Planning your travel accommodation is necessary for all travelers to ensure that they have a comfortable place to stay during their overseas trip, whether they are roughing it out in the wilderness or experiencing the modern conveniences of a city. However, travelers typically do not place accommodation booking at the top of their priority list when making travel plans, instead deciding to spend more time on securing air tickets and setting their itineraries.

In any destination, you are often faced with a large selection of accommodation choices, with many variations in each category. It is thus imperative that you invest some effort into researching appropriate accommodation that will suit your needs, otherwise you may encounter an unpleasant accommodation experience which you do not expect.

A restful and pleasant hotel stay is often desirable for many, but often comes with a hefty price tag. Therefore, it is essential that you reserve an ideal hotel at an appropriate timing. This way, you would likely be able to book a suitable accommodation and enjoy great savings at the same time.

Now, I shall advise you regarding when to book your travel accommodation and what kinds you can consider.

Making advanced reservations of your hotels is a surefire way of snagging a comfortable room at the ideal accommodation in your destination without having to fret about the possible scarcity of rooms if you decide to book nearer your travel date.

Advanced booking is thus especially prudent during a popular travel season that may see increased competition for rooms among many of the visitors in your destination. These travel seasons include widely celebrated festivals such as Christmas or other major local festivals, as well as large-scale international events such as the World Expo. There may even be early bird deals that can save you more money if you book well in advance.

Conversely, it may at times be inevitable to book our accommodation at the eleventh hour, owing to many of us having packed and unpredictable schedules which results in increased last minute travel. Online travel agents and hotels are thus catering to this particular segment of travelers by offering great deals on unsold rooms that might even match the attractiveness of early bird specials.

Last minute hotel booking is recommended only if there is close to zero probability that the hotels might be booked over capacity by the time your travel date arrives. This might happen during the off season that typically sees hotels publicizing such appealing last minute deals in order to get travelers to occupy their unsold rooms.

I shall now introduce three different kinds of accommodation that may suit your needs.

Hostels

If you do not mind sharing a room and amenities with several other travelers, hostel accommodation might be for you. In demand from students and backpackers, hostels are one of the cheapest accommodation types available and present many social opportunities for guest interaction. Sometimes, you may even find private rooms in some hostels.

Motels

Motels are a form of budget accommodation catered specifically for travelers on the road, as they are usually within easy access of a major highway. Motel rooms generally open to a parking lot which affords easy access to guests’ vehicles. Many rooms also have their own kitchen and machines for making coffee and tea.

Hotels

Ranging from modest budget hotels to decadent luxury hotels, hotel accommodation is varied but nonetheless consists of serviced accommodation with a selection of amenities and services that cater to different guests’ needs. These include dining outlets, spas and business centres, and services such as concierge and room services. The available offerings vary with the star rating of the hotel.