Traveling alone is not so bad after all. Unable to convince my travel buddy the Virgin Mare nor my Ladies Who Lafang buds nor my idol/Food Magazine Editor in Chief Nana Ozaeta nor fave foodie Malu Gamboa nor my sister Goldee to come with me to London to attend the 50 Worlds Best, I ventured out on my own.
Usually the buying of the tickets and reservations for the hotels is taken care of by either a travel bud or my sister. This time I had to do it by myself. Sus, madali naman pala.
I booked via agoda.com.
But not without mistakes.
First thing you need to remember is that not all hotels have free cancellation. The big sign on the site that says you can change your mind as there is free cancellation is applicable, it seems, to all hotels, but not to all rooms. So make sure to check in the box you are clicking that there is free cancellation if you are not sure of your dates or if you are like me, changing her mind every five minutes. Anyway, the sign is easy to spot and if you hover your mouse over it, the policy will appear in a box (ex. hotel policy no cancellation).
Another is that it would be wise to call the hotel to double check your booking before you arrive. The Park Grand Paddington - but this was the mistake of the hotel, not of agoda - missed out on my reservation. But when I got there, they told me my reservations was under bookings.com - which site I never even touched. There was a mix up by the hotel's reservation office. But after a short wait they confirmed my agoda booking.
Otherwise it's easy as eating.
A few things I liked about agoda.com:
1. So many choices. I found the range of hotels - from savvy to skwating - very appealing. And since you can cancel at the last minute (they give you a deadline for cancellation), I booked in several hotels first! For London I booked at the Savoy, then at the Strand Palace Hotel (across the Savoy; just literally across the street); then at the Park Grand Hotel Paddington. Then since I missed the deadline (this is what I need my sister/friends for! - I always forget!) I had to suck it up and stay at all three.
2. The Rewards system. If you hate the hotel when you get there, even if you may no longer get a refund for the night you booked, other hotels become more affordable because of points you'd've earned from earlier hotel bookings. I decided to move back to the Savoy from Park Grand Paddington because I wanted a) a real hotel for my last night and b) a venue that was easily accessible to the shops and tourist sites. Since the rewards I had earned from previous bookings already hit $100, in effect it cancelled the hotel taxes for the new Savoy reservation. It comes out cheaper so there's less guilt in spending!
3. No check out. If you go through an agent or book directly with the hotel, as I used to do in the past, you need to go to reception and pay when you check out. With agoda, it's already taken care of. You can just leave! (Unless, of course, you have room charges - which the hotel can charge to your credit card.) At the Strand, I just had to drop off my key into a box. At Park Grand, I just left. At Savoy, they give you a beautiful letter with your room charges but a call from your room - if you left your card details with them - settles it. So convenient!
4. More rewards. After the trip, I continued to get emails from agoda encouraging reviews of the hotels I stayed at for another 500 points. This gives you the opportunity to share your views on the hotel with the travel community and also encourages you to travel some more. Brilliant.
5. Requests. While en route to London I realized I was coming in too early (arriving 9am when check in's at noon). I sent out an email from the Abu Dhabi stopover via the agoda site. When I arrived at the Savoy, it was all taken care of. Early check in - check!
A few things to remember when booking - whether via agoda or directly with the hotel:
1. There is not necessarily truth in advertising. Don't believe all the pictures you see! I was taken in by the photos of the Park Grand Paddington (they have a helluva marketing team!). And to be fair, the bed looks just like it does in the photo. But you need to consider other things too: service, location (how near the train station/bus stops), wifi, heating system, concierge services. Which they were not exactly excellent at.
2. Ask about hotel transfer rates. It's not always free! The Savoy charged
£100 for a car to Heathrow while Park Grand offered a shuttle services for
£12.
3. Always have your booking reference number ready. It saves time for everyone in locating your reservation.
4. The room doesn't necessarily come with amenities. The Savoy was pricier but it came with the works - best service ever, adaptor, beautiful stationery, bottled water, etc. The Strand - which kind of looks like a dorm room - had the same but the less fancy versions. The Park Grand had just shampoo and soap, that's it! No water, no lotion, no hotel stationery, no snacks - no heat, even!
5. Location is very important. A major reason I moved back to the Savoy from Park Grand was that while the Park Grand was located in a nice community, the "hotel" was several blocks from the Underground while the Savoy was walking distance to all the sites (Trafalgar, Picadilly, Covent Garden). If you are near a bus station or the subway, it makes all the difference. Cabs in London are effing expensive!
A few tipid and travel tips I learned:
1. The first thing you need to do once you settle in is go to the subway and get a weeklong transportation pass. In London it's called the Oyster. It will save you several pounds and time in purchasing a daily ticket or hailing a cab. Then get acquainted with the stops. Sometimes it's easier to take the bus. You get to see the sites too!
2. Get directions before going anywhere! This will save you time and money. I kept getting lost - so annoying.
3. The concierge isn't necessarily the best tour guide. Remember some of these people just live from hotel to home. So they won't necessarily know where the best fish n chips is. You'll have to read up for things like that.
4. Not all airports are near the city. I spent around
£100 on a cab from Heathrow to the city thinking it was near. Duh.
5. Look for the Pinoys! I was fortunate enough to have met TFC's Danny Buenafe while I was there through ANC's Tony Velasquez who was there for the launch of a new Samsung phone. Through the embassy (many thanks to Ambassador Catapang) and TFC peeps whom I met through Danny, I learned that if you have a number, some Pinoys are willing to drive for you; and if you overpack from shopping, there's a cheaper door to door alternative to shipping your things back home. Plus I got to eat adobo!
Finally, don't be afraid to get lost - even if you're a girl (as long as the city is safe!). Sometimes this is when you find the best shops/restaurants/pubs and people!
