How to choose and book accommodation on your own (Complete guide)
Accommodation, along with airfare, makes up the largest part of a traveler's budget.. The wrong choice can ruin your entire vacation – whether it's the noise from the bar below your windows, the malfunctioning air conditioning in the tropical heat, or unexpected hidden fees that you only discover on arrival..
That's why I wrote mine practical tips, how I proceed when choosing and booking accommodation anywhere in the world. Without any sponsored recommendations or hooks.
1. When to book accommodation: Basic planning rule
The basic rule of independent travel is: Don't buy or pay anything until you have checked the full prices on site..
It often happens that you discover promotional flight tickets for a few hundred to an attractive destination.. But before you click "Buy", open the booking portals and check the accommodation prices for the given dates.. It may turn out that there is a trade fair, a holiday or a seasonal peak in a given location and even the most ordinary room costs a fortune (for example, accommodation in New York in December).. Super cheap flights can become significantly more expensive in total..
2. How to choose the right location and area
When choosing a location, don't just look at the lowest price per night. Cheap accommodation on the outskirts of the city may end up costing you more than a hotel in the city center.
Center vs. Edge and availability of transport
Commuting time and money: Living on the outskirts means daily loss of time in public transport or taxis and additional costs for tickets or fuel.
Safety and amenities: Before booking, check the neighborhood on Google Maps or search online for safety discussions (whether it is a neighborhood with increased crime).
Proximity to key points: Mark the places you want to visit on the map and look for accommodation near public transport hubs or within walking distance..
Splitting accommodation into multiple locations
If you are planning a longer stay or a trip across the island or country, do not lock in one accommodation for the entire duration.. It is more efficient to move 2 to 3 times than to spend hours a day returning to the same hotel..
My practical experience:
- Madeira: We used 3 different accommodations in different parts of the island over 11 days. Not only did we try out different types of housing, but we saved a lot of time that we would have otherwise spent traveling all over the island.
- Costa Rica: 5 accommodations in 3 weeks. Costa Rica is huge and even the crossings during the move took us more than half a day (it was about 300 km). Therefore, the best solution was to use accommodations in several places.
- Guadeloupe: Here, during 15 days, I chose two accommodations, each in a different part of the island. The first in a location "under the volcano", which is suitable for nature tracks, the second in a quieter part of the island near the beaches.
- New York: During my 10-day Christmas stay, the prices in Manhattan were extreme. I split the stay in half – the first part in New Jersey (8 minutes by bus from the center) and the second part directly in Manhattan. Instead of a budget of 45,000 CZK, I ended up with 24,000 CZK.
3. Where to look for accommodation: Comparison of the main platforms
Each booking platform is suitable for a different type of trip, destination and length of stay.
- Focus: Hotels, apartments, guesthouses, hostels.
- Main advantages: Genius Program (discounts 10–15 %, free breakfast), flexible free cancellation.
- What to watch out for: Shared rooms may not suit everyone.
- Focus: Private Apartments, houses, unique properties.
- Main advantages: Authentic living with kitchen, discounts for weekly/monthly stays.
- What to watch out for: Platform service fees and high fixed cleaning fees.
- Focus: Asia and exotics
- Main advantages: Often significantly lower prices in Asia than Booking.com.
- What to watch out for: The base prices shown in the first step often do not include taxes and fees.
- Focus: Hostels and backpacker rooms.
- Main advantages: Ideal for solo travelers and community atmosphere.
- What to watch out for: Always compare the price on PC and in the mobile application (it is usually 10 % cheaper on mobile).
- Focus: Comparator across the market.
- Main advantages: It will show a comparison of hotel prices on various portals.
- What to watch out for: After clicking, you will be redirected to the selected portal - check the final conditions.
Direct booking at the hotel (Google Maps / WhatsApp)
When looking for accommodation, it often pays off to cut out the middleman. Find the name of the selected hotel on Google Maps or Booking, search for its official website or contact on WhatsApp and write to them directly. The hotel does not pay a 15–20% commission to the booking portal, so it will often offer you a lower price, a better room, or free breakfast.
4. How to read reviews and uncover the real situation
Photos of hosts are usually taken by professionals with wide-angle lenses. Only text reviews from guests will reveal the real situation..
Sort reviews by newest: The accommodation may have had great service a year ago, but after the change of ownership or the start of construction next door in the street, the situation has changed. Watch reviews from the last 2-3 months.
Filter keywords: Use the search box in reviews and enter words like noise, cleanliness, bed or air conditioning (ac).
Read between the lines in the host descriptions:
„"A busy and lively neighborhood"“ – Noise from the bar under the windows until 4 in the morning.
„"Cozy and compact room"“ – Extremely small room with no space for suitcases.
„"Historic charm and authentic setting"“ – Creaking floors, poorly sealed windows and a broken elevator.
5. Hidden fees and scam warnings
When completing the reservation, keep an eye on the final amount..
What to look out for in your budget
Cleaning Fee: It is fixed.. For a short stay of 1-2 nights, the price per night can even double..
City Tax / Resort Fee: In many destinations (e.g. Italy, France, New York) a local tax per person per night is payable in cash at the reception upon arrival..
Refundable security deposit: Some properties block a deposit (e.g. EUR 200-500) on your credit card in case of damages. Check the return conditions in advance..
🚨 SCAM ALERT: Never pay outside the official app!
If after making a reservation on Booking or Airbnb you receive a message (on WhatsApp, email or in a private message in the app) that „"payment failed"“ and you have to send money to another account or via an external link, never respond to that. This is a common phishing scam that exploits hacked accounts of accommodation providers.. All transactions are carried out exclusively within the reservation system..
6. Quick checklist before clicking „Book“
Before sending a payment, go through this quick checklist:
Rating: Is the overall score higher than 8.0 (Booking) / 4.7 (Airbnb)?
Number of reviews: Does the accommodation have more than 30 real reviews?
Freshness: Have I checked reviews from the last 2-3 months?
Localities: Have I verified my exact location and surroundings via Google Maps and Street View?
Cancellation: Have I noted the date of any free cancellation in my calendar?
Hidden fees: Does the final price include cleaning and local city tax?
Payment: Is the 100% transaction taking place inside the official app?
For more tips on planning a trip or vacation, check out my Travel tips a follow me on Instagram @flori_prg and YouTube channel @flori_prg, where I share videos and stories in real time. You can find more of my experiences, adventures and tips on how to travel without a travel guide, for example to Mauritius or Barbados, in my blog.
