Recapping: use the competitive tools for major city hotel
bookings. Chains will generally have level standards. Beware low-ball prices in
major markets, there’s often a catch. Be sure arrangements for kids are made in
advance.
Small markets and specialty hotels may not use the internet
aggregators. Determine ZOPA & BATNA, and ingratiate yourself with the hotel
booking agent.
OK, so let’s now say you’re booking a lovely little country
inn in a region you’ve selected from my planning method. Naturally
you’ve scoped Trip Advisor and maybe Frommers to get a rating. I find the TA
comments to be very useful – sometimes a property gets an unjustified one-star
that drags the total down. Though sometimes the one stars are justified – show
some solidarity with mistreated travelers, will you? We saw one rating on an
otherwise nice property that turned away a family at night because they only
needed one night, not two. That’s lousy, and I don’t care if everyone else
loved the place.
The one thing you must do before booking a small town property,
or boutique city hotel, is a Google street view (or at least a close up
satellite view). A few years ago, we booked a lovely chateau in Normandy, set
in the woods with a fairy tale tower. The photos were astounding. And so was
the place, except it wasn’t deep in the forest. A major highway was maybe 200
yards away from the place. You couldn’t really see it through the woods, but
you knew it was there. It spoiled the effect (though please note it was a lovely and convenient spot none the less).
You’ll want to catch that, or other problems. You may not be
near a highway, but perhaps there’s a factory within sight that magically doesn’t show on the photos. Even user photos can miss these, and they can
absolutely spoil a view. You’ll also want to see what your situation is in regard
to a local village. Can you walk to a local restaurant? If you’re in a location
for more than a few days, having a good local diner is a huge plus, even if the
hotel serves food. Likewise a walkable pharmacy or some kind of convenience
store: you don’t want to have to drive everywhere.
Note that specialty and boutique hotels can book out well in
advance, in contrast to my advice that you can wait on hotel bookings. Country
settings – castles turned to inns, especially – are popular for weekend weddings,
especially in summer. If your heart is set on one, you may need to book very
far ahead.
That’s usually not too much of an issue, but not always.
Where my timing strategy really fails is if you try to book a rental home or
apartment. Let’s start with the tools: AirBnB, and VRBO (aka HomeAway). Both
are very useful, I’ve favored the latter for country locations, the former for
apartments in cities. For apartments and country rentals, you definitely want
to check Google street view: you have to see where you are, and what’s around,
and you’ll clearly want a restaurant and grocery store in walking distance.
Don’t trap yourself way out in the country with no access to anything else.
These vacation rentals, like the wedding favorite hotels,
book out very early, especially for peak seasons. That’s because they’re
popular with locals, who don’t have to fly down. If I’m German, and I know I
want to vacation in Tuscany next summer, flights aren’t a concern, and so I’ll
book a villa 8-10 months in advance. And forget booking anything in August in
southern Europe, that’s when France and Spain go on holiday. Anything that’s
still open will have been booked long ago. Big cities like Paris or Madrid come
to a standstill in August, as service personnel are taking their break. You’re
lucky to get a sandwich (though, you can use this to your advantage –
apartments may be available).
City apartments and villas are your best deal for cost
savings, especially with an extended family. And availability in a big city is
usually not a problem, though you’ll have to settle for residential
neighborhoods that are removed from tourist sites (not a problem, right?) Outside
of the direct cost (usually cheaper than a hotel) you have access to a kitchen,
and can save a lot of meals. I love the idea of picking out produce from a
Paris market. Then again, I’m probably not cooking it. Only you can decide how
much you want to purely relax on your trip, which includes not having to cook.
Or wash sheets & towels (though having easy access to a washing machine is
a huge plus).
Other things to consider on the apartment rental: who do you
turn to if something goes wrong on your trip? It can be hugely advantageous to
have a concierge, or just a B&B owner, to help you on the ground if needed,
even if it’s just for a little local advice. Your guidebooks will only go so
far.
Lastly: I don’t know about you, but I’m mildly uncomfortable
staying in another person’s home without them there. It feels like an invasion
of privacy: I’m keenly aware that the stuff around me is not mine. Obviously
that’s the case in a hotel, but that’s different: none of that is anyone’s
personal stuff, so I’m much more comfortable with it. I know there’s nothing
there that can’t be replaced; not the case in a house rental, and I know this
from being on the other end of the relationship. In a hotel, I’m a customer,
and customer is king; in a house rental, I’m a paying guest: it’s just a
different feel.
This is not always a severe problem – when I do beach
rentals, I’m know the furniture is not really personal – it’s been
designated by a rental agency, frequently. That may be the same case in a Paris
apartment – it could be a pure rental – but I wouldn’t know.
So – I encourage booking a rental over a hotel, but know
what you’ll be missing (fresh sheets daily!) and plan for it. And shop very
early, or off-season, the best ones are snapped up well in advance.
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