| Most industry insiders are predicting that this year | | | | small hotels are setting aside a quota of rooms online |
| more people will be jetting off on city breaks, | | | | for the budget traveler, safe in the knowledge that |
| inter-railing round Europe and generally heading off | | | | they will be snapped up. |
| traveling in greater numbers than ever before. And | | | | What's more many small hotels have realized that |
| they're spoilt for choice when it comes to the sheer | | | | they can turn their size into a significant advantage. |
| range of excellent accommodation options out there. | | | | Global travelers are increasingly looking for a sense of |
| Hostels | | | | uniqueness, of individuality. It's this desire that has |
| The number of backpackers hostels and independent | | | | inspired the rise of the boutique hotel, a concept which |
| youth hostels has surged in response to increased | | | | the cheaper end of the hotel market has embraced. |
| demand for cheap accommodation, as a result of a | | | | And there are times when even the most ardent |
| radical overhaul from the travel industry in the last five | | | | backpacker or roving student traveler wants freshly |
| years, or so. | | | | pressed sheets, a hot shower to themselves and a |
| The package holiday for so long a staple of summer | | | | good night's sleep. Oh, and perhaps a mini bar... |
| holidays has become chronically unfashionable, as | | | | Bed & Breakfasts |
| people increasingly looked to move away from the | | | | Bed & breakfasts and guesthouses have also |
| uniformity that they promoted. And the conventional | | | | experienced a real resurgence in popularity in recent |
| high street travel agent is feeling the pinch, as people | | | | years. Both generally define themselves as 'homey' |
| increasingly found they could cut out the middle man | | | | and comfortable with an emphasis on personal service |
| and make their own arrangements online. | | | | rather than luxury. And their renewed popularity has |
| In light of this, people had to find some form of | | | | come as a result of these values being increasingly in |
| affordable accommodation on their holidays. And the | | | | demand by footsore travelers. |
| answer came increasingly from the ranks of the | | | | Like the cheap hotel market they have responded well |
| independent youth hostels and backpackers hostels. | | | | to a shift in the market, and the recent rise of boutique |
| Hardly a new concept - youth hostels have been | | | | hotels by radically improving their service. |
| around for years now - the necessary tweaks really | | | | Apartments |
| started to be made back in the late 90s. In retrospect, | | | | Hovering somewhere between the service provided |
| it's hard to see which came first, the great | | | | by a backpackers hostel (with a kitchen and lounge |
| accommodation or the booking sites that drive them. It | | | | area as a general rule) and a hotel (you don't have to |
| goes without saying that there couldn't be one without | | | | share your accommodation with anyone else) renting |
| the other. | | | | an apartment has become a viable alternative to the |
| But with the internet, and a series of sites who allowed | | | | usual cheap hotel/B&B/hostel options. The hotels |
| their customers to 'rate' hostels came a greater | | | | sector has even responded to the demand for |
| awareness of what travelers actually wanted and | | | | apartment-style accommodation with the growth of |
| needed. Now well-stocked kitchens or cool communal | | | | aparthotels. |
| areas boasting libraries filled with travel guides and | | | | The apartment concept can be a winning one, |
| DVDs, prove the rule rather than the exception. | | | | particularly for those traveling in groups or those |
| And just as the hostels have gained in popularity (and | | | | looking to stay in a town or city for more than a few |
| quality), so too has the rest of the budget | | | | days. Groups can really fill out an apartment and make |
| accommodation sector begun to take notice of the | | | | it somewhere that they'll genuinely look forward to |
| numbers of people, and offering an ever-improving | | | | coming back to at the end of a long day's sightseeing, |
| service for less than you'd think. | | | | whilst long-stayers can settle in and spread out more |
| Cheap hotels | | | | than they could in a cheap hotel or hostel. |
| The cheap hotel market, so long, seemingly, a slightly | | | | All in all, things have rarely looked as rosy for travelers |
| complacent force reluctant to really compete on price | | | | with a budget. |
| and relying on their hotel status, has started to really | | | | Find tips about birthday party food and chinese |
| square up to its competitors. Increasingly, owners of | | | | birthday at the Birthday Celebration Ideas website. |