No Frills / Budget Accomodation Tips

A budget/no frills accommodation is one whereby the cost is much cheaper due to the reduced amenities offered.  They typically range in price between USD$25 - USD$70 per room, per night depending on location.  Some do provide breakfast as part of the quoted price.

No Frills/Budget options can be found in most accommodation categories:

Hotels

Guest Houses

Bed & Breakfast

These type of accommodations are generally well kept,  safe and comfortable.

At a no frills/budget stay, your  room will consist of the basics - bed,  bed linen( 2 pillows, mattress, sheet, cover/duvet), night table, chair, chest of drawer/cupboard with mirror, fan/air conditioning/heating, welcome pack of small shampoo, soap, hand cream and shower cap - these are all dependent on the individual accommodation provider and not guaranteed.

Your bed linen may be changed every two days depending on length of stay.

Some accommodations do provide a small television in each room with limited cable access along with internet connection / wi-fi. Most have a general common area for TV viewing as well as socialising.

Towels may or may not be provided.

Do expect to pay more for amenities such as laundry, extra linens, towels,  lunch, dinner, etc.

Many of these accommodations also offer at an extra cost to their guests arranged tours, tickets to various events of interest, guided shopping trips and more. 

A wide cross section of travellers utilise no frills/budget accommodation facilities these days as it proves a much better option finance wise to extend one's travel budget.  They are particularly popular with student groups, backpack travellers and those in town for festivals/sporting events who just require a safe place to store their items and somewhere to sleep till the next day's event/festivities.

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Accommodation Terminology

These are terms you may see/hear when booking or staying at an accommodation.  Knowing wht they mean upfront may help in clearing up any misconceptions.

Adjoining rooms
Rooms that are connected either by a single door or a walkway. Some rooms are also connected by a bathroom, which is shared between the two rooms.

Amenities – Personal toiletry items such as shampoo, toothpaste, mouthwash and electrical equipment.

American plan – A room rate that includes meals, usually breakfast and evening meal as well as room rental in the room rate.

Continental breakfast – Juice , fruit, sweet roll and/or cereal.

Double Occupancy Rate

If two people stay in a single room (with the hotelier’s permission) they may be able to benefit from a double occupancy rate. This means that they are charged less than they would be if they stayed in the room alone. For example, a single occupancy room may cost $100 per night, but two people may only be charged $60 each to stay in it (most hotels increase the price slightly with double occupancies).

Double Room Rate
This states how much a double room costs per person – for instance, £50 per person.

En Suite
An en suite room comes with a private bathroom. These rooms often cost more to stay in.

European plan – A rate that quotes room charge only.

 
Group rate – Room rate offered to large groups of people visiting the hotel for a common reason.

Hard key system – A security devise consisting of the traditional hard key that fits into keyhole in a lock; preset tumblers inside the lock are turned by the designated key.

King-size bed – The largest size of bed available, with dimension of 78 inches x 80 inches ( eastern king ) or 72 x 80 inches ( California king )

Nightstand – A nightstand is a small stand or cabinet designed to stand beside a bed or elsewhere in a bedroom, as a place to put anything likely to be required during the night; also called night table.

Queen size bed – A queen size bed has the dimensions 5 ft 6 in x 6 ft 6 in.
  
Room Rate
A basic rate showing how much a room costs to stay in for one night.
 
Studio bed – this is dual purpose bed that is used as divan in the daytime and converts into a bed in the night after the removal of bolsters and covers.

Wi-fi - Wi fi enables guests to access the internet without connectivity problem.

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Guest House, B&B - what's the difference??

During the Great Depression, many people opened their homes to travelers to bring in some additional money for the family. The term "boarding house" was used at this time. After the Depression, this type of lodging declined and many people had the idea they were just for low-income travelers or drifters. In the early fifties, people may remember the term "tourist home" being used. This too was essentially a form of bed and breakfast.


Travellers are sometimes confused by the terminology and often book a room in a Guest House or B&B expecting Hotel styled comforts and amenities. The following should assist you when booking your next accommodation.

Bed & Breakfast (B&Bs)
A typical Bed and Breakfast is a private home, which accept guests for the night and breakfast is included in the cost. Bathrooms and other facilities are shared with other guests.  These accommodations can range from between 2-5 room.


Guest House
A guest house is an generally an accommodation where the owners live separate to the guests.  There is also limited staff available and as such have strict check in and check out times.


As with main stream hotels, no two B&B or Guest Houses are alike.  Dependent on culture, location and personal tastes of the owners these establishments can range from no-frills to full amenities similar to hotels.

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