Booking the best accommodation will guarantee you an exciting and exhilarating experience. Whether traveling for something as simple as attending a friend’s wedding or as serious as a business deal; you will need to have a place to lodge if you plan on staying for a night or more. The kind of accommodation you choose will affect your overall stay and experience than anything else.
Today the hospitality industry is fast progressing to give the travelers an ideal experience in regard to their needs and expectations. As the industry continues to upgrade and maintain the traditional luxurious sophisticated hotels and resorts isolated from local homes with a promise of a home–away–from–home experience, they are now offering travelers an option of staying in the very homes of the locals. This gives the traveler a variety of endless choices of options to choose from. These choices consist of hotels, resorts, villas, apartments, condos, cabins, home stay/sharing, hostel, cottages, farm houses, bed and breakfast, yurts, tents, cruise ships and many more.
THINGS YOU NEED TO CONSIDER TO HELP YOU BOOK THE BEST ACCOMMODATION THAT SUITS YOUR TRAVEL NEEDS
With so much variety in the different kinds of accommodation for travelers, there is no single best accommodation for each and every one of us. This is because best is relative. We are all different and you should consider your travel journey as unique and tailor it accordingly.
Considering that most of the trips we undertake are different, there is no ideal accommodation for your every trip in a lifetime unless all the factors considered below remain constant. Choosing the best accommodation that best suits your needs while traveling many very much depend on your ability to evaluate the following factors.
That being said, lets analyze the factors you need to consider and the kind of accommodation that best suites someone as unique as you!
1. THE REASON FOR THE TRIP:
You need to evaluate honestly your reason for your intended trip. Some of these reasons vary from business to looking for relaxation. Lets look at the different reasons why your traveling and the kind of accommodation that best suites your intentions.
a.) Business
Most companies book accommodation for their employees while going for a business trip. When given an opportunity, consider a hotel that is situated around the city central area with a business center. This is because most business travelers have meetings and conferences to attend. This lessens your travel time and distance by holding your meetings and conferences at the lodging facility.
The business center should be fully equipped with professional meeting facilities and conference services readily available 24 hours. It can also be used to prepare for presentations at any time of your convenience which gives you enough time to get your work done and catch the much needed rest.
A place that has an on-location spacious quiet restaurant would also be ideal for meetings over meals.
Booking a hotel near the airport is the best option for business travelers especially those with fly-in meetings. Most airports are surrounded with great infrastructure and offer readily available services to cater for international travelers. In addition, hotels near the airport are convenient for catching flights when having last minute trips.
If privacy is key, book hotels that offer high end class but are usually not considered magnificent in slot of space. This is because the paparazzi flock the exclusively magnanimous luxurious hotels. They frequent these places looking for gossip on the famous occupants of these hotels. You can also consider hotels that offers automated check in. This saves time and avoids bumping into many people.
b.) Adventure/ Sporting
Are you an out going and enthusiastic person seeking adrenaline rushing, heart pumping adventure? Choose a hotel that is close or has adventure tours and extreme sporting activities. Consider the recreational facilities in line with your hobbies. A hotel that offers your preferred hobby saves you time that you would have wasted travelling to and from. You also get to enjoy the experience at any chosen time of your convenience since it is just near you.
For a person who loves the sea and all it has to offer, choose a hotel that has it’s own stretch of beach or is in close proximity. Most of these hotels will come in form of resorts.
Resorts located near waterfalls provide exciting water sports like white water rafting, geckoing, canyoning, white water kayaking and many more.
Adventure activities like bungee jumping, zip lining, sky diving, hang gliding, para gliding, archery, mountain climbing are usually located in nature parks, rainforests, mountainous areas and deep wide valleys. It becomes easier for you if you book your accommodation close to the places where these recreational activities are found. This will most probably be in locations far from the the city center.
c.) Discovery
Most discovery tours will require you to move between destinations to enjoy a wide variety of things, landscapes and attractions. Sticking to one hotel will require you to go back and forth all the while losing time. Choose different accommodations to stay located on your discovery itinerary.
African safari:
While going for an African Safari, the best accommodation you can book should be located in or near the game parks your visiting. Most of these accommodations are private lodges. They offer both luxury as well as shorter game drives. Game drives are normally in the early morning and late afternoon when the animals are at their most active.
These kind of places also give you an added advantage of wildlife photography, birdwatching at any time of your convenience. The beauty and tranquility surrounding these accomodations helps you to relax while watching the beautiful sunset.
Desert camping:
For a great desert experience, consider camping. Desert camping can be in accommodation that varies from hotels, tents, resorts to yurts located in the desert.
This offers you the varsity desert landscape with it’s adventures. Adventure activities may include hiking, dune bashing or sand boarding, riding a quad or a buggy, taking a camel ride. Spend your evening enjoying entertainment while watching the stars outside with live barbeque.
Cruise overnight:
You can take adventure to another level by boarding a cruise ship. With their classy amenities, cruise ships offer luxury and relaxation set against the constantly changing panorama. You get to have plenty of time to enjoy a whole variety of water activities. On port days, you can go snorkeling through coral reefs, hiking, visiting historical sites and shopping at local markets. You get to run around all day long doing activities and return on board later in the day. Relax your body by lying on the pool side, watch on-board Broadway shows or pamper yourself at the ship’s spa. Continue the experience by dining at a luxurious restaurant while enjoying live music. Still feeling spirited; take your time on the jogging track, dance in the cruise club or enjoy shopping at the cruise shops.
Staying with locals:
The experience of staying with locals can also be very appealing to those who are flexible and naturally social beings.
Diffuse into the culture of the region, share life and enjoy home-made exotic recipes by choosing to stay with locals. Most booking sites have included an option of choosing to book accommodation in a shared home. These were majorly first embraced by Airbnb but are now part of the main stream hospitality industry. You can do your bookings with Airbnb, homestay, Booking.com, coach surfing and many other online booking sites. Guests get to participate in local events and celebrations with invitations from their local hosts. They take part in dances, dress up in local costumes with the help of their hosts.
Choosing to share a home or stay with locals usually comes off as cheap especially for a budget traveler. They are mostly great for travelers who want to experience life in a community setting. They are also ideal for students who are on short programs in a foreign country. Nevertheless such accommodation requires you to be flexible and openminded. However good this may be, it’s not advisable for an individual on a high priority business trip. This kind of accommodation has many distractions and compromises associated to it.
d.) Relaxation and Leisure
Some people organize vacations after having had a tough and tiresome season. They need to slow down, clear their mind and unwind from the every day stresses of life. If you are this kind of person try going for places that are far from business centers and major cities. You might need to book accommodation with resorts in the country side or in private nature reserve.
Relaxing our minds sometimes just requires a change of scenery. In addition, most of these resorts are well equipped with great spas to cater for travelers seeking relaxation. These places will help you relax and go for nature walks, horse riding without the pollution in the city centers. There you will find peace and quietness far removed from the traffic, stresses and strains of everyday life.
Since exercises are powerful stress relievers you can also consider a place with well equipped health and fitness facilities. Accommodation with on-location sports centers like swimming pools, golf course, tennis court, fishing area may be what you need. This gives you the opportunity to enjoy your preferred sport without the need to travel outside the premises.
And whoever said relaxation has to be indoor? Relaxation is for both the body and mind. Meditation is not the only form of relaxing our mind. Exercising our minds is equally beneficial. Seeking to relax while visiting mind intriguing place can also prove to be a great idea. This is because sometimes stress is caused by lack of motivation. Book for accommodation in places that are in proximity to the unique attractions of the region. This will enable you visit places such as museums, archeological sites, historical landmarks, world heritage centers and art galleries. Of course, only when your interests extend into art, history, culture and the like.
2. THE PEOPLE YOUR TRAVELLING WITH:
The kind and number of people your travelling with influences your experience at any particular accommodation type you choose. Since you are seeking for best accommodation you need to take this into consideration.
a.) Family with children
Serviced apartments and villas are such a good choice for a family travelling with children.
These are appropriate for a family that wants the experience of having a kind-of-home to themselves with their own rules. However, hotels that offer joint/connected rooms are such a great option. They give you the experience and thrill of knowing you are warmly cared for in a place far from home.
To get the added benefit of travelling as a family, book accommodation in places that offer special bonuses for children. These include family oriented hotels and cruise ships. They usually offer discounted or free accommodation for children provided they do not exceed a certain age or number. Make sure to get value for families which can substantially reduce the overall cost of family holidays.
Consider places that offer special services that will appeal to youngsters or teenagers ensuring that parents may relax. Some of these properties have children’s club with supervised activities, a crèche or playground and baby sitting on request.
For a more rural extended family experience, opt for a farm house in the breathtaking eco friendly areas. Combine the comforts of a home with the luxury of a hotel surrounded with peace and quietness. This come with unlimited choice of family outdoor adventure.
Cruise ships can also be a good possibility especially those that offer children friendly amenities. These offer family-style cabins to families on board. Most cruise ships have supervised children clubs with a varsity number of educational and fun activities during transit. Children also get to enjoy age appropriate wonderful excursions when the ship is docked. Cruise ships also have very high security with cameras everywhere. For safety measures, most cruise ships have their guardrails at least 42-inches high. These are difficult for children to scale. They also have a 24 hour doctor on call.
b.) Group/Team
When travelling as a group, look for accommodation that offers well kept public places that appeal to your group members.
These places act as a common place for the team to connect. They get to enjoy doing things together rather than staying in their rooms. The group can get to share a drink, enjoy live music or karaoke. Your chosen accommodation should be able to offer spaces big enough for the team to dine together in a private setting. This builds togetherness and strengthens relationships.
Choose properties with on-location good sports facilities. If the team is into sports, book a accommodation with well equipped sports facilities. Places that have on-location spacious outdoor sports facilities are also ideal. Most of these hotels offer these spaces at no additional costs. Places with swimming pools, gaming arena, fitness area, tennis courts, bowling area, fishing areas, a golf course, horse riding. This helps the group enjoy some games and compete in sports.
c.) Individual/couple
In this case you have unlimited options to choose from. Whether you stay in a fancy hotel, a villa, resort or tent will all depend on your choice. The most important aspect to consider in this case is the reason for your travel journey. If you are seeking to have fun, you can consider hotels, villas in the vibrant neighborhoods of the city. These will give you 24-hour easy access to shopping centers, luxurious restaurants, casinos, cinemas, theaters, clubs and financial services outlets.
You can however opt for a more unique experience when traveling in areas amidst nature away from city centers. You can choose the tree house, cabin or yurt, cubes and pods, condo, huts and cottages. These are becoming more popular in the glamping community.
The best accommodation is mainly about the experience it gives to the traveler rather than the size of the facility and the furnishing though these are equally important.
So for your next anticipated trip, don’t just settle for past experiences, friend’s recommendations, company ratings; decide on getting yourself the best ideal lodging facility for someone as unique as you and for a trip as special as your intentions!
great post, very educative indeed!
for someone adventurous like me, tis is super good advise
can’t wait for the next post
extremely useful info for travelers who are used to one kind of accommodation space like us
super useful content