{"id":71,"date":"2013-11-07T02:14:31","date_gmt":"2013-11-07T02:14:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/saviowong.com\/travel\/?page_id=71"},"modified":"2024-02-12T04:58:48","modified_gmt":"2024-02-12T04:58:48","slug":"accommodation-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/saviowong.com\/travel\/accommodation-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Stay"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Hay-on_Wye\"<\/a>

The Old Black Lion Inn in Hay-on-Wye, Wales. In addition to the quaint rooms, it offers hearty and tasty meals in its pub.<\/p><\/div>\n

Accommodation is a big ticket item.\u00a0 However, if you look hard enough, you may be able to save some money.\u00a0 In addition to hotels, you should also consider other options such as B&Bs, apartments, university residences, or hostels.<\/p>\n

Hotels<\/span>: For Hotels, start with Kayak<\/a> to get an idea of the price range at your destination.<\/p>\n

There are a number of parameters on the left panel that you can use to refine your search results.\u00a0 Any hotel from 3 stars and up should be more than adequate.\u00a0 Also, take advantage of the map view option in Kayak. \u00a0Like real estate, location is important.\u00a0 Saving $20 a day but spending most of it on transportation makes no sense. \u00a0If you have access to a car, staying<\/p>\n

\"My<\/a>

My lovely room at the Casa del Capitel Nazari in Granada, Spain. \u00a0It is a restored 16-century Renaissance palace.<\/p><\/div>\n

further from the city centre should save you some money.<\/p>\n

After using Kayak, you should move on to check the price with other sites.\u00a0 I would recommend the usual: Booking.com<\/a>, Hotel.ca,<\/a>\u00a0EXpedia.ca <\/a>and Travelocity.ca<\/a>.\u00a0 If you have Aeroplan, check Aircanada.com<\/a> as well. \u00a0Also, it is always worthwhile to check the hotel’s website.\u00a0\u00a0In general, staying multiple days and offering to pay cash will get you a\u00a0better deal. \u00a0Finally, don’t forget to check amenities such as airport pick, WiFi, breakfast and parking.<\/p>\n

Nowadays, most people check the reviews on<\/p>\n

\"View<\/a>

View from the Hilton Hotel in St Louis, MO.<\/p><\/div>\n

Tripadvisor <\/a>before they book a hotel.\u00a0 Use your best judgment when reading these reviews.\u00a0\u00a0 You can usually separate the bogus from the legit ones.<\/p>\n

To get the best hotel deals, you may want to subscribe to websites such as Travel Zoo<\/a>, YYZdeals<\/a>, or even Groupon<\/a>. \u00a0From time to time, booking sites such as Expedia and Travelocity offer 24, 48, or 72 hours deals.\u00a0 I once took advantage of a deal from Hotwire and spent $59 a night at a 5 star Hilton Hotel in St. Louis, MO.<\/p>\n

Bidding Sites<\/span>: If you know exactly when and where you are going to need a hotel, the bidding sites\u00a0Hotwire<\/a> and Priceline<\/a> offer some great deals.\u00a0 To learn about bidding strategies and what hotel you will likely get, go to Betterbidding.com <\/a>before you make an offer.\u00a0 Keep in mind that the bid price doesn’t usually include taxes and it is non-refundable. [UPdate 09\/2015<\/em>: Using Hotwire, I had booked a hotel in Paris for 3 nights in August 2015. \u00a0I paid Can $90 a night all in including breakfast at\u00a0Mercure Paris Bercy Biblioth\u00e8que. \u00a0A simple and clean room at a decent location.]<\/p>\n

If you are staying in a city for several days, renting an apartment or a house is a good option.\u00a0 There are several websites that offer that service.\u00a0 I would recommend Vacation Rentals by Owners<\/a> (vrbo).<\/p>\n

The following are a few other possibilities<\/span>.\u00a0 I have tried a number of these sites with success.\u00a0 The price is usually much better than a hotel.<\/p>\n