Finding the perfect hotel can be a challenge.
Luckily, Astrid Clement, Astrid Solo Travel Advisor founder, has a knack for somehow finding the most fabulous hotels at affordable prices. Take the Hotel Regina in Paris or this luxury riad in Marrakesh or this historic beauty in Lisbon. From world renowned accommodations in Vietnam to opulent palaces in St. Petersburg, Astrid has stayed in some of the finest affordable luxury hotels around the world, all for a reasonable price. How does she do it? She’s shared a number of her travel planning tips before, and now we’re adding another tool to the toolbox: Oyster.com
How Oyster.com works
The company calls themselves a “hotel tell-all,” and features stories on topics ranging from foodie travel to luxury hotels, and even a photo fakeout section comparing altered photos to the real deal.
Population destinations at the moment include the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, New York City, Last Vegas, Cancun, Miami, Hawaii Riviera Maya, and Los Cabos.
Sorting out the real from the fake
“We send professional investigators to every hotel, and we publish comprehensive high-resolution photos, amazing panoramas, and expert reviews,” shares the Oyster.com team.”Our photos are undoctored and our reviews are honest, so you know exactly what you're going to get before you arrive.”
This hotel review and booking site is gaining traction with travelers, including solo travelers, for its wide-ranging coverage of hotels around the world. Their credibility really spiked when they were acquired by TripAdvisor in 2013. The company is based in New York and also has offices in Boston and London. On any given day, the company has around 50 investigators deployed. More than 1,000 new hotels are added to the site each month and over 70 countries have been visited to date.
It’s hard to tell whether or not you can trust the photos you find online. Especially now with programs like Photoshop and other photo editing software, the line between fiction and reality is becoming more and more blurred. This is why doing lots of pre-trip planning is so important. The last thing you want to discover is that your "luxury” hotel is really a dud. Add Oyster.com to your list of resources so that you never get scammed into booking a mediocre hotel.
To explore destinations, read reviews, and book a trip, visit oyster.com.
Explore more of our favorite hotels and other accommodation tips by scrolling through the posts below!
Author: Julia Ballard
Julia was the first member of the Astrid Solo Travel Advisor team, and has helped shape our unique approach to travel writing which focuses on affordable, luxury ideas for the solo traveler. She is on top of all the cutting-edge in everything from technology to travel, and works to share her insights with our audience. To read more about her and each one of our Solo Travel Advisors, head over to the About page!
For more affordable luxury solo travel tips, tricks, stories and advice, follow us on social media and listen to the Solo Travel Talk Podcast! Click on the links below!
Selecting a 5 star luxury hotel that is affordable in Tokyo is a challenge but there is an answer, the Hotel New Otani, The Main, the most iconic hotel in the city.