How to Find Your Ideal Hotel/Hostel

Before you book your hotel or hostel think about, and prioritize, what the most important aspect is to you. Is it the location, the atmosphere, the proximity to the beach, the size, or maybe the price that tops the list? Maybe you consider the socializing opportunities, the customer reviews or the bathroom facilities as the most essential thing. Whichever characteristic you decide on, HostelBookers.com can simplify your search.

HOTEL OR HOSTEL?

On HostelBookers.com you can search by property type – we have hostels, hotels, guesthouses and apartments – just use the ‘sort by’ drop down menu above the list of properties after you’ve typed in your dates and location. If you’re travelling solo or in a big group hostel dorms usually work out cheaper. Hostels are also a great option for solo travelers because they’re so sociable. The best ones will always have a communal area – either a kitchen living room or both – where you can hang out and meet fellow travelers. There are some great unusual hotels available. We’ve got ex-jails, river hotels, underground caves and hotels up in the trees, or you could even sleep in a treehouse or on a stationary aeroplane.

Depending on your group size it’s worth checking out both hostels and hotels though. For example, in Paris the cheapest hostel bed is €13.80 at Friends Hostel, and the cheapest private single ensuite hotel room is €38.82pppn at Hotel Ibis Nord Sarcelles. But if there were six of you, you could get an apartment at the City Residence – Chelles for just €14.67pppn.

GET THE BEST PRICE

By using the ‘sort by’ drop down menu you can also search by price separately for both shared rooms and for private rooms. If you’re looking to splash some cash you can search for high to low price properties, but switch it round and you’ll see the cheapest properties available. You can also change the currency you’d like to use to search in. We have 11 to choose from including €EUR, £GBP and $USD.

USE OUR CUSTOMER REVIEWS

To get the best deal for your money compare the price with the rating and then decide. For example, if you’re looking for cheap accommodation in Barcelona, Gran Central Inn comes up as the cheapest with rooms from €8.63pppn. Compare this with their rating of over 80% and you know this is a great deal. Just because you’re paying less doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice the quality of your accommodation, in fact, cheaper accommodation is often even more fun and unique – just check the reviews on the site if you don’t believe me!

Using the reviews you can also see how our properties fare on atmosphere, facilities, staff, safety, location, cleanliness and value. All these results are combined to give an overall satisfaction rating. You can search these reviews according to the type of traveller you are – family/alone/group – and the trip type – backpacking/partying/shopping – to make sure the hostel or hotel is the best one for you. ‘Rating’ is also one of the ‘sort by’ options in the drop down box making it a great way to get impartial advice on the best rated properties.

FIND THE BEST LOCATION

If it’s location that tops the list you can search using the map view option. This reveals the closest cheap hotels and hostels to your chosen location. Scroll over the number and you’ll see the name, rating and price. If you like what you see click on the name and you’ll be taken to the profile page to find out more. To save money it’s worth looking at accommodation further out of the centre. For instance, stay in a shared dorm at one our centrally located cheap New York City hotels and you’ll pay from €32.99pppn, stay a bit further north in Brooklyn and you could pay just €14.99pppn. You’ll still be within easy reach of the city via the metro.

BOOK EARLY

The best tip for making sure you get your pick of the best accommodation is to book early. The premium hostels and hotels sell first, so make sure you’re the one at the front of the queue. HostelBookers.com has hotels and hostels in more than 3,500 destinations worldwide, but if you want the best deals and properties book as soon as possible.