Should You Stay in a Hostel, Holiday Home, or Hotel on Your Next Trip?

Planning your next trip to London

When planning your trip to London, there is always a decision to be made. Budget-friendlier or a comfortable flight? Tourist attractions of off the beaten path?

Further, your main confusion cripples in when deciding on where to stay. Should I stay at a fancy hotel? Will it be like the gorgeous photos I see online? Choosing a cheaper hostel, does it mean I will be sleeping with some bloodthirsty bed bugs? Should I even stay in a holiday home where it can be hit and miss?

In current times, travellers have better choices than before. If you are aware of these choices, it will help you schedule an optimal travelling experience!

To stay in a hotel, holiday home or hostel is a daunting question that most people ask before travelling. There are a lot of benefits and a few downsides. So, amongst the three; hotel, holiday home, or hostel, which is the best choice?

Your choice will depend on your taste. Your choice can break or build your optimal travel experience. Thus, make a wise decision! So, where should you choose to stay on your next trip?

Where Should I Stay? Hostel, Hotel or Holiday home?

The hotel is viable when you are on a work trip. For a personal/family/group trip, you might think of a hostel or holiday home. Let’s take a look at the following top 5 questions that you should consider before embarking on your trip:

1. Is it a group trip or solo one?
2. Is the trip for play or work?
3. Is optimizing comfort or saving money a priority on this trip?
4. Do I want to feel like a local or a traveller? Do I want to meet other revellers?
5. Do you need facilities like a fitness room, free breakfast, security, and other room services?

Pros of Staying at a Hotel

Hotels are the most natural way out! For simplicity, allow me to group hotels with beds and inns and breakfasts. Hotels have the exact similarity of being more of a traditional place. One of the best ways to save money obtaining a hotel room for a large number of guests is to use a personalized service like TravelStay who will help organize a large booking and keep those costs down by getting you the best deal with their bulk purchase power.

Here are the pros of staying at a hotel:

1. A secure and safe place to stay.
2. Most hotels have a fitness room and conference rooms. Further, one can get a room one can fax or print things.
3. Some hotels have free breakfast, a coffee maker, and a desk in your room.
4. Room services such a mini-fridge that get stocked with drinks one can buy.
5. Staff to make your bed and wash your towel daily.
6. Team ready to serve you in a blink of an eye.
7. Most have a form of bar, restaurant, store, or coffee shop onsite.
8. Check-in to the hotel 24-hours
9. They have a formal star system, where it easier to tell what you’re going to get for your money

I know you might want to feel at home when you are away from home. Maybe you rarely like to get pampered nor lift a finger during vacation. Hence, a hotel full of room services is mandatory! Still, on that, look at some of the expectations when you have opted for an Inn.

1. One of three staff ready to serve you.
2. A homemade breakfast. The breakfast is tea or coffee, depending on your preference.
3. Your room will be cosy, and one can mingle with other guests.

The downside of Staying in a Hotel

The hotel is the easiest way out, they can cost a lot, especially if you have a large family and several rooms are required. In a few rare cases, fellow guests can be a nuisance too! 

Depending on the size of the hotel, smaller hotels have little flexibility on the check out times during peak seasons.

Pros of Staying at a Hostel

What should be your budget accommodation when you are travelling? Most people will opt for a hostel as it is relatively cheaper than most hotels. Hostels get chosen by travellers who don’t like spending most of their time in the room. Instead, they love spending the better part of the day exploring. Hostels are a crucial way of encountering other travellers. Unlike a hotel and holiday homes, hostels are specifically designed to encourage guests to meet one another in an especially friendly, sociable and inclusive environment. However, one can opt for a private room just like a hotel, although this comes with an extra cost.

London accommodations like Hammersmith Rooms are a cross between budget hotels and upmarket hostels, with a huge number of private rooms, many with private bathrooms,  self catering kitchens and single sex bathrooms on every floor. And with prices from only £25 per night for a private room or £30 for a private room with a private bathroom in the Centre of London, they offer some of highest quality and best value accommodation in London.

Benefits of staying at a hostel on your next trip:

1. One can store their items in a safe locker
2. They are cheaper to rent.
3. Most hostels have computer terminals and very fast Wifi.
4. It is easy to meet and make new friends in the communal areas.
5. Several staffs are ready to assist when needed.
6. There is generally a TV room or chill out room or café where one can mingle with fellow travellers.
7. Most hostels have a self catering kitchen where you can prepare your meals.

The downside of staying in a hostel

Staying at a hostel comes with its downsides. If you book a ‘shared dorm room’ you may end up sharing with another traveller. However most hostels now assign all guests to private rooms, or offer the option of booking private rooms.

Bathroom access can require a bit of courtesy and respect since they are shared. Most hostels also offer rooms with ‘en-suite private bathrooms’, however this option can be expensive. Some hostels have a curfew, but most of the hostels in London don’t have a limit.

Many of the least expensive hostels have simple furnishings that comprise of couches and bunk beds in the rooms. Staying at a hostel with new people can be challenging the first time you try, but once you get to know some of your fellow travellers’ things become relaxed and fun.

Pros of staying at a Holiday home

Holiday home rentals have exploded in the capital cities and now are in all major cities around the world. With a holiday home, you can choose to either share the apartment or house, where you get allocated just a room or you can take the entire property for you, and your family and friends can stay.  

Here are the pros of staying on a holiday:

1. They can be better cost-wise for a large family or group of friends
2. The house or apartment can feel more like home
3. Some apartments have fitness rooms and other amenities.
4. The available kitchen where one can cook their preferred dishes especially if you have dietary requirements.

Some of the most popular sites for a holiday home are Airbnb, VRBO and Tripadvisor.  If you have an interest in meeting the locals, then choose a holiday home where you share the apartment with the owner. To reduce some of the hits and misses of obtaining a holiday home, Hosts & Homes have put together a number of Airbnb tips to help your pick the perfect apartment.

The downside of staying at a holiday home

Booking a holiday home is often more time-consuming. It involves sending a request to the renter and waiting for their approval. At times, the renter can cancel your application.

Further, most of these apartments tend to get located in the interior parts of the country. Their location, in most cases, is far away from the main attractions. Some of us prefer staying at a hotel district.

The method of checking in can vary unless they are a professional lettings company this can be hit and miss.

Making the Best Choice

Hostels, hotels, and holiday homes have unique features that can make them the best choice. Before you book, think about your 1 or 2 key requirements, then, choose that will suit your needs. Have you been to any of them? Even all three? If not, try one on your next trip! You might be pleasantly surprised.

LondonNet offers all options, including London hostels, London hotels and London holiday homes, and with excellent customer feedback you are sure to have a happy stay if you use our service 🙂

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