Lodging & Hotels

No matter where you’re traveling around the world, one essential part of your trip will be booking a hotel. Whether you’re hoping to stay in a luxury resort or would rather find more affordable lodging, a comfortable place can make or break a vacation. And with a range of accommodations to suit all types of travelers, you’ll have plenty of overnight options to fit your needs.

Lodging by Featured Country

While exploring different countries can be exciting, having a home base is essential for unwinding between adventures. Regardless of where you are, choosing the right place to stay can be the difference between a good trip and a great one. From traditional hotels to unique accommodations, it’s important that you find the ideal place for the duration of your vacation.

Top Hotels around the World

For those looking to enjoy their trip to the fullest, staying the night in one of the country’s top hotels is an excellent way to get the most out of your holiday. Boasting different amenities, features, and designs, visitors can have an incredible experience at any one of these locations. With excellent reviews and often situated in prime areas, you won’t have to go too far from your room to see what the world has to offer.

Hotels, Lodging, and Accommodations

Traveling is a perfect activity in and of itself. As long as you have a safe and comfortable place to spend the night, you have everything you need. With that said, there’s nothing like a five-star resort rich in amenities, tucked right into a temporary paradise. These are among the best hotels and overnight accommodations in the world.

Plan properly and you can have the luxury dream vacation you desire. If you have the means don’t fall into the trap of “my hotel doesn’t matter because I’m so cool and outside all the time.” Book something blow-your-mind sweet and create some stellar memories for the rest of your life. How many great hotels do you remember versus bad ones?

Thanks to the internet, world travel has never been easier. The amount of information available for vacation planning is at an all-time max. While it’s still admirable to go simply with the flow and leave the itinerary to the wind, there are clear advantages to using certain resources. Make the most of your time and money with proper preparation.

Even the most prestigious properties in the world offer special deals from time to time. There are so many opportunities to experience five-star luxury hotels abroad at a rate that’s incredibly cheaper than in your home country.

Where to find the best collection of accommodations?

There are a seemingly infinite amount of resources for booking a place to spend the night. Not only are there countless comparison sights, but there is also a range of accommodations styles: from traditional hotel rooms and suites to vacation homes and bedroom rentals. On top of that, you can choose from a huge variety in quality, or get weird and stay in a yurt.

What are the cheapest hotels sites to book a room?

For finding a place to stay you’ll have a lot of easy options if you have a wifi connection. It’s usually easy to find a hotel room, however, good luxury rooms at affordable prices go quickly. Is it better to book with a hotel or comparison site, perhaps a vacation rental…we cover some of your luxury hotel options below.

Booking Direct with Hotel – Oftentimes, you’ll find a comparably low price on the hotel comparison sites like Booking.com. Sometimes even booking directly through the hotel’s website garners you special promotions and deals like free dinner or massage. Plus, if the hotel belongs to a loyal program you can redeem your current membership or sign up and save. These are often part of larger hotel chain collections.

Airbnb/VRBO – Most Western travelers know and use AirBNB or search VRBO to find the perfect property for you. It’s often preferred for the incredible bang for your buck. You surely get a much larger accommodation, the ability to cook, and a true locals’ feel because you are literally staying in someone’s home.

Some homeowners treat their units as rentals and minimally furnish them similar to a hotel room, while others make you feel as though you are truly staying in someone’s home, with his or her possessions around. If you’re not one for clutter, look at the photos carefully.

It’s always a great resource to check the above sites, as they are used commonly in countries throughout the world. The downside is you won’t have a hot, hearty breakfast waiting for you in the lobby unless you have an awesome travel companion.

Hotel Comparison Sites – These are the perfect place to start your search in a new town. It will give you some rates to compare to home rental websites like Airbnb or VRBO. Most of the major hotel search engines have comparable rates, so often time it comes down to preference.

Hotels.com has a solid rewards program, granting you a free stay somewhere for every 10 nights stayed elsewhere. You can filter the results by distance to the town center, cost, or best rated.

Our favorite tools are:

• Hotels.com (cool rewards program and coverage of American hotels)
• Booking.com (the best worldwide coverage)
• Agoda (great prices internationally, especially in Asia)

Craigslist – This is a good one for the U.S. While locals in an exotic country won’t typically use Craigslist.org or have ever heard of it, some of the foreigners traveling there do, so it’s always a worthwhile check if you’re looking for longer-term accommodations, or anything else.

This is a solid place to go for multi-month or longer leases. Locals who are in the business of renting to tourists will use Craigslist if it’s popular.

Facebook – Another valuable resource for longer leases is Facebook. Just search for a local expat group to join and start asking questions. There are always leases and subleases opening up and like-minded folks helping each other out. Communities exist too for finding companies to explore with.

Glamping – Mix it up and stay the night in something oddly awesome. Glamorous camping combines the realness of the outdoors with the comforts of home. Some of the biggest glamping resources include

• Glamping.com
• Glamping Hub

Discover some of the most unusual homes, from nearly primitive to five-star. Yurts, teepees, and rustic cabins are the norms.

Couchsurfing – By far the cheapest option around, Couchsurfing is nearly exactly what it sounds. It means you’re up for sleeping on someone’s couch, pull-out bed, inflatable queen, or whatever.

While hostels are probably the most social experience and best interaction with like-minded tourists, Couchsurfing grants you a local’s experience like no other. Meet travelers from all over the world and locals alike. Verification is needed, and once you are cleared, you can use the program as a host or traveler.

Latest in Hotels

View more hotel articles

Livin’ La Vida Nomad