Please note: My page has moved to http://www.travelaroundwithkris.com – so follow me there as there will only be reposts on this site randomly throughout the month.  New articles are being posted at the new site – with ino on Germany, Portugal and Spain added most recently.

When looking for a decent but affordable place to stay in other countries that main two sites I use are: agoda.com  and booking.com.  For Hostels I also use hostelworld.com.

They each have a good amount of info about each place and have a collection of reviews for perusal.  I personally look for reviews by Europeans and Canadians to get a good feel for what the places are like.  So far, I’ve found the places to be as good as I expected, other than where I stayed in Cambodia.

The main things I look for are safety and cleanliness.  As a frequent solo female traveler, I want to confirm that past solo female travelers felt safe and that the security features of the room and premises were good.

In terms of cleanliness, I want to know that in general, any shared spaces are clean (particularly shared bathroom facilities) and that the rooms (particularly) the sleeping areas are clean.

I also review a bunch of evaluations to get a feel for the atmosphere of the location.  Is it a party place? Is there lots of drinking?  Is smoking allowed?  Is there a lock-in time?  Do they have any social areas or events for lodgers?  Look at whichever things about the atmosphere and rules that are important to you (some people are looking for the party places,  some are not, there are places for every type of traveler).

If there are complaints about the property in the reviews, does it look like sour grapes, something trivial, or some unexpected uncontrollable event?  For example, if there are a bunch of negative reviews at one time complaining about the pool being closed or 2 bathrooms shut down or such, but there clearly was some unexpected issue with the water supply that caused it, and it was a one-time thing, I don’t hold that against a property.  But if it does seem like a lack of preparation or repairs by the property rather than just a chance instance, then I do downgrade my opinion of the property and would generally avoid staying there unless there are strong mitigating factors.

I compare the locations and amenities to pick what I think is the best combo, although I am a little flexible on some amenities (like sheets and towels) for the right location. Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn for qualifying purchases.

If bedding isn’t included (which is rare, but does happen), I bring a very small set of silk (or “silk”) sheets with me, like these.  Sometimes it is worth it for a prime location that otherwise looks good.  I sometimes bring this even if I don’t “need” it in case the sheets are scratchy, or a flat sheet isn’t normally provided with the bedding (as in much of Europe where there is a fitted sheet and then a comforter, but no top sheet).

Similarly, sometimes you need to bring a towel.  You can get towel sets on Amazon for cheap that are quick-dry and small – like this 3 piece set.

Happy travels!