Choosing where to stay can make or break a trip. Flights are important, but your accommodation affects your budget, comfort, schedule, and overall experience every single day.
After years of travel, I have stayed in almost every type of place: all-inclusive Caribbean resorts, Airbnbs across Spain, hostels around the world, and plenty of hotels in between. Some stays were amazing, and some were “check out immediately” situations. Over time, I have built a simple way to choose the best travel accommodation for each trip.
Trip Types and Why They Matter for Accommodation
The type of trip you plan should decide the type of accommodation you book. Every travel style has pros and cons.
Most of my trips now are what I call relaxed touring. We stay a bit longer in each place, visit major sights, and leave time for neighborhoods and local spots. For trips within Spain, we usually travel for 4-5 days and visit 1-3 cities or areas. I like this style because it feels less rushed and gives you a better sense of the destination. The downside: sometimes you overbook time in one place, so flexibility helps.
In the past I did higher-paced trips. Only spending a single day at most in a city. Personally, I think this way is stressful and overrated. Though this type is super popular among a lot of backpackers, since they get to tick of more places they’ve visited. This can be good if you are really in a time crunch on a long distance trip. It’s easy to see a lot more cities in exchange for seeing more in the city. This is also a good route for those that enjoy tour groups like Contikis. Contikis and similar generally do only 1-1.5 days in a city then move on. You’ll spend a lot of time travelling if you travel like this.
Before I left Canada, I loved my winter vacations. Coming from the cold, dark, wintery weather; a beach vacation was what I needed. Do I like these as much now that I live in Spain? in all honesty, not really. But there is still something great about getting to have 7-10 days just to relax. I’ve always chosen places to go which have things near the resort to do. Whether it be nice towns close by, or beautiful natural areas, or historic sites. I find it best when I can have a balance between beach days and busy days. Otherwise I find they can get a bit boring when you spend the whole time sitting on the beach drinking.
Hotel vs Hostel vs Airbnb vs Resort: Pros and Cons
There is a time and a place for everything, including accomdation types. Over the years I’ve stayed in nearly every type of accomodation. Do I have a preference? I would say, for the most part: yes, I do. This has changed in recent years however, mostly as my needs have changed.
Airbnbs: I use Airbnbs for specific situations:
- When we travel with Poppy and need more flexibility for pets.
- For longer stays or expensive destinations where a kitchen saves money.
- For group trips where sharing one apartment reduces costs.
- During move transitions or apartment hunting in a new city.
Outside of those cases, I usually avoid Airbnbs. Prices are often similar to hotels, but quality is less consistent. I also find missing basics (like linens, towels, or included Wi-Fi) more common than expected. There is also the ethical concern of short-term rentals affecting local housing markets.
Hostels: Five years ago, hostels were my favorite. They are social, budget friendly, and often have unique atmospheres. I met amazing people and had great experiences in many of them. Today, I prefer more privacy, but I still recommend hostels for solo travelers and backpackers. The key is research: reviews, location, and safety standards make a huge difference.
Hotels: Hotels are currently my favorite travel accommodation. I like the comfort, cleanliness, and predictable service. For couples, hotel pricing can be surprisingly reasonable. In Europe, I often find that a 3-star hotel costs about the same as two hostel dorm beds. Some hotels are pet friendly too, which helps when we travel with Poppy (usually with an extra fee).
Resorts: If I am being honest, resorts are my indulgence, especially all-inclusive options on beach vacations. They are expensive, not available in every destination, and usually not pet friendly (sorry Poppy no all-inclusives for you). But for pure relaxation, they are hard to beat.
Best Travel Booking Websites I Use
I book most stays through Booking.com. For me, it has the best global selection and the easiest filters (price, location, amenities, property type, and more). I even used it for most hotel bookings in China as there are many options there as well; however, you can also opt for trip.com or ,if you can read chinese, ctrip (available as an app or miniapp for wechat/alipay).
You can sometimes find cheaper rates on direct or niche platforms, but I value the convenience of managing bookings in one place. For hostels specifically, I still recommend Hostelworld because the reviews are detailed and usually reflect the traveler type.
My Simple Travel Accommodation Checklist
Before I book, I ask:
- What is my trip style: relaxed, fast-paced, or beach vacation?
- Do I need pet-friendly accommodation for Poppy?
- Is location more important than room quality for this trip?
- Will a kitchen help reduce food costs?
- Am I paying hotel prices for lower Airbnb reliability?
- Are recent reviews mentioning cleanliness, safety, and noise?