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I love a little bit of luxury and I’ve been fortunate enough to stay in some incredibly gorgeous hotels, such as The Chedi in Andermatt, the Shangri La in Manila and the Grand Hyatt in Kuala Lumpur.
Stay in Luxury Hostels
There are now lots of boutique hostels popping up around the world, so much so that there’s even a guide to the world’s best luxury hostels, written by Kash, aka Budget Traveller. Gone are the days where hostels featured a grubby kitchen and a room packed with bunk beds – these days hostels feature stylish furniture, on-site bars and even gourmet dinners. Skipping out on a hotel doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the luxury and best of all, private rooms in hostels are often much more affordable. Not only that, but you also get the added benefit of communal areas that allow you to meet other travellers, providing a much more social atmosphere.
In the glacier village of Saas-Fe, Hostelling International have even launched a Swiss spa which features saunas, whirlpools, massage showers, relaxation lounges and water slides. After you’ve sweated it out in the sauna, you can sit back in the lounge and enjoy tempting Alpine tapas, refreshing lassis (fruit/milk drinks) or an aperitif around the cosy open fire.
Hotel Discounts
The are tons of hotel comparison sites that offer discounted rates on hotels; my favourites include Trivago, Priceline, Booking.com and Hotels.com. And if you want even further discounts, you can use Hotels.com Promo Codes to get extra money off.
In addition to the well-known sites there are online companies like Secret Escapes, which is a membership-based hotel booking site that negotiates rates with luxury hotels that are up to 70% off. There’s no fee, so all you have to do is enter your email address and you’ll have access to their offers.
Or theres Hotel Tonight – an app that enables you to book luxe hotels at big discounts, as long as you book on the same day as your stay. If you don’t mind leaving things till the last minute, this option is for you.
A lot of hotel booking sites like Expedia or Priceine offer ‘top secret’ hotels where you know the star rating and the area it’s in but you don’t know the name. You get a much cheaper deal but you also run the risk of staying in a hotel that you might not want to stay in. I quite like the surprise element though and I’ve had some incredible hotels in Las Vegas and LA using this option! Sometimes by looking at the location and the description you can even make an educated guess as to which hotel it will actually be.
Collect Rewards Points
One of the best ways to get luxury hotels at discounted rates is by signing up for credit cards. Every time you spend on the card you’ll collect points, which can be redeemed for free hotel stays. Cards like the Hilton HHonors, Marriott Rewards or IHG Rewards Club are great if you travel a lot and need to stay in hotels. Remember you’ll be charged an interest rate on whatever you spend, so only use these cards if you can afford to pay off in full each month.
Similarly you can also use your air miles for free hotel stays. Simply sign up for an airline rewards scheme and fly with them or their partner airlines every time you travel. A great scheme to sign up for is the British Airways Executive club so you can collect Avios when you fly or when you shop in places like Shell or Tesco. To boost your points you can also apply for their credit card. See my guide on how to collect air miles if you live in the UK.
Apartment Rentals
Finally the other option is shunning hotels altogether and opting for an apartment rental. If you look on Air BnB there are sometimes some gorgeous apartments listed on there, so if you’re travelling with friends and splitting the cost, it can make sense to get an apartment rental instead of a hotel. With Air BnB you can stay in a 60 bed school in Ireland, a seashell house in Mexico, a cube house in Rotterdam or a private retreat in Palm Springs. There are so many unique properties available around the world that can make your trip an extra special one. Check out these 27 Air BnBs to stay in before you die.
Have you developed any handy tricks for finding luxury accommodation? Leave your comments below!
Source: pommietravels.com