Okay, so I recently went down a rabbit hole trying to find the absolute best way to book hotels in tropical paradises. You know, those dreamy places with palm trees and crystal-clear water. Figured I’d share what I learned.
First off, I started with the obvious: Google. I mean, everyone does, right? I typed in “best hotel booking sites tropical destinations” and got a massive list. Problem was, it was overwhelming. All these sites claiming to have the lowest prices, but how do you really know?
So, I decided to get a bit more methodical. I picked a specific destination – Bali – and a specific date range. Then, I started comparing prices across a bunch of different sites. Here’s where it got interesting:
- Always a solid starting point. They have a huge selection of hotels, and their interface is pretty easy to use. I like the map view to see where the hotels are actually located.
- Expedia: Similar to *, tons of options. Sometimes they have package deals that can save you some money if you’re also booking flights.
- Their rewards program is actually pretty good. For every 10 nights you book, you get one night free. Could be worth it if you travel a lot.
- Agoda: This one seems to be particularly strong in Asia. I found some good deals on smaller, boutique hotels in Bali that I didn’t see on the other sites.
- Kayak: Kayak is more of a search aggregator. It searches across a bunch of different sites to find the best prices. It’s a good way to quickly compare prices, but sometimes the links take you to weird, less-known booking sites.
After that first round, I wasn’t completely satisfied. I felt like I was missing something. That’s when I decided to dig deeper and look for more specialized search engines.
I started searching for terms like “luxury hotels Bali” or “best villas Maldives”. That’s when I stumbled upon some sites that focus on higher-end accommodations.
- Mr & Mrs Smith: This site is all about stylish, boutique hotels. They hand-pick the hotels they feature, so you know you’re getting something special.
- Tablet Hotels: Similar to Mr & Mrs Smith, Tablet Hotels focuses on design-focused and unique hotels. Their website is gorgeous, and it’s fun just to browse.
- Luxury Retreats (now part of Airbnb): If you’re looking for a villa, this is the place to go. They have a huge selection of high-end villas in tropical destinations.
But here’s the kicker: I also realized that sometimes, the best deals aren’t on the big booking sites at all. Sometimes, it pays to go directly to the hotel’s website.
So, after finding a few hotels I liked on the search engines, I went to their websites and checked their prices. And guess what? Sometimes they were cheaper! Hotels often offer discounts if you book directly through them, to avoid paying commissions to the booking sites.
My final strategy? Use the big search engines (*, Expedia, Agoda) to get a sense of the prices and options. Then, check the hotel’s website directly. And if you’re looking for something special, check out the more specialized sites like Mr & Mrs Smith or Luxury Retreats.
Also, don’t forget to read the fine print! Check for hidden fees, cancellation policies, and whether breakfast is included. It all adds up!
In the end, it took a bit of work, but I felt like I found the best possible deal for my tropical getaway. Hope this helps you find yours!
