What kind of accommodation would I prefer?

picture by clipartkid.com

When I was 16 years old, it was normal to me to go to a camping in every weather circumstances.
Later on I chose youth hostels if possible. That turned on Bed and Breakfast. Sometimes I rented a flat. Or had a room in one of those Airbnb locations.
But my favourite keeps on being a nice comfortable hotel room.






I once rented a flat for entire month. I don't know about the standards people are used to live and leave their houses to others, but this was a real nightmare. 
We payed very little of it, but it was wilthy; cupboards were full of food that had expired. Not from last year, but from many years ago. Food in a fridge was also so old that it could walk away by itself. 
Wardroabs were so filled in that we had no place where to put our clothes. 
Imagine me having my clothes and those of my kids in a luggage for 5 weeks. 
I cleaned the house for one week. Bathroom was really disinfected and kitchen finally so clean I could let my kids eat in it. I dusted all the furnitures and all those tiny little objects the owner was so found of. 
Actually I should have been payed insted letting me pay the rent. I learned a lesson.
That was the last time I ever rent from a private ones. 

My last stay was outside the old town at Rome in a room I had from Airbnb. 
I iniatially booked a room in a B&B, but it turned full, and they moved me to this Airbnb. 
This flat is owned by a young couple who takes really good care of their house.  
It was just outside of the centrum circle, and Rome is large, so this was far to my standards. 
Then it was in the 4th floor, with no elevator. Forth floor in an old Italian house is actually like fith floor, because the first one is at the level of half floor. Then the flat had just one bathroom in the use of six customers. The owners are planning to fix another room to let. That would make 8 people queue to poe every morning, not to mention the shower. 
Although the owner was kind to carry my luggage to the 5th floor after few complications and delays, he wasnt that available to carry it down when I was leaving although he had promised so. 
I also found the location complicate to my purpose of the visit. It was far too far from everywhere althought it could sound comfortble to those who live in the city. 

photo by lastampa.it

I travel a lot due to my job and also because of the hobby I have: Travelling.
What I look as a first thing with the accomodation is usually the location. The nearest it is to the city center, the better I manage without taxi, car hire, or public transport. I walk nearly 10 km everyday. 
Just to give out a short calculation: If I pay a hotel room in down town like €100 a night from where I am with a walking distance to every thing, I save proximately €20 daily taxi or few hours time if I use public transport system. And time is money. Just a drop of a stone from down town I can have accomodation for €80 and pay the €20 for a cap daily. 
Or I could go further away and then pay more for each time I need to go anywhere. 

This suits me if I am a guest at someones home. "Never look at the mouth of a gift horse"
But if it is me paying for it, the I do have some serious requests. 

Most accodomations do not have international way to categorise them. In some countries a 4* hotel can be equal to my country 2* hotel. This makes a lots of confusion among travellers. 
In New York I stayed in a 4* hotel that was a bit more confortable than a youth hostel to me. We had our own bathroom. The room was tiny, windows dirty and we payed far too much for it. 
Then again, one 4* hotel at Bangkok we had better service in more spacious rooms than we had got in Pejing in a 5* hotel. 
Also in same country there are differences. Or in same city. 
In Sardinia, in Alghero, two 4* hotels have similar price. But only one qualifies to 4*. 
4* hotels shoul be neat with nice halls. Not tiny rooms and old furniture and bedlinnen that are sewed. 

Photo by grandhotelplazamilano.it

When I have time, I like to fancy in a nice hotel with a Spa. Then I don't except that being in a center of any town. My travel prospective changes. Taking baths and massages is so energy consuming that it is much better to stay in a hotel and enjoy what they have to offer. Too bad that some of the hotels do not play a fair role in that.
I have this one special spot in the mountains at the Italian Dolomites. Hotel Luesnerhof. Its like 10 km from the nearest town Bressanone. There I can snow walk or go to ski. Or just walk around. Take the bus and visit the town and get back to the afternoon tea and go to the Spa. They have excellent food due to the hotel school near by that sends pupils to exercise in hotels. I love staying there also evenings, because they organize things to customers. One night they have wine tasting, other night table games and so on. Those three days or a week is so relaxing.

photo by luesnerhof.it

But not all the hotels have arrived to make business. Real business.

I remember 80's when hotels were in. They organized parties, and brunches everyone could affort. 
I remeber going to disco's that were in Hotels. My parents used to go for a sunday afternoon dance to a hotel.
What happened to them? 
Nowadays hotels do not care that much about their customers. And that leaves really bitter aftertaste. Specially if I think of hotel restaurant. 
Consider this. I can have a Pizza and a beer with €15 anywhere. Why would I pay €25 in my hotel? Make it €15 and you earn other customers. It looks good to your hotel and in the eyes of the customers when the hotel restaurant is full, also by the locals near by. It means the food is good. 

Hotels seem to have the policy of airports. Everything must be more expensive. Why? 
Why do I need to pay €1,50 for a half liter bottle water, if I can have 1,5 liter with 30ct from the store next door? Why do not the hotels pic up the profit?
If they would ask just like any bar for the same drinks they have deposit in a fridge, I could even buy them. What hotels are offering is limited quantity of drinks self service and to be drank out of plastic cups. The pub next door offers me several brands of beer, brings it to the table and tips including it is less expencive. 

Just to give you an idea of one hotel I was in Bangkok. At the Eastin Grand Hotel Bangkok. 

photo by Eastin Hotel and Residences 

We had this fantastic deal by taking superior room by paying just few extra. We got rooms on top floor, breakfast at the area of suites and happy hour every evening. Plus free use of gym and the swimming pool.
As it was rainy season in Bangkok, that gym was just perfect to those rainy mornings. Also the tube tickets were included. The hotel actually had its own tube stop. Well... not really. They had a tunnel that led to the tube stop. Very handy, and easy to get back.
This hotel had made a real business out of it. Rise the price a bit and include all services. I counted that we spent equal by doing so than going to some fancy club and get the same service. 
And this hotel was smart. Why would let customers spend their money elswhere if the hotel can have it all?


An other hotel I just recently visited in Costa Smeralda in Sardinia was Hotel Balocco. 
We had a beautiful room for 100€ a night including breakfast, and use of the swimming pool. It was sadly too cold for that, but I appreciated the service. Our luggage were brought to the room.
I really liked it out there, except one thing: They had far too expencive restaurant. 
After one day around I don't want to drive any more kilometer, nor I want to spend money for a cap, because it would turn out as expencive as dining in a hotel with their over priced menu.
If the price in such hotel restaurants were resenable, I could easily eat for more and make them earn better. It is not the €20 for a pasta dish that I am short of. It pisses me off to pay that amount. Knowing that in the normal restaurant it would be €12. 
I understand that the deal we had was better they usually give to customers. We were out of the season. But I don't think the hotel roomservice earns less in October than they do in July. So if a hotel can give out rooms cheaper in october, also the food in the restaurant should be cheaper. Right? 

photo by TripAdvisor

One of my best hotel chains is the accord hotel group that has Ibis hotel in it. The comfort of this hotel group is  that all the hotels are the same. They have same furnitures, same matras and same pillows. I know I can sleep well when I stay at Ibis hotel. 
The best Ibis hotel  I found at Saragoza. We were just across the river and walking distance to everywhere.
Rooms were comfortable and I had a river view.
Breakfast untill noon made us save money not needing a lunch since we travelled with a low budget and wanted to see as much as possible with the money in our pockets.
Zaragoza is really a pearl of a town many people do not even know the excistance. 
At Cannes the same hotel group has this Novotel Suites I once booked. With bicycle it is really handy. 
It takes a bit to rise up hill, but going to down town is all down hill. Walking distance perhaps 20 minutes from La Croisette. They had a huge room for us and a beautiful bathroom, with separate toilet. So French to me.

photo by novotel.com

As a closing statement: My best hotel bed experience was at the airport of Bruxelles. Sheraton hotel. 
It was far too expencive to my taste, with it's €20 breakfast, considering that the same menu is sold at the airport for €12. 
But they had a heavenly bed, I shall never forget. 

photo by TripAdvisor