Hey there Reader, No I am not talking about catfishing and dating.....because that's a whoIe other kettle of fish! I'm talking about hotels, and accommodations. You know those gorgeous photos of sun filtering through the most beautiful rooms and resort. Taken by professional photographers, and uploaded to the various popular booking sites. The one's that lure you in, inviting you to take the vacation of your dreams with your hard earned money. Only to find that once you get there, it's definitely not the 4 star property you thought you were getting. Or worse, it doesn't even exist. Like this tweet I found through one of the other travel newsletters I read, The Navigator, which made me chuckle. Sometimes you gotta laugh, when you really wanna cry. After 4 months of travelling, and using a variety of our favorite booking sites to book our accommodations here are a few ways we avoid being catfished by hotels etc:
If it does happen to you, try not to let it ruin your whole trip. See if there is a way to get some compensation, a move to a partner hotel or different room, or if you can swing it, book a completely different place and make the best of things. I get it, it's frustrating when a place doesn't live up to the price or expectations. We recently stayed at a fancy resort in Boracay for our daughter’s birthday, as a treat. The first night was lovely, great room, awesome amenities until we noticed an electrical burning smell from the AC. The staff moved us quickly, but what should’ve been a simple switch turned into a 3.5-hour ordeal. They shuffled us through smaller rooms, one with just a cot for our daughter, and even stuck us in a loud, chaotic building. Eventually after I repeatedly advocated for a better room, we landed in a much bigger room back in our original building, though it still didn’t compare to our first. I was pretty mad at wasting all that time, when we only had a few days on the island. But after a good vent to my partner, I decided to let it go, as I didn’t want it to ruin our girl's special island birthday. An experience that I am sure we'll talk about in years to come. Well that's all for today's lovelies. If you have any more tips for ways to avoid getting catfished by hotels, hit reply and let me know. Journey On, Donna P.S. This Snorkelling & Sunset Cruise we took in Boracay was super fun. Traveling soon? Use these helpful links:
. Emails may contain affiliate links. If you sign up or buy something through an affiliate link, I may get a little commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you! This helps support my family & supports me to make free resources available for everyone. |
An ever curious traveler with a passion for making memories with my family. I give families the tools to experience the joys of travelling, no matter your budget. Through quick, practical solutions. Join me if you'd like to make more memories confidently travelling with your kids, without straining your finances, going into debt, or feeling like you'd have to sell off a kidney to fund your next vacation.
Hello from beautiful Thailand Reader, We just arrived here after an overnight flight from the Philippines. What was I thinking, picking a flight that left at 2am. I’m not in my 20’s anymore. On the plus side though, the Mactan - Cebu International Airport is the of the nicest I've been to, so not the worst place to spend a few early morning hours. More on the Philippines in another email. 🏕️ Today I just wanted to pop in to say Yosemite National Park has opened up campground reservations in...
Hey Reader, We have hit our three month mark of our South East Asia trip. This week so far in the Philippines I have admired 3 gorgeous beach sunsets punctuated by loud competing 80's rock, jammed three not so tiny people into a tiny side car electric bike "taxi," and watched Derek & Miss S our now 12 year old, have Garra rufa (doctor fish) nibble their feet in a fish spa, at an Aquarium in Cebu of all places. Speaking of interesting things, I’ve gathered up my top 5 favorite things I’ve...
Hello from Hanoi Vietnam, It has been a long while since we last chatted. I've been traveling around Vietnam with my partner Derek and Miss S. (my 11 year old) for the past 2.5 months, and playing hooky from my blog & emails. Just getting back into it, so more on SE Asia to come. In the meantime, here's a couple of photos from Train Street in Hanoi. The anticipatory atmosphere feels like waiting for a parade. Only slightly more dangerous, and with no free candy (much to my youngest's...