Budget accommodation for budget travelers – an Open Speech
Throughout the country, there are budget hotels for budget-conscious travelers besides the regular hotels. It is not uncommon for a budget hotel to be a few doors away fro a 5-star hotel.
In the past, images of unkempt men and women, bug-filled mattresses, filthy toilets, pilfering, and robberies came to mind. Then whenever anyone was to mention that he was putting up for a night or two at a budget hotel, there would be raised eyebrows, knowing winks and nudges, sometimes followed by protestations of horror and advice to scurry to a better place, maybe a 4-star regular hotel.
Fortunately, such images are outdated and no longer true. These days, budget hotels and guesthouses are trendy and modern. They offer comfortable accommodation with an Internet connection. What beats all other considerations is the room comes at a fraction of the price you would pay at a regular hotel.
Budget hotels in and around the country have evolved from grimy dirty looking downtrodden old shophouses into modern, clean, affordable accommodation offering the first-class service at reasonable prices. Old colonial buildings have been modified into stylish guesthouses. Budget accommodation includes lodges, chalets, and dormitories. No-frills hotel concept is expected to boost the image of budget accommodation by focusing on what is important to the shoestring budget traveler: sleeping on a bed in an air-conditioned room, having a shower in a bath where there are soap and a towel, among others.
No-frills budget hotels offer clean and safe hotel accommodation with basic facilities like bed and shower. Guests are offered accommodation at rates as low as US9.90 a night during promotional periods and pay an additional low sum for other facilities like towels and air-conditioner.
Guesthouses strive to make the traveler feel at home in a relaxed atmosphere. The guest can make use of the facilities like the living room, pantry, dining table, and books. Those who run guesthouses provide travel information to customers and treat them as though they are guests who visit their homes.
Some other budget hotels emphasize cleanliness and house rules like no smoking and drinking. Guests would then feel safe and comfortable.
These budget hotels are usually located near to eating outlets that serve cheap delicious local food as well as within walking distance to the many watering holes for those who want to drink to savor the ambiance of a local night out.
60% of the guests are walk-ins. Rooms, however, can be reserved online as these hotels have their own websites. while it is very common for most hotels to be happy with a 70% occupancy rate on a regular basis, almost all budget hotels especially the more popular ones have a much higher occupancy rate. What is most encouraging for budget hotel proprietors is that they get repeat travelers who stay for months. What is even more satisfying is that they are highly recommended to “new” travelers by satisfied guests.
Backpackers who travel on a shoestring budget see budget hotels as their first choice accommodation because they suit their taste and their budget.
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