Knowing where you’re headed for the 1st night is a great idea. How much of the rest of your trip you book in advance is up to you. If you know precisely where you want to be when, there’s no reason not to book your hotels for the duration of the trip. If you want to be more flexible, consider calling ahead each morning to your next destination if you want to have some degree of certainty. Or plan on arriving late afternoon or around 6 (many hotels/motels will cancel reservations being held without deposits at 6 pm, so rooms open up at this time). The more off-season you travel, the less likely reservations will be needed. On the other hand, arriving during a major event, such as the World Cup, advanced booking is likely essential whether you are a “futbol” fan or not.
Other Types of Accommodation
Bed and Breakfasts – especially popular in Ireland and Great Britain. They also tend to be great deals including a full breakfast. Many B & Bs were built in part to be B & Bs, so it doesn’t quite feel that you are staying as a personal guest of the owners. Families are welcome at many. One good source for B & Bs in Ireland is: www.townandcountry.ie. For B & Bs in Great Britain, you might want to start with: www.bedandbreakfastnationwide.com.
In the United States, B & Bs are often more “exclusive,” tend not to be bargains, but can be a great romantic get-a-way. They are often not kid-friendly, though some certainly are. Check out: www.bbonline.com. Another good source is the accommodation listing in tripadvisor.com which has a B & B tab for each city/region.
House Rentals – Renting a house or villa or cottage can be a great way to “get into the culture” of an area. Best suited for stays of a week or more, they are often a relative bargain as well, especially if traveling with several couples or families. Finding information about this type of lodging can be more complex. Start with an internet search such as “Rental House in Italy” and then find sites that include testimonials or other sources of recommendation. Some guidebooks also include recommended sources of information on house rentals. This might also be an instance when a travel coach or travel agent can be of assistance. Before agreeing to rent a house, be sure to carefully review the contract, deposits, cleaning expectations, and what the total cost will be (oftentimes, an electricity or fuel charge will be added on check-out). Also be sure to get detailed directions before you leave home, and contact phone numbers. One site we’ve used successfully for house rentals in Europe is: http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/.
House Swaps – Now, for a great way to save money while traveling, consider a house swap. You stay there, they stay here. For a monthly membership fee (usually around $10/month), you can join a house exchange service. Homes are listed worldwide and if a match works out, there are no other costs involved. Sometimes even a car is included with the home. Stays are usually 1-3 weeks. One house exchange service, again among many, is www.homeexchange.com.
Air B and B - Airbnb is an online marketplace and hospitality service, enabling people to lease or rent short-term lodging including vacation rentals, apartment rentals, homestays, hostel beds, or hotel rooms. It's become a very popular option for many, though the quality of lodging can vary greatly. Definitely check out the reviews of a specific place before booking. www.airbnb.com/
Hostels – Remember dorm life in college? Youth hostels have been around for decades and offer low cost accommodations, usually shared with 3 or more others. Sometimes there are curfews, bathrooms are almost always communal, and kitchen facilities are usually available (another way to save). Some have private “family” rooms at a higher cost (but still a bargain). And some provide one or two meals at an additional cost (usually very reasonable). They used to be limited to students or those under 25 – most are now open to just about anyone wanting a more communal travel experience. A good site to start with is www.hiusa.org which offers a reservation service for both U.S. and international hostels.
Elderhostels – For those 55 and over, check out www.roadscholar.org. The Elderhostel program offers learning experiences throughout the U.S. and over 90 other countries. Programs and tours tend to be reasonably priced and cover a wide range of topics, from “Homegrown Religion” to “Islands of Life in the Pacific” to “A Classis East African Safari.” There are even a few intergenerational tours for children, parents and/or grandparents. Well worth checking out.
Narrowboats/Canalboats – Most common in Europe, it involves renting a long and narrow boat for 3-4-7-10-14 days and cruising the canals of England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Netherlands, France, Germany, or Italy. There are locks and lift bridges along the way (some automatic, some staffed, some do-it-yourself), pubs and restaurants, market towns, rural and urban experiences and lots of fellow boaters. They are not inexpensive (especially during the summer peak), but when you consider it is also your means of transportation and entertainment and that you can cook some or all your meals on board, it’s not unreasonable either. A great source of rentals in Great Britain is: www.anglowelsh.co.uk. Another source including boats elsewhere in Europe: www.boatingeurope.com.
- Honeymoon?
- An overnight stop enroute to someplace else?
- Is the hotel (resort) the destination itself?
Room amenities
- TV (with or without in-room movies and/or video game console)
- Bathroom en-suite (in the room) or down the hall
- Just a bed, chair and desk, or sofa/sitting area
- Full kitchen or refrigerator
- Fireplace
- In-room Jacuzzi
- Bathtub or shower
- Balcony, patio
- View/partial view/no-view
- Room service
- Wi-Fi (free or paid)
- Air conditioning or ceiling fan
Hotel/Resort amenities
- Swimming pool (indoor or outdoor)
- Direct beach access or direct ski area access
- Parking (free or paid – can be very expensive in major cities or even resort areas)
- Spa
- Restaurant, bar, nightclub
- Children’s program
- Concierge
- Activity Center
- Gift shops
Location
- As in real estate, its location, location, location. And, as with real estate, the closer you are to the “prime” area, the more expensive lodging will likely be. If you are planning a week in Manhattan visiting museums, attending Broadway plays and shopping on 5th Avenue, it may not be the best choice to stay in a hotel near JFK Airport, over an hour from Manhattan by subway. Keep in mind that staying near where you want to actually be may enable you to avoid renting a car.
- Some locations may be noisier than others. If this is a concern, ask for a room away from the busy street, rail line or the in-house nightclub.
Parking
- If you do have a car, its definitely worth checking the availability and cost of parking. In big cities and even at some resorts, daily parking fees can add up quickly, sometimes to the tune of $40 or more per day. Parking convenience is also a consideration – is it valet parking (with commensurate costs and potential delays in waiting for your car) or a self-park lot on the premises or even a self-park lot a block or two away. Also watch for “limited” parking, especially if you will be arriving at night or using your car a lot during your stay – limited does not mean unlimited. Finally, remember that driving into town from your suburban hotel for the day will subject you to the same (or higher) parking fees.
Local Color
- Also worth thinking about – are you looking for lodging that is unique or reflects local architecture and ambiance or one that’s more standard? There’s no right or wrong answer to this – it’s whatever your comfort level and preferences are.
Reviews and Recommendations
OK, you know in general the neighborhood or area where you want to stay, the amenities you would like and your parking needs. There are three good sources of accommodation suggestions and recommendations.
- Guidebooks – the same ones discussed in the earlier section of this book. Remember that the guidebook authors generally have not spent the night in the lodging mentioned in their books (or likely just one or two places, not the whole list). So they are reporting more on amenities, visual cleanliness, and input from visitors who have given them feedback. Still, it’s a good resource to start with, especially if you have used the guidebook series in the past and are comfortable with their star ratings or other recommendations.
- Fellow Travelers - Check out www.tripadvisor.com. They are independent of the booking sites and attract a high number and wide range of reviewers.
- The big three travel websites. These also include reviews from travelers (see table that follows later in this section), though often not as many as at tripadvisor.com.
Keep in mind that folks who had a bad experience or a truly great experience are more likely to send in a review than those who had an OK time. Some hotels get friends/colleagues to write reviews based on nothing but the prompts of the owners, so the more reviews you see for a hotel, the better off you are. Focus on reviews during the past 6 months, since a change in management or personnel can result in a major change in traveler opinions. Pay particular attention to comments concerning how soundproof the room is (thin walls is a common complaint and won’t change), whether the hotel as a karaoke bar/nightclub/ballroom in the lobby beneath the rooms, and the cleanliness of the rooms. These are the things that you don’t pick up from the guidebooks. Again, one bad review set against 10 good reviews shouldn’t disturb you much; a 50-50 split is another thing altogether. Also look at the trends – if comments during the last three months are better or worse than the previous three months, that can be a strong indicator.
Understanding which of the above are necessities is important in making the right lodging choice. It’s usually the case that the more amenities provided, the higher the nightly cost.
Costs and Reservations
Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz are again the big three, joined by specialized ones such as www.hotels.com and www.booking.com. All offer specials on selected accommodations. Rates generally are the same among sites, but not always, especially when it comes to “specials”. One of the sites may have negotiated a special rate on a block of rooms; another site may show the hotel as unavailable or at a substantially different rate. A great place to start is Kayak.com that searches a variety of sites, including Hotwire, Expedia, Priceline, Hotels.com and Travelocity, as well as the hotel sites themselves.
A site that I particularly like is www.booking.com. It’s very good for moderate cost European hotels as well as for U.S, destinations. While there is overlap from what you will find on Expedia, there are a number of accommodations that are not duplicative.
As with airfares, also check the hotel website itself. If the price at the hotel site is the same or lower than the reservation services, I suggest going with the hotel site. They will likely treat you better, assign you better rooms, and be more accommodating of room changes than if you booked through another service. It also could serve you well to call the hotel directly and see if a better rate can be negotiated. This can work well during non-peak/ non-convention periods where the hotel expects to have a lot of otherwise empty rooms.
Also get a clear understanding of amenities and their costs (is the outdoor pool open in the spring?), is there a “resort” fee? Is parking included? Is a full or continental breakfast included? Is there a fee for a third or fourth person in the room? (Note: some reservation sites don’t necessarily reflect the cost of an extra person – always check the fine print.) Be sure to understand cancellation fees and deadlines. It’s becoming more common, unfortunately, for hotels to offer non-refundable rates at a discount from normal rates. If you go that route, be sure you know you’re going! It is also an instance when trip cancellation insurance may be of value (at an added cost).
Finally, always be on the lookout for special deals. Coupons or hotel loyalty programs or specials found while on the road can result in sizeable savings or even free nights. Some airline frequent flyer programs also offer hotel rewards.
When to Book
When should you book your accommodations? It is possible in most instances to book hotels a year or more in advance. If traveling to New Orleans during Mardi Gras, Orlando during spring break, or almost any beach resort during the Christmas/New Years period, then booking a year in advance may be recommended, especially if you have certain hotel preferences or want an “affordable” place to stay. Same goes for staying in National Park lodges during their peak seasons. If traveling to see a special event, be it a fair, festival, or sporting event, advance bookings are also highly recommended.
At a minimum, I recommend booking your first night’s lodging in advance. Getting to the airport, dealing with the ordeal of check-in, security, waiting and boarding, and then flying, connecting, flying again, waiting, getting luggage and finding ground transportation is enough for one (or two) days. Knowing where you’re headed for the 1st night is a great idea. How much of the rest of your trip you book in advance is up to you. If you know precisely where you want to be when, there’s no reason not to book your hotels for the duration of the trip. If you want to be more flexible, consider calling ahead each morning to your next destination if you want to have some degree of certainty. Or plan on arriving late afternoon or around 6 (many hotels/motels will cancel reservations being held without deposits at 6 pm, so rooms open up at this time). The more off-season you travel, the less likely reservations will be needed. On the other hand, arriving during a major event, such as the World Cup, advanced booking is likely essential whether you are a “futbol” fan or not.
Other Types of Accommodation
Bed and Breakfasts – especially popular in Ireland and Great Britain. They also tend to be great deals including a full breakfast. Many B & Bs were built in part to be B & Bs, so it doesn’t quite feel that you are staying as a personal guest of the owners. Families are welcome at many. One good source for B & Bs in Ireland is: www.townandcountry.ie. For B & Bs in Great Britain, you might want to start with: www.bedandbreakfastnationwide.com.
In the United States, B & Bs are often more “exclusive,” tend not to be bargains, but can be a great romantic get-a-way. They are often not kid-friendly, though some certainly are. Check out: www.bbonline.com. Another good source is the accommodation listing in tripadvisor.com which has a B & B tab for each city/region.
House Rentals – Renting a house or villa or cottage can be a great way to “get into the culture” of an area. Best suited for stays of a week or more, they are often a relative bargain as well, especially if traveling with several couples or families. Finding information about this type of lodging can be more complex. Start with an internet search such as “Rental House in Italy” and then find sites that include testimonials or other sources of recommendation. Some guidebooks also include recommended sources of information on house rentals. This might also be an instance when a travel coach or travel agent can be of assistance. Before agreeing to rent a house, be sure to carefully review the contract, deposits, cleaning expectations, and what the total cost will be (oftentimes, an electricity or fuel charge will be added on check-out). Also be sure to get detailed directions before you leave home, and contact phone numbers. One site we’ve used successfully for house rentals in Europe is: http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/.
House Swaps – Now, for a great way to save money while traveling, consider a house swap. You stay there, they stay here. For a monthly membership fee (usually around $10/month), you can join a house exchange service. Homes are listed worldwide and if a match works out, there are no other costs involved. Sometimes even a car is included with the home. Stays are usually 1-3 weeks. One house exchange service, again among many, is www.homeexchange.com.
Air B and B - Airbnb is an online marketplace and hospitality service, enabling people to lease or rent short-term lodging including vacation rentals, apartment rentals, homestays, hostel beds, or hotel rooms. It's become a very popular option for many, though the quality of lodging can vary greatly. Definitely check out the reviews of a specific place before booking. www.airbnb.com/
Hostels – Remember dorm life in college? Youth hostels have been around for decades and offer low cost accommodations, usually shared with 3 or more others. Sometimes there are curfews, bathrooms are almost always communal, and kitchen facilities are usually available (another way to save). Some have private “family” rooms at a higher cost (but still a bargain). And some provide one or two meals at an additional cost (usually very reasonable). They used to be limited to students or those under 25 – most are now open to just about anyone wanting a more communal travel experience. A good site to start with is www.hiusa.org which offers a reservation service for both U.S. and international hostels.
Elderhostels – For those 55 and over, check out www.roadscholar.org. The Elderhostel program offers learning experiences throughout the U.S. and over 90 other countries. Programs and tours tend to be reasonably priced and cover a wide range of topics, from “Homegrown Religion” to “Islands of Life in the Pacific” to “A Classis East African Safari.” There are even a few intergenerational tours for children, parents and/or grandparents. Well worth checking out.
Narrowboats/Canalboats – Most common in Europe, it involves renting a long and narrow boat for 3-4-7-10-14 days and cruising the canals of England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Netherlands, France, Germany, or Italy. There are locks and lift bridges along the way (some automatic, some staffed, some do-it-yourself), pubs and restaurants, market towns, rural and urban experiences and lots of fellow boaters. They are not inexpensive (especially during the summer peak), but when you consider it is also your means of transportation and entertainment and that you can cook some or all your meals on board, it’s not unreasonable either. A great source of rentals in Great Britain is: www.anglowelsh.co.uk. Another source including boats elsewhere in Europe: www.boatingeurope.com.