Hi Emma — Thank you for the Hotel H10 tip in Barcelona. Do you happen to know anything about the Hotel 1898 in Barcelona? I am looking at that one too, and just wondered how these two compare. Thank you for all of your tips on this post. — Marty M.
Hi Marty,
I don’t know from experience about the Hotel 1898 but I just checked it out and it looks very nice! I’d say they look extremely similar and are very close to one another but the Hotel 1898 is just a little more expensive. I would say the H10 Madison looks a little better only because you can get a bigger room for a lot less than Hotel 1898. (My parents booked a junior suite for around 490 euros for 2 nights)!
Both have rooftop terraces and both seem to be basically the same except that Hotel 1898 is on La Ramblas and H10 Madison is in the Gothic district. Both are desirable locations and you will visit both areas regardless of where you stay.
Hope this helps! xx, Emma
Some amazing tips!! Especially the one about deleting cookies/history.. had no idea about that one!
I am planning a trip to Greece this summer with my husband. . Any suggestions for accommodations in Athens, Mykonos and Santorini?
Thank you for the great tips
Marilena
If you’re using Google Chrome as a browser – if you click file on the top left corner of your screen there should be an option that says open incognito window! Definitely download google chrome for this feature.. though I think other browsers should have it as well. :) xx, Emma
Hi Emma excellent tips once again. Live that you showed us some places that you’ve stayed expensive and inexpensive. Especially loved your tip about clearing the cache… you’re one smart cookie??. Keep it coming love it❤️
Great tips! People need to know that they won’t get membership points at hotels if booking with third parties. Like you mentioned, third party websites can be tricky and it’s important to read all their terms, but great as a research tool. Planning a trip to The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg; any hotel recommendations for Amsterdam and Brussels?
Hi Meredith,
Thanks for stopping by the blog!
I’ve found a few places for you that I think are nice…
Amsterdam:
1. Radisson Blu Amsterdam – this hotel isn’t fancy, but the price is great and I love the location with it directly on the canals. Highly rated on tripadvisor https://www.radissonblu.com/en/hotel-amsterdam
2. The Hoxton Amsterdam – Designed by 2 designers from Amsterdam.. I love the style and feel of this place. It’s so adorable and the price is pretty good as well. Rated really highly on tripadvisor and near lots of local restaurants and coffee shops, https://thehoxton.com/holland/amsterdam/hotels
3. The Pulitzer – a little bit of a pricier choice.. but the Pulitzer hotels are always designed so well and the vibes are wonderful + I always love the service. Located in a great neighborhood. https://www.pulitzeramsterdam.com/
I’m not suggesting Airbnb in Amsterdam because it has basically crushed the housing market here. :(
Hi Suzanne.. here are a couple of accommodation suggestions for you!
1. Rimrock Hotel – Most people stay here if they want to stay in a big hotel… it offers beautiful views of the rockies, has a spa and all the amenities one would need, and the price is pretty good! http://www.rimrockresort.com/
2. Buffalo Mountain Lodge – This place is rustic and adorable.. if you’re looking for more of an authentic or unique type of stay, this place is really cute! It’s perched on top of a mountain yet it’s only a 15 minute walk from the heart of town. Extremely peaceful. https://crmr.com/buffalo/
3. Fairmont Banff Springs – Luxury hotel.. this place is by far the most expensive in the area. It’s beautiful though, and if you want to stay here for a couple nights and then a couple nights in a different place I would recommend this option – https://www.fairmont.com/banff-springs/
4. Airbnb – One of the only places I’ve seen which is renovated.. I really do like this place! Adorable and comes with a full kitchen which is nice if you’d like to cook. Access to a pool and sauna, daily housekeeping done for you! I like the idea of this place: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/21489262?location=Banff%2C%20AB%2C%20Canada&adults=1&guests=1&s=vq0lCRR3
Excellent insights and trusted personal experiences Emma! Luv the tips…I’ve already started using your suggested comparison sites for flights from your last blog. Thank you for sharing with us! One final thought in support of your encouragement to read the fine print on third-party sites. I used booking.com with a cancellation option to book a room 5 months in advance….however, my mistake is, I didn’t take note the cancellation option was only open for 3 days. They charged my account and after 3 days, I was locked in!! We ultimately cancelled the trip & I lost ALL the booking.com monies. Navigating the travel game is a challenge – thank you so much for your tips & honest dialogue!
Hi Jane, Thank you so much for stopping by. Yes!! Ahh that is the worst, I’m so sorry that happened to you. Sometimes it can be tough to see exactly when they charge you. That’s why I love the pay when you stay feature.
Hi Kristy and Emma,
I am really enjoying your travel blog and are finding a lot of useful tips for my upcoming trip to the US from Australia in April. We will be spending 5 days in New York city and I was wondering if you think an air bnb is a good option or is a hotel better?
Thanks for stopping by! In my opinion.. I think that hotels are much better than Airbnbs in NYC. Unfortunately, that comes at a cost. Hotels are a lot more expensive in this city.. but I think Airbnbs are not up to standards compared to other places around the world. Places in NYC are usually tiny.. so in order to get a private airbnb it usually will be a tiny studio apartment or another small space. If you don’t mind being in a “private room” in someone’s place, then I think it’s fine. It really all depends on what you like, and what your budget is.
Thank you so much for these posts on travel! It’s nice to have someone you trust who will offer information for the various levels of travel. I feel secure in using your recommendations since following you on Instagram.
Looking forward to the future posts!
Suggestion: Perhaps you would consider using a vlog for us to have a peek of the travels as well. While pictures are wonderful, the experience is more vivid through vlogs.
Thank you, Kristy and Emma, for sharing your life with us! It is greatly appreciated.
Hi Vikki,
I appreciate you stopping by and reading.. thank you! I have thought about doing travel vlogs.. and am interested in doing this in the future. :) -Emma
We have tracked a bit and can usually find deals. But we live in California and love little getaways around the state. Deals seem harder to find here, when trying to experience a nicer hotel. Any ideas for Napa area or Santa Barbara or Beach front hotels? Many many thanks!
Hi Lynn, I totally get that.. I felt the same way. I touched on this a little bit in the post.. but I would try last minute checking websites like Hotwire (using their Hot Deals feature) or try Hotels Tonight for an even more last minute check. You can find pretty good deals for both of those websites! :) Hope this helps. xx, Emma
Hi Amanda,
I’m so glad to hear that.. thanks for reading. :) Cruising is the 1 thing I haven’t done before… but I really want to do a med cruise! Have SO much fun. I definitely think researching med cruises through Pinterest and reading tons of articles that way is the best. Also, I would HIGHLY recommend stopping in Croatia! That area is so beautiful, the ocean is so so bright blue, and while it’s getting more and more touristy each year, it isn’t overcrowded just yet. xx, Emma
Thanks Emma this was so helpful! We are looking for a special 25th anniversary trip. Any suggestions? We haven’t traveled much so looking for tropical for 4-5 days. Excellent food and accommodations? Thanks for any help or insight. Loved the pics of your parents in Hawaii but that’s not in my budget ?
Hi Kerri,
Thank you for stopping by and reading the blog! Also.. happy early anniversary. :) I totally understand about Hawaii being out of your budget.. it’s out of mine too! ;)
Where do you live? That would be helpful to know off the bat so I can see how much flights are.
What I usually recommend to people who are from the U.S. for an inexpensive vacation is to head to Mexico (one of my favorite countries.. I’ve visiting twice this year!) OR visit Central America (Costa Rica!). Both places are a little less expensive than the U.S. but they have AMAZING food (Cabo has delicious food but the beaches aren’t amazing.. vs. Cancun where the beach is incredible).
You can always e-mail me if you need help on planning.. I love to do this in my spare time. xx, Emma
Hi Rhonda,
I haven’t been to the Caribbean in YEARS nor have I planned my own vacation there. Unfortunately I won’t be much help on that front.. but I’ve found a couple of blog post off of Pinterest that may help you a little bit.
Thanks for the Pinterest suggestion—I would not have thought of looking there for travel ideas. We are going to Barcelona at the end of April for a cruise. When are your parents going?
When traveling with our three kids, I personally look to see if breakfast is included with the hotel. I am happy to pay the extra $20. One of my favorite hotels in the U.S. is the Drury Inn and Suites. They have a free breakfast (I am not a picky person and most places can’t mess breakfast up) and a free kickback at 530 pm where you can have sliders, tacos, hotdogs. This allows us to eat a nice lunch somewhere. We also will go out after dinner to eat dessert at a fancy restaurant. With little/teenage kids it’s nice to be able to head back to the hotel to get a little downtime, before heading back out! For a family of five, this has saved us money so we are able to do other things.
Going to Barcelona for a cruise. Which hotel did you book for your parents? Any information about room in Florence would also be greatly appreciated ?
Hi Joanne – Thanks for reaching out! Very exciting. :) The hotel we booked in Barcelona is the H10 Madison (https://www.h10hotels.com/en/barcelona-hotels/h10-madison). The AirBnB we stayed in Florence: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/9019758?guests=1&adults=1 but I also found this place which looks incredible: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/plus/17523479?location=florence&guests=1&adults=1&s=_Uehyrqh.
Hope this helps! -Emma
Hi Emma — Thank you for the Hotel H10 tip in Barcelona. Do you happen to know anything about the Hotel 1898 in Barcelona? I am looking at that one too, and just wondered how these two compare. Thank you for all of your tips on this post. — Marty M.
Hi Marty,
I don’t know from experience about the Hotel 1898 but I just checked it out and it looks very nice! I’d say they look extremely similar and are very close to one another but the Hotel 1898 is just a little more expensive. I would say the H10 Madison looks a little better only because you can get a bigger room for a lot less than Hotel 1898. (My parents booked a junior suite for around 490 euros for 2 nights)!
Both have rooftop terraces and both seem to be basically the same except that Hotel 1898 is on La Ramblas and H10 Madison is in the Gothic district. Both are desirable locations and you will visit both areas regardless of where you stay.
Hope this helps! xx, Emma
Some amazing tips!! Especially the one about deleting cookies/history.. had no idea about that one!
I am planning a trip to Greece this summer with my husband. . Any suggestions for accommodations in Athens, Mykonos and Santorini?
Thank you for the great tips
Marilena
Hi Marilena,
Thanks for stopping by & commenting! :) It definitely depends on your budget, but here are a few options for both places.
Athens:
1. This Airbnb is in the heart of Athens (amazing location), it’s an AirBNB Plus so she has amazing reviews and it’s designed well.. and the price is incredible! https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/plus/11922831?location=Athens%2C%20Greece&guests=1&adults=1&s=K7kbjN3F
2. AthensWas Hotel – Great luxury option.. very beautiful design and it’s new! https://www.athenswas.gr/en/
3. Hotel Grande Bregane – If you’re a Marriott Member.. this is beautiful! If you don’t stay here, definitely get rooftop drinks here.. best view of the Acropolis. https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/athlc-hotel-grande-bretagne-a-luxury-collection-hotel-athens/?program=spg/
4. Athens Lodge – Beautiful smaller hotel in the heart of Old Town.. definitely like the price and it’s modern/updated. People seem to really like this hotel: https://athenslodge.reserve-online.net/about
Mykonos
1. My Mykonos Hotel – my parents stayed here while visiting in 2017 and loved it! It’s at the top of the hill and you have to walk down to the town but they enjoyed it! Newer place. https://mymykonoshotel.com/
2. Greco Philia Hotel Boutique Mykonos – Beautiful views of the ocean and looks gorgeous. http://www.grecophilia.com/accommodation
3. This Airbnb looks AMAZING.. close to everything, has great reviews, the host is a superhost and has a great pool. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1119027?location=Mykonos%2C%20Greece&guests=1&adults=1&s=HbKukoIk
Santorini:
1. Volcano View Hotel – Incredible reviews, gorgeous views from the rooms, 3 pools on site, and I like the price for what you get! https://www.volcano-view.com/ .
2. Airbnb – This gorgeous villa has great reviews, looks beautiful.. near the town and has a superhost! https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/2544879?location=Santorini%2C%20Greece&guests=1&adults=1&s=mbnGK9JI
3. Cavo Bianco – this little hotel is gorgeous and I love the pool.. many honeymooners stay here/perfect for romance! :) http://cavobianco.com/
Hope some of these places helped you. xx
Emma, Thank you so much for the detailed information!! I will definitely look into all your suggestions.
Marilena
How do you go incognito on your computer when checking hotel rates?
Hi Patti,
If you’re using Google Chrome as a browser – if you click file on the top left corner of your screen there should be an option that says open incognito window! Definitely download google chrome for this feature.. though I think other browsers should have it as well. :) xx, Emma
Hi Emma excellent tips once again. Live that you showed us some places that you’ve stayed expensive and inexpensive. Especially loved your tip about clearing the cache… you’re one smart cookie??. Keep it coming love it❤️
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post Lee! Yes, I’ve stayed at all types… :) xx, Emma
Great tips! People need to know that they won’t get membership points at hotels if booking with third parties. Like you mentioned, third party websites can be tricky and it’s important to read all their terms, but great as a research tool. Planning a trip to The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg; any hotel recommendations for Amsterdam and Brussels?
Hi Meredith,
Thanks for stopping by the blog!
I’ve found a few places for you that I think are nice…
Amsterdam:
1. Radisson Blu Amsterdam – this hotel isn’t fancy, but the price is great and I love the location with it directly on the canals. Highly rated on tripadvisor https://www.radissonblu.com/en/hotel-amsterdam
2. The Hoxton Amsterdam – Designed by 2 designers from Amsterdam.. I love the style and feel of this place. It’s so adorable and the price is pretty good as well. Rated really highly on tripadvisor and near lots of local restaurants and coffee shops, https://thehoxton.com/holland/amsterdam/hotels
3. The Pulitzer – a little bit of a pricier choice.. but the Pulitzer hotels are always designed so well and the vibes are wonderful + I always love the service. Located in a great neighborhood. https://www.pulitzeramsterdam.com/
I’m not suggesting Airbnb in Amsterdam because it has basically crushed the housing market here. :(
Brussels:
1. Hotel de Galleries -This boutique hotel looks adorable, and the location is incredible! In the heart of the city.. and this place only has 23 rooms so it’s definitely a cute place to crash. http://hoteldesgaleries.be/en/
2. Airbnb – Super cute place in the heart of the city with top reviews.. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/5740356?location=Brussels%2C%20Belgium&adults=1&guests=1&s=v_N4537h
3. Hotel Amigo – I like Rocco Forte Hotels a lot (they are usually a bit pricier than others.. but this one is not bad!) and this is one of the top hotels in the city. Very beautiful. https://www.roccofortehotels.com/hotels-and-resorts/hotel-amigo/
4. Hilton Brussels Grand Place – Love the location and this hilton is super nice.. if you’d like to stay at a familiar chain this is a good option. https://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/brussels-capital-reg/hilton-brussels-grand-place-BRUGRHI/index.html
Hope this helped! xx, Emma
I’m interested in a vacation in Banff in the Fall. Any help would be greatly appreciated ❤️
Hi Suzanne.. here are a couple of accommodation suggestions for you!
1. Rimrock Hotel – Most people stay here if they want to stay in a big hotel… it offers beautiful views of the rockies, has a spa and all the amenities one would need, and the price is pretty good! http://www.rimrockresort.com/
2. Buffalo Mountain Lodge – This place is rustic and adorable.. if you’re looking for more of an authentic or unique type of stay, this place is really cute! It’s perched on top of a mountain yet it’s only a 15 minute walk from the heart of town. Extremely peaceful. https://crmr.com/buffalo/
3. Fairmont Banff Springs – Luxury hotel.. this place is by far the most expensive in the area. It’s beautiful though, and if you want to stay here for a couple nights and then a couple nights in a different place I would recommend this option – https://www.fairmont.com/banff-springs/
4. Airbnb – One of the only places I’ve seen which is renovated.. I really do like this place! Adorable and comes with a full kitchen which is nice if you’d like to cook. Access to a pool and sauna, daily housekeeping done for you! I like the idea of this place: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/21489262?location=Banff%2C%20AB%2C%20Canada&adults=1&guests=1&s=vq0lCRR3
Hope this helps.. :) xx, Emma
Thanks, Emma. So very informative!
Thanks for stopping by and reading the post Dana. :) -Emma
Please send this post to my email address as I cannot read it at work
Hi Gail – Thanks for stopping by. :) Just come back to the post later.. I’m not sure which e-mail is yours!
Thanks, Emma
Hi Emma,
Another great / helpful post!
Thank you,
Lisa. :)
Hi Lisa, I’m so glad that this post helped you.. xx, Emma
Excellent insights and trusted personal experiences Emma! Luv the tips…I’ve already started using your suggested comparison sites for flights from your last blog. Thank you for sharing with us! One final thought in support of your encouragement to read the fine print on third-party sites. I used booking.com with a cancellation option to book a room 5 months in advance….however, my mistake is, I didn’t take note the cancellation option was only open for 3 days. They charged my account and after 3 days, I was locked in!! We ultimately cancelled the trip & I lost ALL the booking.com monies. Navigating the travel game is a challenge – thank you so much for your tips & honest dialogue!
Hi Jane, Thank you so much for stopping by. Yes!! Ahh that is the worst, I’m so sorry that happened to you. Sometimes it can be tough to see exactly when they charge you. That’s why I love the pay when you stay feature.
xx, Emma
Hi Kristy and Emma,
I am really enjoying your travel blog and are finding a lot of useful tips for my upcoming trip to the US from Australia in April. We will be spending 5 days in New York city and I was wondering if you think an air bnb is a good option or is a hotel better?
Hi Wendy,
Thanks for stopping by! In my opinion.. I think that hotels are much better than Airbnbs in NYC. Unfortunately, that comes at a cost. Hotels are a lot more expensive in this city.. but I think Airbnbs are not up to standards compared to other places around the world. Places in NYC are usually tiny.. so in order to get a private airbnb it usually will be a tiny studio apartment or another small space. If you don’t mind being in a “private room” in someone’s place, then I think it’s fine. It really all depends on what you like, and what your budget is.
Hope this helps! -Emma
Thank you so much for these posts on travel! It’s nice to have someone you trust who will offer information for the various levels of travel. I feel secure in using your recommendations since following you on Instagram.
Looking forward to the future posts!
Suggestion: Perhaps you would consider using a vlog for us to have a peek of the travels as well. While pictures are wonderful, the experience is more vivid through vlogs.
Thank you, Kristy and Emma, for sharing your life with us! It is greatly appreciated.
Hi Vikki,
I appreciate you stopping by and reading.. thank you! I have thought about doing travel vlogs.. and am interested in doing this in the future. :) -Emma
We have tracked a bit and can usually find deals. But we live in California and love little getaways around the state. Deals seem harder to find here, when trying to experience a nicer hotel. Any ideas for Napa area or Santa Barbara or Beach front hotels? Many many thanks!
Hi Lynn, I totally get that.. I felt the same way. I touched on this a little bit in the post.. but I would try last minute checking websites like Hotwire (using their Hot Deals feature) or try Hotels Tonight for an even more last minute check. You can find pretty good deals for both of those websites! :) Hope this helps. xx, Emma
Great series!! Loving. All the tips! Any cruise bookinj tips eould be great! We want to book a Mediterranean cruise for next year ?
Hi Amanda,
I’m so glad to hear that.. thanks for reading. :) Cruising is the 1 thing I haven’t done before… but I really want to do a med cruise! Have SO much fun. I definitely think researching med cruises through Pinterest and reading tons of articles that way is the best. Also, I would HIGHLY recommend stopping in Croatia! That area is so beautiful, the ocean is so so bright blue, and while it’s getting more and more touristy each year, it isn’t overcrowded just yet. xx, Emma
Thanks Emma this was so helpful! We are looking for a special 25th anniversary trip. Any suggestions? We haven’t traveled much so looking for tropical for 4-5 days. Excellent food and accommodations? Thanks for any help or insight. Loved the pics of your parents in Hawaii but that’s not in my budget ?
Hi Kerri,
Thank you for stopping by and reading the blog! Also.. happy early anniversary. :) I totally understand about Hawaii being out of your budget.. it’s out of mine too! ;)
Where do you live? That would be helpful to know off the bat so I can see how much flights are.
What I usually recommend to people who are from the U.S. for an inexpensive vacation is to head to Mexico (one of my favorite countries.. I’ve visiting twice this year!) OR visit Central America (Costa Rica!). Both places are a little less expensive than the U.S. but they have AMAZING food (Cabo has delicious food but the beaches aren’t amazing.. vs. Cancun where the beach is incredible).
You can always e-mail me if you need help on planning.. I love to do this in my spare time. xx, Emma
Emma – great tips!! I am planning a trip to Barbados…any tips for there? Thank you so much. :)
Hi Rhonda,
I haven’t been to the Caribbean in YEARS nor have I planned my own vacation there. Unfortunately I won’t be much help on that front.. but I’ve found a couple of blog post off of Pinterest that may help you a little bit.
https://www.divergenttravelers.com/things-to-do-in-barbados/
https://www.wanderlustchloe.com/barbados-travel-guide/#more-13451&_a5y_p=6643039
https://wanderingbajan.com/the-ultimate-barbados-travel-guide/
https://goodkingash.com/travel-barbados/
I also found a couple of hotels that I would probably look further into:
– Bougainvillea Barbados
– Ocean Two Resort & Residences by Ocean Hotels
– Little Arches Boutique Hotel
hope this helps. :) xx, Emma
Thanks for the Pinterest suggestion—I would not have thought of looking there for travel ideas. We are going to Barcelona at the end of April for a cruise. When are your parents going?
I was wondering if you’ve ever been to Colorado and have any recommendations? Thanks! ??
When traveling with our three kids, I personally look to see if breakfast is included with the hotel. I am happy to pay the extra $20. One of my favorite hotels in the U.S. is the Drury Inn and Suites. They have a free breakfast (I am not a picky person and most places can’t mess breakfast up) and a free kickback at 530 pm where you can have sliders, tacos, hotdogs. This allows us to eat a nice lunch somewhere. We also will go out after dinner to eat dessert at a fancy restaurant. With little/teenage kids it’s nice to be able to head back to the hotel to get a little downtime, before heading back out! For a family of five, this has saved us money so we are able to do other things.