Hotels are a unique land of wildly changing prices……we all have had to go to a family function somewhere, gotten the list of “deals” they have made, only to find a better price with your AAA card or online through a consolidator.
I use Hotwire alot for rooms. But you do have to be careful. When my parents were both sick and I was going to my hometown in NJ, they had a “4-star” hotel listed, so I was safe. When I purchased it, and then they tell me what hotel it is, I KNEW what it was going to be, there was ONE nice hotel in the whole city, so I was safe. When I did it in NYC, I wanted to be “downtown”, and ended up 30 feet from the ferry entrance below Wall Street, which at the time on a weekend was like a barren wasteland. Generally just be careful, but I have really had 90% great experiences and great deals.
The hotel business has been hit hard, way hard, and we all know an empty room is a disaster for them, so I like booking late. I don’t like confrontation, or to ask for a lower price, so I just wait, get on Expedia or Hotwire, and go for it. Does it really matter to me that I don’t get the Presidential Suite? To be honest, NO. I’ve stayed in them when I’m not paying and it’s NOT worth it. Location, comfort, cleanliness, all good things. And how they operate…the Kimpton Hotels are amazing, they help the planet, they have cool amenities, and are really really nice.
In big cities, I often use Craigslist. I’ve had some amazing dates (dammit, wrong web site again, my apologies, haha). There is a category for vacation rentals, and short-term rentals. Especially with Nathen, I prefer an apartment. Always less expensive, kitchen, washer dryer etc. I do just have to be careful, as I only will rent an actual “short-term” RENTAL….NOT a “sublet”. The difference is between a nicely furnished apartment, instead of staying in someone’s ACTUAL apartment with dusty pictures of their dead relatives all over the place. I’ve done it for vacations too, and I love it. Houses are great for groups, just make sure you check in carefully, the pictures are accurate and voice every concern up-front.
For the holidays this year, Nathen and I are going on to lastminute.com———its unsold packages, no more than 2 weeks out….it’s amazing….flights, hotels, RESORTS, its great….and THAT’S where we will be going, whatever they got……I like the adventure of it……..if you are the type of person who has to plan a year in advance, which I totally understand, then do that too, but do it a YEAR in advance, that gives you some time to look at maybe an alternative hotel, or a crazy sale or price drop…..I stayed in Costa Rica at the most expensive resort in the country for $90/night, it is now $850/night, just because I read about a 2 day-sale they were having…….did I mention that it’s a good thing to always be reading? Yes I have, about 50 times now…..
I remember being taken to Monte Carlo and telling my Mom that I was going to be staying at the Hotel de Paris…..she was so excited for me and told me it was one of the swankiest, most famous hotels in the world. Well if a dusty room with furniture that looked like it had been thrown out of my grandmother’s apartment is swanky, then no thanks.
Bed and Breakfasts. No thanks. Veerboten (name the film reference). It’s just not my thing, even with my fondness for ceramic cats and needlepoint.
At any rate, what I’m trying to say is to take the extra half hour to book a great hotel at a great price. It’s all available on the computer now, so it couldn’t be easier. Hotwire even lets you buy a room for one night in Vegas on the weekend, good luck doing that through the hotel, and all you have to do is spend a couple minutes finding that out. I hate to see people who really can’t afford it overspending on rooms that a)they hardly are in, or b)are only staying there because they THINK it’s cool to stay there….let me be straight up with you, the cooler place is the one that YOU found that hardly anyone else knows about…..keep that in mind, and not only will you save some cash, but you will be the coolest kid in class…….
Keep forwarding, the comments I am getting are amazing, and the ideas people have mean that they are conscious, paying attention to whats around them, reading……that’s all it takes and it’s heartening to see…..
More on travel tomorrow……WG
