What I Would Do Differently: My Accommodation Booking Strategy

Updated April 2026 | 5 min read

Four Years of Trip Booking Mistakes, Condensed

I have booked accommodations in over 20 countries since 2022. Some of those bookings were great. Many were fine. A few were genuinely bad, and almost all of the bad ones were my own fault for breaking rules I now follow religiously.

This is what I would change if I could rebook every trip.

I Would Stop Defaulting to Airbnb for Short Stays

In my first year of serious travel, I booked Airbnb for everything. Two nights in Amsterdam, three nights in Brussels, a weekend in Barcelona. Every single one of those would have been better as hotel stays. The Airbnb cleaning fees made them more expensive, the check-in processes were more complicated, and I did not use the kitchen once in any of them.

The turning point was Brussels in 2023. Our Airbnb was technically in “central Brussels” but actually a 20-minute walk from the Grand Place in a residential neighborhood with no restaurants within 5 minutes. A hotel in the same price range would have been steps from everything we wanted to do. That walk back at 11pm after dinner in the cold was when I decided short-stay Airbnbs were over for us.

I Would Book Hotels with Breakfast Included, Always

Early on, I would choose the cheaper room-only rate and tell myself I would “just grab something.” What actually happened: we would sleep in, wander around hungry for 30 minutes looking for a cafe, spend 15-20 EUR on coffee and pastries, and waste the first hour of the day on a meal that could have been handled in 20 minutes downstairs.

Hotel breakfast saves money (8-15 EUR per person per day), saves time (no searching, no menu decisions, no waiting), and gives you a guaranteed start to the day even if it is raining or nothing is open. In Japan, hotel breakfasts are some of the best meals of the trip. In Italy, even a basic hotel breakfast of espresso and cornetti is better than hunting for an open cafe at 7am.

I Would Spend 15 Minutes on Google Maps Before Every Booking

I used to book based on price, photos, and reviews. Now I add one more step: drop the pin on Google Maps and check what is actually within a 10-minute walk. Is there a metro station? Restaurants? A grocery store? Is the walk from the nearest transit stop through a well-lit area or an industrial zone?

In Monza for the Italian Grand Prix, our hotel looked great online but was a 25-minute drive from the circuit with no public transport connection. We spent 40 EUR on taxis each day because I did not check the map. A hotel 2km closer would have been on the shuttle bus route and cost the same.

I Would Not Book the Cheapest Option Just Because It Was Cheapest

The 10-15 USD difference between the cheapest acceptable hotel and the one with better reviews is the best money you can spend on a trip. Across a 10-night trip, that is 100-150 USD for significantly better sleep, better breakfast, and a more convenient location. That money would have been spent on a mediocre dinner anyway.

In practice, I now sort by guest rating (8.0+) first, then filter by my price ceiling. The cheapest room in the 8.0+ category is almost always a better deal than the best room in the 7.0-7.5 category.

I Would Book Refundable Rates More Often

Non-refundable rates save 10-20%. I used to always book them. Then plans changed on three separate trips and I lost deposits totaling over 400 EUR. The “savings” from non-refundable rates evaporated completely.

Now I book refundable rates unless I am 100% certain of my dates and have already booked non-refundable flights (meaning I am going regardless). The peace of mind is worth the premium, and Booking.com often runs promotions where the refundable and non-refundable rates are nearly identical.

I Would Use Hotel Loyalty Programs From Day One

I wasted two years of hotel bookings without being enrolled in any loyalty program. Marriott Bonvoy, IHG One Rewards, and Hilton Honors are all free to join and offer genuine benefits: late checkout, room upgrades, points toward free nights. Even if you do not stay with one chain exclusively, the accumulation over time adds up.

The credit card angle matters too. Chase Sapphire Preferred points transfer to Marriott and Hyatt. One trip’s worth of credit card spending can fund a free night at a World of Hyatt property. I wish I had set this up before my first international trip instead of my tenth.

I Would Read the 3-Star Reviews, Not the 5-Star Ones

Five-star reviews say “great location, lovely staff, would recommend.” They tell you nothing. Three-star reviews say “the walls are thin, the shower pressure was weak, and the breakfast stops at 9am on weekends.” Those are the details that actually affect your stay.

The trick: if the 3-star complaints are about things you do not care about (no gym, small TV, no bathrobe), book it. If they are about things that matter (noise, cleanliness, wifi, location misrepresented), skip it.

The One Rule I Got Right From the Start

Always book accommodation within walking distance of the main thing you are doing. For F1 races, near the circuit or on the shuttle bus route. For city trips, near the old town or main train station. For beach trips, actually on or adjacent to the beach.

Every time I tried to save money by staying farther away, the taxi costs, time wasted, and inconvenience wiped out the savings. Location is the one thing you cannot fix after booking.

Plan Your Trip

Search hotels on Hotellook to compare across all major booking platforms. Book flights via Aviasales. I never travel without Airalo eSIM for data, and I always have packing cubes to keep luggage organized across multiple hotel check-ins.

Keep Reading

For more booking strategies, see my hostels vs hotels vs apartments comparison and best boutique hotels under $150. If you want to earn free nights through credit card points, the points strategy guide walks through the whole system. For travel insurance that covers hotel cancellations, see the travel insurance comparison.

Plan your own trip: guides I actually use

Cards, lounges & insurance:

• Best Airport Lounges I Have Actually Used — From Changi to Istanbul
• Is Priority Pass Worth It in 2026 — My Honest Review After 15 Airports
• Best Travel Credit Cards for 2026: The Cards I Actually Use and Why
• Best Travel Insurance for 2026: What I Actually Recommend After 15 International Trips
• The Credit Card Points Strategy That Funded $15,000 of Travel

Finding cheap flights:

• Going vs Dollar Flight Club vs Thrifty Traveler: Which Flight Deal Service Is Worth It in 2026?
• When to Book Flights by Region — The Booking Windows That Actually Save Money
• How to Find Error Fares and Flight Deals — The Services I Actually Use
• Google Flights vs Skyscanner vs Momondo — Which Actually Finds the Cheapest Flights

Staying connected abroad:

• Best VPN for Travel 2026 — NordVPN vs Surfshark and Why You Need One
• Best eSIM for Travel 2026 — Holafly vs Airalo vs Nomad

Travel gear I actually use:

• Best Portable Chargers for Travel in 2026: Which Size You Actually Need
• My Exact Travel Tech Setup After 15 International Trips
• Best Noise-Canceling Headphones for Travel in 2026: Tested on 40+ Flights
• Best Travel Backpacks for 2026: The 5 I Have Actually Used
• Phone Photography Tips for Travel: How to Take Great Photos With Just Your iPhone