On our extensive travels, we’ve stayed in a diverse range of accommodation. From luxury hotels to basic hostels, we’ve visited them all. While our experiences in each location have differed greatly, there are some aspects of staying in travel accommodation which tend to be true wherever you are visiting, and we have found that you can apply some general rules to help improve your travel experience.

There are plenty of places to stay when exploring foreign countries that will provide you with a really interesting experience, but are not too expensive. For example, Britannia hotels (http://www.britanniahotels.com) have some of the most interesting hotel buildings in the UK, but are reasonably priced and often conveniently situated. The Krumlov House which we stayed in whilst visiting Prague was also one of the most interesting and enjoyable places to stay, despite not having the luxury (or the cost) of somewhere like the Jakarta Kempinski Hotel in Indonesia.

Paying more for your accommodation does not always guarantee a better standard of room or service. Much of the price will also be based on location – if you are staying close to local amenities or attractions, you are more likely to pay extra for the same standard of a accommodation that would be cheaper elsewhere. This is a rule that applies in the majority of popular tourist countries.

Do not be fooled by accommodation which simply sounds like it will be nice. This can be seen as the travel equivalent of judging a book by its cover. Whilst somewhere like the Chungking Mansion might sound comfortable and luxurious, we soon discovered that it wasn’t. The slightly bizarrely named Wombat’s Lounge Hostel in Vienna, on the other hand, was friendly and welcoming, and was one of our top-rated accommodation spots. Taking recommendations from others who have visited the area beforehand is always a good way of making sure you make the right choices when it comes to booking accommodation.