Sort of Legal

I’m on day #16 without a permanent “home.” In the past sixteen days, I’ve slept in nine different cities and have tried a variety of lodging options. Here’s how they stack up, in my opinion, and heavily weighted for my purposes (solo-female travel)

1. HOTEL

Pro: The crème de la crème of housing options, hotels are usually quite nice. They’re clean, roomy, private, and typically have amenities like a pool, gym, and bar. Most have a desk in the room and coffee, both of which are nice if you’re working while traveling.   

Con: Hotels tend to me the most expensive option, unless you’re renting a whole house on AirBnB, which can rival hotels in price. Unless there’s a hot bar in it or a conference going on, you’re probably not meeting any new friends staying at a hotel. This matters, mostly, if you are traveling solo.

Comments/Tips:

So far on my trip, I’ve stayed at a mid-range hotel once per week. It’s relaxing and a good breather from being in other people’s space, which can be mentally draining for me. If I planned better, I’d make sure I stayed at the hotel from check-in to check-out to get full bang for my buck!

Perhaps bang for my buck is why I almost always drink the coffee in the hotel room even if I don’t need the caffeine. I also usually take the shampoo and conditioner – those minis are great to have around to take on short trips or when you run out at the house.

Still speaking of bang for my buck, I re-joined Hotels.com (its free) – every 10 nights you get one free. Other hotel chains, like Hilton and SPG, have rewards too, but how points translate to rooms is less clear and with Hotels.com any hotel you book through the site counts so you’re not limited to one chain. I have also found some decent last minute deals with the Hotels.com app.

I did join SPG’s rewards too so I’ll keep yooouz guyz posted as I develop an opinion on that.

2. MOTEL

Pro: Cheaper than hotels.

Con: You get what you need and nothing more. The “breakfast” included in a lot of motel fees is usually weak coffee and Costco pastries. Of course, I still eat the breakfast every time – again with the bang for the buck! At one of the establishments, I’m 99% sure that the “juice” I drank was Tang, which made the entire stay worth it.

The other con is that motels don’t feel as safe as most hotels. The room doors open directly to the outside and sometimes the lower prices can attract some scuzzier people.

Comments:

As a solo female traveler, my biggest concern is safety and that’s the only thing that deters me from staying in motels more frequently. As long as I’m warm and horizontal, I’m usually a pretty deep sleeper and don’t care much about fancy accommodations when I’m pretty much just sleeping at a place. I can even handle a little mold in the shower. I had that at my studio apartment…and that apartment was not cheap.

I feel most comfortable with motels in an area I am familiar with or was recommended by someone else. As long as I know the area is safe, I’m good to go. For when I’m not familiar with an area, I try to find reviews that area searchable, ideally by key word (“safe” is a good search term), or at least by category like “location.”

Another STRATEGY is to search for a name brand hotel, like a Westin or aLoft, in the area THEN find a cheaper motel or hotel very close to that brand name hotel. You’re not going to find an aLoft or Westin in the ghetto, you’re just not, so the Econolodge next door will be in a decent area too.

There are also the old standbys like checking the cars in the lot before booking and asking for a second floor motel to help increase safety. Ooooh, and here’s one that’s really simple but that I missed: Check to make sure the motel room window is shut! After staying in the motel in the photo above in Morro Bay, I realized in the morning that the window had been cracked open all night. AAAH!

3. AirBnBs

DISCOUNT! Oh hey, if you’re a late adopter and haven’t used AirBnB before, feel free to try it via this link.   You get a discount, I get a discount. We all smile.

Pro: Options! Want your own room? Want your own bathroom? Want to stay in the center of the city? Want a rural retreat? Want your own studio? Want a specific location? Want a whole house with multiple rooms to yourself? Whatever you want, you can find it on AirBnB.

 Con: AirBnBs have no uniformity. There are not set standards and they can vary greatly in quality from one to the next. And there is some weird shit out there. No, I don’t want to pay you $50 per night to sleep on the floor and then have to leave from 11AM – 4PM because my “room” becomes a yoga studio during that time.

Comments/Tips: For me, the best balance of value and comfort has been booking a private room in a house shared with the host. If the room has its own bathroom, even if not attached, it’s even better! It’s nice to be able to keep your towel and bathroom stuff in the bathroom rather than tote it dorm style like you usually do in a shared bathroom situation. Since I’m solo traveling, I’ve actually enjoyed some of the small talk involved in sharing a space.

Staying the suburbs rather than city center has helped me save some dollars too. Since I have a car, am not going out drinking at night, and have no need to visit my AirBnB during frequently during the day, I don’t really need to be walkable to the city center.

Reading reviews helps you know what you’re walking into. I absolutely hate the time that going through reviews takes and would rather make quicker decisions but I’ve started doing it for every AirBnB I book because it is worth the effort. The more reviews there are, the more reliable the depiction will be. If there are only three reviews, one bad review may give the wrong impression.

4. Experimental* Housing

“Experimental Housing”: All I mean by this is unique housing like a BOATel (boat turned hotel), check, Arcosanti, check, or a “Hacker House” near Silicon Valley, check, or a treehouse, still on the list.

Pro: It’s unique and the novelty is exciting!

Con: Unique isn’t always good. The rooms on the boatel my sister and I stayed at a few years back were tiny and had no modern appliances, like TVs, to preserve the historic nature of the boat. She could touch the ceiling in the shower! She’s only 5’ 3”.   We loved it, but it’s not for everyone.

Comments/Tips: Because of the risk, booking experimental housing for short durations, like 1 – 3 days is usually well-advised. If you’re a remote worker, like me, it’s better to book experimental housing on the weekend where if it is a disaster and your sleep is shitty it wont eff up your whole next work day.

5. CAMPING

Pro: Money, money, money, MONEY! Camping, whether at a camp site or just hacking it in your car, will almost always be a lot cheaper than any other option.

Con: Less money = less amenities and comfort. Campsites, unlike just sleeping in your car, have the advantage of bathrooms and usually showers.

Comments: Full disclosure! I have not camped on this trip, or ever camped solo. I want to at least once but will probably do it somewhere I know well like the beachfront campgrounds right across from my old place. Baby steps.

I likewise have also only slept in my car once that I can recall, in college, on a trip. I was going to stay in my Subaru rental for one night when I visited Seattle but got frustrated trying to figure out where to park and then scared so I slept on someone’s couch instead.

6. FRIENDS & FAMILY

Pro: You know them.

Con: You know them.

Comments/Tips: Be a good guest and you’ll stay a good friend/family member. Remember your friends/family are doing you a favor. Show your gratitude. If you can help them in some way, maybe by cooking or taking care of a dog, do that. If you’re rich, buy them a little present. If you’re really rich, go get a freaking hotel room. 🙂

A Note on Asia: I imagine my opinions will differ for Asia and if I learn anything valuable will do a summary after that trip.

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