Staying in a hotel is undoubtedly very convenient because of all the amenities. Firstly, the hotel automatically provides guests with clean linens and towels, daily cleaning, a minibar and laundry services. High-class hotels can offer a variety of additional services.
Secondly, hotel guests always have the opportunity to enjoy breakfast or dinner in a restaurant, and those who wish to take a snack in the room can have a sandwich or salad delivered to the suite.
When you book a hotel nobody tells you about its shortcomings. For example, a new hotel with a praised central location can have some of the rooms overlooking a noisy street or a nightclub. Some rooms might have no Wi-Fi coverage, and soundproofing between rooms sometimes leaves much to be desired.
In addition, hotels often fine tourists for late cancellations of the reservation. Not every hotel allows pets and this needs to be clarified in advance.
The booking.com service is considered to be more suitable for travelers to Europe, while agoda.com gives a better coverage of travel destinations in Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore).
Another way to book accommodation is to rent an apartment online. Basically, the cost of renting an apartment is much lower than the price of the hotel room or suite (and oftentimes of a much better quality), even though, for example, the popular service airbnb.com charges about 11% commission for each successful transaction.
On booking sites you can find rooms, apartments, villas and even castles with incredible designs and authentic interiors. Unlike hotels, most apartments have washing machines and kitchen appliances, although you will not have bed linens and towels changed for you every day. Obviously, housekeeping is not as thorough and frequent as it is in a hotel.
The owners may include a safety deposit in the apartment price, but all monetary operations are executed through the website, so the visitor does not have to personally hand over the cash to the accommodation owner.
Tourists who often rent apartments advise to always contact the owner before confirming the reservation. If, however, while corresponding you feel uneasy about anything, it is at all times better to refuse the deal. In cases as this, face-to-face communication with such owners is likely to be a real challenge. On the other hand, a good landlord will always give tourists invaluable advice and information concerning the neighbourhood and location, not available in any travel guides.
When renting a room, it is necessary to clarify whether there are small children in the house, what kind of lodgers will be your neighbours. You need to find out if they are quiet and how the Wi-Fi works. If you want to be on the safe side, you can choose the "Superhost" option – it displays offers only from owners with the highest ratings.
The site does not always provide a detailed address of the apartment, so before you arrive you need to ask the contact person for details. As in case with hotels, the cancellation policy for reservations can be different – read the rules carefully.
Going to Asia, do not rely mostly on good reviews from local residents. First and foremost, look for tips from European tourists. As you can see, apartment rental gives you an opportunity to get to know the place better, while the hotel takes more care of the comfort and conveniece of tourists. Always carefully study the reviews and do not be afraid to ask questions. Then any of the options will make that long-awaited vacation pleasant and enjoyable.