How to choose a holiday accommodation?

We tend to look over it, but the quality of your stay also depends on that of your accommodation. Hotels, hostels, guesthouses, lodges … it is often not easy to decide which one to choose. So how to choose hotel so that it impacts on the quality of your trip? Indian Ocean team has put together a selection of tips to help you make your choice, whatever your destination. You will have all the keys to choose the perfect hotel…

The various types of accommodation

Hostel, Guesthouse, Bed & Breakfast … These different English names have differences. You will need to understand the nuances between these forms of accommodation. It is not only the price that is at stake, the quality also varies from best to worst and the level of security is far from being similar between a hotel and a hostel for example.

Hotel or Hostel?

In a hotel, you get private rooms with your own personal bathroom. Hostels are more budget-oriented than hotels are, but you will share a dormitory with sometimes more than 15 people. The prices are decreasing according to the size of the selected dormitory. In a youth hostel, there are more beds and the bill low.

The earlier you book your trip, the higher the chances you will get the best room. Do not delay your booking, especially in the high season. It is entirely possible to book for several days before your trip. Discounts are often given to customers who book early.

Note that most hostels now offer breakfast, making them serious competitors to the Bed & Breakfast.

Disadvantages of hostels

The lack of privacy is one of the main disadvantages of a hostel. Some people like intimacy and it is not in a hostel where you will get it. Since there are usually many people who share the same room, the noise done by them can make falling asleep difficult. Also, if you are visiting a hostel, do not forget to keep your belonging safe at all time. You do not know the type of people visiting these places.

The Bread and Breakfast (B & B)

The Bed & Breakfast (often-abbreviated B & B) are the English equivalents of the French “chambres d’hôtes”. B & B’s are usually rooms inside privately owned mansions. Breakfast is included. However, the B & B’s rarely serve lunch and dinner. As for the hours of curfew, some B & B are open round the clock, but if schedules are mentioned, stick to it, because this regulation is crucial.

Perfect for meeting people of different nationalities around a breakfast, this type of accommodation will cost you much cheaper than a hotel. For similar prices to those of the hostels, you have rooms with four beds at most. The intimacy is enhanced, and bathrooms are often personal.

Like everywhere, you’re entrusted with a copy of the keys of your room, giving you total freedom of movement between the rooms of the institution authorized to customers.

Generally, the owners prepare breakfast and clean rooms of B & B’s. This is what makes the charm and feel of this type of accommodation: you feel at home. Perfect for cheap holidays and integrate into the local culture.

As in hostels, end of stay, we offer you complete a guest book, in which you can express your recommendations and criticism of the establishment.

Guesthouses or “Guest Houses”

The guesthouses, or “guesthouses”, hosts a formula comparable to hostels and B & B. In some cases, this can be private homes rehabilitated to house clients. However, what really distinguishes the “guesthouse” from other types of housing is the lack of a team working full time.

The host tables are available for a small share of these same institutions, to customers who spend at least one night in one of the rooms.

Cottages

These institutions are often located away from major urban areas. Are distinguished in particular country houses of lodges. They are located near tourist points of interest. Choice popular with lovers of rural tourism, the cottage is an opportunity to stay in low price. Unlike the guest houses or B & B, the cottages are not necessarily found in private homes. Breakfast is not automatically included in the services of a cottage, as the inhabitant is not always on site. Booking a room in a house, you do a lease of a building considered independent.

Seasonal rentals

Seasonal rentals remains one of the best solutions for more freedom cheaply. Detached house, apartments, studios … it all depends on your budget and your desires. There are many sites online who connect owners of the rentals to those interested in renting them. Time, conditions and course rental prices are then defined to be transcribed on a lease. Beware of arrangements that lead to the non-signing of a contract.

Chain hotel or boutique hotel

If you make a reservation in one of the facilities of a hotel chain, each room looks like its neighbor.

Instead, independent hotels frequently offer good surprises. The reception is best. More alert, staff effectively respond to your requests and will give you excellent advice. As for the rooms, charm finds a real face, whether as decoration or the more polished furniture and more stylized than in large hotels.

Each type of accommodation has its specificities, therefore, it is useful to know the basic differences, but anyway, it is not advised to go at the last moment, under penalty of being equipped with the most rooms exposed to noise, the less comfortable or the most dilapidated.

Hotel: Mission reservation

With the Internet, it is easy to get a clearer idea of ​​the hotel you want to book with: Use Google.

Some sites like tripadvisor.com gather the opinions, comments and photographs of surfers. Focus on recommendations based on a sufficiently large number of testimonials. Do not refer to a single comment to judge the quality of an institution.

Specific guidelines (including the famous Michelin guide) will tell you more about the quality of thousands of institutions, with the support of authentic testimonies. In the optic, there are thematic guides that address a particular aspect (boutique hotels, budget hotels …) Finally, although some issues remain outstanding, the best solution is still the contact. By phone or email, attach the property.

Save money: book smart

The popular belief is that the appointment vis-à-vis leads to arrangements for better rates. Think again: it is always cheaper to book through the Internet rather than by phone or on site.

When making your reservation, inquire yourself about all the hidden charges.

Despite increasingly important progress in online reservation systems, always print your booking confirmation.

Check for Major events

Always check the possible holding of a major event in the city where your hotel is located. Prices may vary from cheap to expensive! Some cases are typical, like the CES (“Consumer Electronics Show”) in Las Vegas in January. During this key event dedicated to new technologies, prices soar in hotels in the area. Unless you come for CES, choose another departure date! The concept is the same for the Oktoberfest in Munich, the carnival of Venice and all the major events that cater for millions of tourists.

Cancellation policy

You are never safe from a last minute difficulty. Always be aware of the cancellation policy before booking. In case of emergency or last minute withdrawal, you will gently cancel your reservation, at the same time avoiding exorbitant fees. Some Internet sites like Hotels.com allow cancellations free of charge.

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