When going on vacation, you can save a lot if you book a hotel on your own, without resorting to the services of travel companies. In addition, due to the fact that recently there have been more cases of bankruptcy of companies involved in the organization of recreation, it is much more reliable to book a hotel and buy tickets on your own.
In addition, you can take your time choosing a hotel, read reviews about it, compare it with other options, and only then make a decision.
Where is the best place to book a hotel
If you decide to book a hotel on your own, then the easiest and most convenient way is to do it via the Internet. Today there are many sites for booking hotels in all countries of the world. When looking for a hotel, it is best to use several sites. Since the cost of the same placement on different resources can vary significantly.
You can also book a room on the official website of the hotel itself. But keep in mind that the price may be higher. Because hotel booking sites provide discounts.
Most Popular Booking Sites
There are a lot of resources through which you can book a hotel, but in order not to fall for the deception of scammers, it is best to use the services of trusted companies. The most famous booking websites are Booking.com and HotelsCombined.com.
HotelsCombined.com is the place to start your hotel search. Booking a hotel directly on this resource will not work, since its job is to find offers for a given hotel and compare prices for it on all booking resources. In addition, here you can see all the promotions that are currently available on a particular hotel booking site. With luck, the hotel can cost 50 or even 80 percent less.
Booking.com is the most famous hotel booking website. It is used by people living in Russia and abroad. Since this is the largest site, you can almost always find decent discounts here. The main advantage of this resource is that many hotels can be booked without prepayment or with a deposit of 10% of the cost of the stay. Also, if you change your mind, most hotels will not charge you a cancellation fee.
Self-booking hotels
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Open the booking site and enter in the search box the country, city or resort where you want to go. After the system gives the results, we study the proposed options.
- To make it easierchoice, the results found can be sorted by price, star rating, visitor reviews. In addition, the system allows you to immediately set the necessary conditions in the search, as well as select a hotel by location on the map.
- Having decided on the choice of hotel, click "Book". A window will open showing prices for that hotel and booking options. Having chosen the appropriate option, you go to the site that deals directly with the reservation. Let's assume it's Booking.com.
- After you decide on the reservation system, the hotel page will open, where you will need to select the type of room and the food system. As a rule, all hotels offer breakfast, which can be either already included in the price, or you can add it when booking.
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After pressing the "Book" button, the system will ask you to enter your contact information and bank card number. Hotels need this information only to guarantee the reservation, they do not charge any payment in advance. True, when creating a reservation, you need to read the cancellation policy, some hotels do this for free, but there are also hotels that indicate the time frame for a possible cancellation without pen alty. If you cancel the reservation later, the hotel deducts a pen alty amount from the card, usually it is equal to the daily room rate. Most hotels take payment only at check-out.
- Contact information and your first and last name must be indicated in English letters. You can also specify some wishes, for example, what you needparking space for a car, or ask for an extra bed.
- After you enter the card number and click "Book", you will receive an email confirming the reservation. It is advisable to print it out and take it with you, it may come in handy not only in the hotel, but on the road. For example, where you are going may be asked in the border zone.
What you need to pay attention to if you decide to book a hotel yourself
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First of all, when choosing a hotel, you should pay attention to its star rating, and this should be done adjusted for the country of the intended holiday. So, if three stars in Europe is quite a decent hotel, then, for example, in Turkey or Egypt it is better to consider a hotel of a higher category.
- Remoteness from the airport, city center and seashore. Agree that after the plane you don’t really want to shake on the bus for another two or even three hours. It is also not very convenient to adjust your trips to the sea to the bus schedule or spend money daily on a taxi.
- The food system in the hotel. It is very important how the hotel organizes meals, whether the room rate includes only breakfast, or lunch and dinner are also included.
- Additional free services such as swimming pool, gym, children's room.
- If you are traveling by car, the first thing you should pay attention to is whether the hotel provides parking or not, if yes,how much does it cost.
- Reviews about the hotel. This is the most important point, which should be almost decisive when choosing a hotel. Moreover, you should not focus on one or two reviews, you need to look through as many reviews as possible in order to independently form an opinion about the hotel before booking a hotel.
Choose and book a hotel on the coast of Turkey
The Turkish coast is one of the most visited and favorite places of Russians. This is due to the relative cheapness, excellent service, delicious food, sunny weather and the proximity of the country. If you are traveling for a week, then, of course, it will be easier to buy a ready-made tour from the operator, but if you are going to spend at least a month in this fabulous country, then it would be wiser to refuse the services of third parties and reserve the room yourself.
If you plan to book a hotel in Turkey on your own, first of all, decide on the region of the country, not only the price of the hotel, but also the quality of the beaches, the surrounding nature, the presence of historical places, and the composition of tourists will depend on this. So, Belek is famous for its sandy beaches and high prices; in Kemer you will find a wonderful microclimate, but you will have to sunbathe on the rocks; in Side you will find dilapidated historical monuments, but you will be surrounded mainly by tourists from Germany; in Alanya you will feel almost at home, as it is a favorite resort of our compatriots.
Having decided on the place, enter the category of the hotel into the search form,number of people and planned days of rest. If you are traveling with children, please indicate their age. Turkish hotels do not charge for children under 2 years of age.
When the list of hotels opens, pay attention to the food system, distance from the sea and reviews. After reading the reviews on the booking site, see what people write about the hotel on other sites, such as Tophotels.ru. After booking, you can leave in the comments that you need a transfer, and the hotel staff will be happy to meet you at the airport.
Book hotels in the Turkish capital
Istanbul is a very beautiful, ancient city, reminiscent of an oriental fairy tale. However, not everyone visits the capital of Turkey in order to admire the beauty, someone is attracted by huge bazaars, someone comes on business. Before booking a hotel on your own, you need to decide on the purpose of the trip, as well as on the budget. If your trip is exclusively touristic, and your budget allows, then it is best to consider hotels in the center of the old city of Sultanahmet.
Of course, living in a historical place will cost much more, but the best hotels in Istanbul are located there. It is better to book a hotel on your own in advance, as hotels in the historical part of the city are in demand. When booking a room in the center of Istanbul, pay attention to its area, as this part of the city is characterized by hotels with tiny rooms.
How to book a hotel in Spain
When planning a trip to Spain, decide in advancein which city and place you will book a hotel. In Spain, choosing and booking a hotel on your own is quite simple, since all hotels in the country, even those with only two stars, are very good. In addition, to save on restaurants, you can opt for an apartment hotel, where the rooms look like a small apartment, having not only a bedroom, but also a full kitchen for cooking.
The most budget hotels can be found in the areas of Costa Brava, Costa Dorada, Costa Blanca. The most expensive holiday options are offered by the resorts of the Costa de Almeria, Costa de Sol, as well as the islands of Ibiza and Mallorca.
Tips for self-booking hotels
Summing up, you need to dwell on some of the nuances that it is advisable to foresee in advance if you are going to book a hotel on your own. Tips to follow to avoid problems are listed below:
- In order not to have to pay extra days, specify the time of arrival and departure when booking.
- Find out in advance the opening hours of the reception, so that when you arrive at night or early in the morning, you will not be in front of closed doors.
- Please read the cancellation policy before making your booking so you don't lose money if you change plans.
Now you know how to book a hotel yourself so you can travel and save money on travel agencies.
