How to Look for a Cheap Motel Overseas

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Two Sets Of Sheets
• Mosquito Netting

1. Establish your budget for the evening.
2. Locate a hotel large enough to have a doorman, often the American hotel in the city.
3. Go to the hotel in your best clothes without your backpack, if possible.
4. Politely ask the desk clerk to direct you to the hostel or backpack district. If the desk clerk is unhelpful, ask a doorman. Tip where appropriate.
5. Upon arrival, look for signs of crime or evidence that you are in a red light district.
6. Look for other tourists, and ask for recommendations.
7. Choose a motel on a well-lit street and ask to see the room. If the motel is less than a few dollars for the night, check that the shower, toilet and appliances work.
8. Ask to see a better room, even if the one you have seen is acceptable.
9. Compare the rooms, and choose the best option for your budget.

Tips & Warnings

• Bring a sheet from home, if possible.
• Ask if breakfast is included, and if so, when it begins and ends.
• In developing countries, the difference between a $6 room and a $10 dollar room is often the difference between sleeping and not sleeping.
• Avoid renting a room over a bar.
• Haggle where appropriate.
• Mosquito nets are necessary in the tropics. Ask for one.