Generally speaking, there are three forms of accommodation that are realistically considered by students: hotels, hostels, and Airbnb. Maybe rather surprisingly, I do not necessarily have a favorite and you probably didn’t expect that most of my stays have actually been in hotels. I will talk you through my decision-making process below.
My first step is to look for suitable Airbnbs. Their major advantage is of course having a kitchen, bringing costs down considerably. If it comes down to a suitable hotel room and a similar Airbnb that costs up to 5 pounds a night per person more, I will always take the Airbnb. The following criteria should be used to narrow down the options considerably:
- Free cancellation
- 4.5+ stars
- 50+ review
- Within 2 miles from the city centre
- Superhost (strongly recommended)
- Depending on whether you travel as a couple, select “Entire stay” or at least “Private room” in the Type of Stay category
Set the price to about 20 pounds per person per night. You most likely won’t find anything so increase the budget by 5 pounds. Repeat the process as many times as needed until you find a few apartments that fit the criteria.
I cannot stress enough how important the criteria are! Since the place will be very cheap you have to ensure that it is of decent quality and location. Go below 4.5 stars and 50 reviews at your own risk. If there aren’t any suitable apartments with your set budget, cut out the Superhost requirement as a first step. I would always book weeks, if not months in advance so always include the option of free cancellation.
No matter if you think you found the ideal place to stay, your next step should be to look for a hotel/hostel alternative. I tend to use Booking but always check multiple websites. It is usually way faster to find suitable hotels and hostels because you can add more criteria and filters to narrow the choices down. For you, these should be the following:
- Free cancellation
- Reviews: Good or very good (8+ or 9+)
- 2 miles from the centre
- Private or shared bathroom (definitely private for couples)
- Single or double bed (double for couples)
- Add your budget
- Sort: price low to high
Again, I would start with a low budget and increase it as needed. Compare your results with the Airbnbs and keep in mind the cost of food!
P.S. There is no harm in booking multiple accommodations if you need more time to decide and have the option of canceling for free.