When you’re planning a hotel stay for a monumental occasion, like a birthday or honeymoon, hotel office manager Trang Phan suggests it’s good to let the hotel know so they can deliver a special treat before you arrive. More »
You don’t have to book a bargain-basement hotel when you head out of the house for a holiday. New web app Rentmix makes it easy to find available rentals in the area you’re visiting so you can book ahead of time. More »
There’s no shortage of sites to help you find hotel rooms or serviced apartments, but if you want to safely rent a private house or apartment for a short-term stay, the options are more limited. Roomorama offers global listings of properties available for rent, giving you the option of a more individual and potentially cheaper experience. More »
If you want to save some money on travelling, pretending to be a prospective student can often land you discounted rates. Here’s how. More »
It’s not difficult to find travel review sites detailing everything that sucks about a hotel you’re considering booking for your holidays. Trip Elated takes the reverse approach, only offering reviews from people who have enjoyed their stay and are happy to spread the word. More »
Couch surfing — staying in the houses of locals and paying them rather than a hotel — is a popular tactic for cheap travel. Crashpadder.com is the latest entrant into the couch-surfing market, with a nicely-designed site that incorporates reviews, Google Street View imagery and all the usual social networking options. More »
It’s my ultimate travel nightmare — arriving in a busy location at 2pm to discover that the hotel room booking never came through. What’s the best way to deal with that issue? More »
Hostels remain the cheapest way to score accommodation when you’re seeing the world (assuming security issues don’t drive you to a hotel). iPhone application Hostel Hero lets you search for and book hostels in 150 countries, and stores details of your bookings on the device itself. More »
