Prioritize your safety when booking accommodations for your trip with these key tips!

Whether you’re planning to go on a solo trip or take your loved ones with you, finding and securing accommodations for the duration of your stay could certainly make or break your vacation. While travelers usually consider lodging aspects like location, size, price range, and facilities, the guests’ main concern is always safety. 

To help you find safe accommodations prior to your trip, here are some tips to consider when booking your temporary home.  

Check if the owner or manager of the property conducts property safety checks

Before booking the property you’ve been eyeing for your trip, you should first make sure the owner regularly carries out safety checks. 

According to Julie Blake, the owner of Solmar Villa Holidays, some companies might skimp on performing proper safety assessments on their property to save on costs.  

Due to this, Blake advises travelers to inquire about the details of the safety inspections and to figure out who to talk to regarding any future grievances. 

If the owner of the property fails to provide complete information about how safety checks are conducted, it would be in your best interest to scroll past the listing and look for better options.

Ensure that you can avail of booking insurance, protection, and refunds

If you’re worried about your hard-earned money going to waste should mishaps occur, then look for lodgings whose management offer booking guarantees and protection to cover the guest’s expenses. 

An example of booking insurance is Airbnb’s “Aircover” which offers a “Booking Protection Guarantee,” a “Check-In Guarantee,” and a “Get-What-You-Booked Guarantee.” 

Should a guest experience problems with their lodging, Airbnb’s booking insurance offers other accommodation options or refunds. 

To sum it up, it’s hard to be certain that everything will go smoothly once you arrive at your lodging, so it’s important to have protection in place to prepare for possible issues. 

Do not provide information outside the online booking platform or the company’s official website

It’s much easier to book accommodations these days because of the numerous booking platforms available on the internet. However, you should always be mindful of the risks and concerns that come with online booking.

Based on his experience as a Travel expert at Travel Lens, Blake Walsh urges travelers to keep an eye out for potential scams on popular online booking platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo. On the other hand, if you plan to book with a company, make sure that you process your booking on its official website. 

To avoid becoming a victim of fraud, never provide personal information and bank details to hosts who insist on transactions and communication outside trusted websites. 

Double-check if the photos of the advertised property are real

Property photos play a crucial role in convincing people to book the place for their trip. However, there are instances where pictures can be used to deceive prospective customers into booking properties that look too good to be true.

To check whether the photos of the lodging you’re viewing are real, conduct reverse image searches through Google or other web-based solutions. By doing this, you can check if the pictures provided in a prosperity listing were stolen from another website or owner. 

Read the reviews left by past customers

The most effective way to screen accommodations is to check the reviews. Customer feedback can tell you details about the property that you can’t find in the listing itself. By doing this, you can find out whether you want to book the lodging or not.

However, if there are no reviews on the property yet, it’s up to you to make a calculated decision. Weigh the possible risks and rewards of booking the lodging despite the lack of reliable customer feedback.

One of the ways to ensure a fun, memorable vacation is to make safety your top priority. Everyone must be aware of the importance of finding safe lodgings for their vacation because it’s a skill that’s extremely useful to both seasoned and novice travelers alike. 

So, the next time you need to book accommodations for your trip, make sure to try these quick and easy tips for an enjoyable, worry-free experience!