Are you going on holiday or a weekend away soon and do you want a luxurious stay? Large kitchens with appliances, a rain shower, bathrooms with marble tiles and black taps. Whatever you’re looking for, there’s bound to be a place that has everything you desire! It is important that you find the right place where you can relax and unwind. Whether it’s a city trip or a beach holiday; we know how you can find the perfect stay! No idea where to start? Then follow these tips.
Nowadays there are numerous websites like Booking.com, Trivago and Airbnb, that have listed hotels, hostels, holiday homes and villas for you. Of course, these search engines are ideal for finding foreign and domestic accommodations. But what exactly should you pay attention to when searching for a place to stay? Read it here!
Table of Contents
Tip 1: Define your requirements
Everyone has different requirements when it comes to living space. Some people want a large luxury apartment and other people are fine with a cheap hostel. There’s also the option to choose an Airbnb where you sleep in the home of a local. The more luxury you want, the more expensive it gets. For example, you can choose a hotel room with a bath with a black bath tap (Translated to Dutch: zwarte badkraan), marble tiles and gold details. Or are you looking for a stay with a large kitchen with a black kitchen tap (Translated to Dutch: zwarte keukenkraan), a dishwasher, built-in ice machine and a luxury coffee maker? Your requirements need to be determined in advance, so you know what to look for. If you know what you want, filtering the thousands of places will be a lot easier!
You also need to think about the formula for your stay. Hotels always have a certain formula:
- Room where you can only stay overnight
- Room with breakfast
- Half board
- Full board
- All-inclusive
Tip 2: Read the reviews
When you have found a nice place that seems to meet your requirements, read the reviews. The reviews can be important for your choice. It is nice to read the opinions and experiences of other visitors. Don’t take all the reviews to serious. Competitors may post bad reviews and hotel staff may praise the hotel anonymously.
Tip 3: The location
Take a good look at the location of the accommodation before you put your mind to it. If you think you’ve found a cheap ‘palace’ to stay, you may have to travel to the city centre for another hour. Keep in mind during a city trip that you will pay more for a stay in the city centre. Around most major cities, public transport is well organized, so it is not always a problem to stay outside the center if it is cheaper.
Tip 4: The number of stars can be misleading
Do you want to sleep in a five star hotel because you want luxury? Then pay close attention. One five-star hotel isn’t the other. In every country they rate accommodations differently. In the Netherlands they can rate a hotel with one star and in Bangkok they rate the same hotel with five stars. So don’t look too much at the stars of hotels. Booking.com always indicates the stars of a stay according to the European rating. So it is smart to take a look there!
Tip 5: Always book incognito
If you’re using a comparison website, it’s smart to book your stay incognito. It works the same way as with an airline comparison site: when you’re looking for a flight, the website remembers what you’ve been looking for because you accepted cookies. This makes the flights you’re interested in more expensive! Of course, this is not quite the intention. When you visit the website incognito, your search data will not be stored by the website’s cookies. As a result, prices will remain constant. This way, you’ll never book a too expensive stay or flight!
Before you book a hotel by a comparison website, just check the hotel website to be sure. It is possible that the rooms there are cheaper because of a special offer. You may also find information that is not on the comparison websites!
Tip 6: Choose a hostel
Are you travelling alone and you don’t mind sleeping with other solo travellers in the same room? Then book a hostel instead of a hotel! You pay much less for a bed in a hostel and you also meet other people quickly. Who knows, you might make friends and be able to travel together!
But of course sleeping with strangers in one room is not for everyone. If you’re a light sleeper or just want more privacy, it’s better to book a hotel or Airbnb.
Hopefully these tips have helped you plan your stay!
