5 Ways to Find the Right Accomodations (For YOU)

One of our favorite accomodations to date - I found it through AirBNB.

Accommodations are something that I never took much notice of until recently. I was always of the mindset that it was just somewhere to sleep and shower and I wouldn't be spending that much time in my room anyway.

The more I travel, the more my opinion on this has changed. I take extra time now to ensure I have booked a place that will be both convenient as well as charming...at least when possible.

So, here are the steps I take to book my best accommodations.

1. Timing. I think I've discussed more than once how I like to be ultra prepared and plan my trips well in advance. The same holds true for hotels. This is what I am in the market for: a nice place to stay (preferably B&B), probably with free parking, well located and personalized in a mid range price category. Those are not a dime a dozen! Even though I generally book my hotels 6 - 8 months or so in advance, there have always been times where I've just missed the boat on the exact place I would have preferred to stay. So, try to book your hotels as soon as you have your itinerary nailed down - just read the fine print and be cautious with the cancellation policy when you are doing it so far in advance.

Affectionately dubbed, the Rat King Motel, this was actually listed as a "charming cabin nestled in the rainforest". I mean, technically I guess. This is an example of a situation where the exact accommodation I wanted was sold out so we had to make do with the next best option. It was fine for one night, but especially if you are spending any length of time in one area, really make sure it is exactly what you want. This is why I stress booking as soon as you are able to avoid situations like this...although it is funny to look back on :).

2. Location, location, location. This one is pretty obvious. Know where you're going to go! After you've mapped out your route, look for cities/towns that are natural stopovers. I will usually do some google research to find towns that are a little outside of the main city, but more intimate and authentic. Bonus: these areas will usually have plenty of free parking. Once I've made a rough outline of the towns I want to stopover in, I map it all on google maps to figure out the driving distance point to point, and also so I have an idea of other areas that might work if the place I choose doesn't have ideal lodging options. This is also when you want to reach out to local experts for their opinion. Once I have the rough outline of my itinerary mapped, I will usually post it to a location forum in Tripadvisor and ask the local experts if they can recommend better places to stay near the cities I've outlined.

Especially if you have a car, a "central" location is not always best. This was in Norway, about 15 minutes outside the nearest city of Flam. Because we weren't directly in Flam, we had an unobstructed view of the fjord, without power and rail lines in our way. Obviously if you are going somewhere to BE in the city (think London, Paris, Copenhagen), then this doesn't necessarily apply. 

3. TripAdvisor for the win. TripAdvisor is so great. It is honestly probably my best utilized online tool in trip planning. When I have decided on the towns I want to sleep in, I will plug them into TripAdvisor, and select B&Bs and Inns and also Specialty Lodging then start my search with the top rated places in each category. The reviews are often thorough and I think it's pretty easy to sift out the outliers ("There was DUST on the windowsill, 1 STAR!").

4. AirBNB...sometimes. We use AirBNB a LOT. So, why did I say "sometimes"? Ok - If I think back on all the places we've stayed, I would say that for actual hotels I've been happy with most of my choices, but kind of neutral and not necessarily super memorable. For B&B's I think I have always been impressed. If I was giving a performance review to B&B's, I would select "Exceeds Expectations". For AirBNB it has been hit or miss - some of the best and also worst places we've stayed have been AirBNB. My choice is always to book a standard B&B (some of which advertise through AirBNB) and then if there isn't anything available, I will book through AirBNB, but I am very careful and far more critical and selective about what I choose. Hotels are almost always a last resort.

Our view from our AirBNB in Norway - this was an amazing place to stay and maybe our favorite accomodation to date.

So here are some tips/considerations for AirBNB

1. If you are traveling with others, check the key situation. If there is only one key and you want to have independence from your traveling partners, this can be problematic.
2. What is the check in/check out procedure? Many AirBNB's are now going with a coded lockbox which in my opinion is the BEST option. If they want to meet you to check in, or there is only a specific time window that works, just know that this might cut into your travel flexibility. There have been several times for us where we have had to slightly reroute, or hurry to make it in time to meet with our hosts.
3. If you find a commercial B&B through AirBNB, take a moment to google it and see if they have their own website. There may be more options or better pricing if you book directly through them.
4. Consider your luggage situation. If you book a hotel or commercial B&B, you are usually able to drop your luggage off early and then come back in time for check in. Check with your host, but this is rarely the case with an AirBNB. Keep this in mind if you are arriving on an early AM flight. 

5. Always choose the refundable option. Or be willing to lose some money.

Our cabin in Torres del Paine, right beside a waterfall and with a wood burning stove for heat.

Because you are booking so early - things can change, and you want to be able to have the freedom to adjust as needed. I normally book my hotels 6 - 8 months out, and then 1 - 3 months before our trip I go back and check reviews, double check our itinerary and make sure that nothing has changed to make me reconsider my options. Being able to cancel penalty free just gives you more peace of mind.

AirBNB offers 7 different cancellation options, but for the most part I've only seen 3: Flexible, Moderate and Strict. NONE of their options are penalty free because regardless if it's Flexible or Moderate, even if you cancel within the grace period, you lose the AirBNB service fee. Obviously if the host cancels, you are refunded the full amount.

The AirBNB service amount isn't that much - but it's just enough to annoy me. Like when you're online shopping and your cart total is $240.75 but you refuse to pay $4.95 shipping so just cancel the whole thing. That level of annoyance.

Outside of AirBNB the only other online third party vendor I use is Booking and most of their rates seem to be 100% refundable within a certain time period - just read the fine print and double check before you commit.

Do keep in mind that while smaller, family owned B&B's might be a little more lax in their cancellation policy (or not), your business is important to them and last minute changes will have a bigger effect than they might at a larger, commercial establishment.

One of the best views from the porch of our cabin in Geiranger, Norway.