On this page you can find all the reviews about the accommodations I stayed in so far. At least all the ones I can think of and that's a lot ;)
Mostly I try to find accommodations for an affordable price. That means you will find a lot of hostels and also some airbnb's down here. I just started to book airbnb's a few months ago, when I went to Tennessee with a friend. In the beginning I was quite concerned to do it on my own but the first experiences totally changed my mind and if I can't find a hostel, the next I look for is definitely an airbnb. So in the future there will be a lot more of them!
In case you're looking for an accommodation right now I will link my two favorite websites right here:
The first one is where I find all my hostels (english and german version)
http://www.german.hostelworld.com/
and the airbnb website
- New Jersey
- Los Angeles
- Vancouver
- Houston
- Austin
- Miami
- San Diego
- Las Vegas
- Memphis
- Nashville
- Orlando
- Tampa
- San Francisco
- Philadelphia
- New York City
- Washington D.C.
New Jersey - Airbnb Pennsauken Township
This is the airbnb I booked during my stay in Philadelphia. I booked this trip kind of last minute and was glad to find this amazing accommodation! It's in New Jersey, not far from Downtown Philadelphia. It takes 15 min by car. I took an uber which was really affordable. The host's name is Victoria. She has the cleanest house I've ever seen in my entire life - not kidding. Everything is so organized and has it's own charm. The room is like a hotel room and you have everything you need. The bed is comfy, the bathroom is right outside the room, there is a TV, even a robe!
You are welcome in the other rooms of the house which is pretty convenient. Victoria even offered me food from her kitchen which is all organic. The place where she lives is safe and quiet. I paid 40$ for a night and it's totally worth the money. The only thing that I didn't like that much was the smell of peppermint in the room since I'm not a big fan of peppermint. But I opened the window and everything was fine. I can absolutely recommend this airbnb.
New Jersey - Double Tree by Hilton
Finishing New Jersey up with an accommodation that I can also recommend a 100%
The location was great! Safe, clean, close to a mall, everything you can wish for. Also we had a shuttle that picked us up right at the airport - so convenient!
The rooms are equipped with comfortable beds, a bathroom, aircondition, a TV,... and they offer enough space. The cleanliness is superb, it's calm and there is also a pool at the hotel!
As I was there for my au pair training we got a different menu I guess but I absolutely loved it every single day. There was a huge variety of food. Also amazing desserts and a good selection of drinks. For myself the water in the US is a very important topic and now I can say - this is the place where I threw away my water bottle that had a filter. Don't worry about the water - you can totally drink it and they also offer filtered water. The staff was welcoming and helpful when we came up with our questions. One of it was ordering food which was not a problem at all. It was so easy and they had the menu of several restaurants that deliver. As I didn't have to pay for that on my own, I can't really talk about the price. Anyways, I would book it again even if it's a more expensive accommodation for me personally.
Los Angeles - Surf City Hostel
In Los Angeles I was lucky again to find a hostel like this! It's located right at Hermosa Beach where you can find stores, cafes and restaurants right outside of the door. If you're up for party, this is also the perfect spot for you. But keep in mind that you might hear it at night. The staff came every day to clean the rooms and also the kitchen and the rest of the hostel was clean. I couldn't find an elevator though.
Especially friendly was the woman at the reception, she was really helpful and talkative. The atmosphere was great, people where hanging out together in the common rooms, had some meals together etc.
For the price of around 30$ it's definitely worth a stay.
We spent a long weekend there in November and we where 3 girls, of course we wanted to stay together in a room which we booked but then we had some problems. So one of us had to stay in another room even if two people moved out the next day and there would have been space for the third of us to move in. That was a bummer. Apart from this we had a good weekend there. The hostel offers free breakfast; a woman who works there helped me to make the best oatmeal I ever had and also if you need help with getting around you are welcome to ask. The staff is friendly and the rooms are clean. They don't offer tons of space or many facilities (bathroom was out of the room but that's how we booked it) but if you just wanna explore the city it's perfect. They also offer a TV room. We were able to walk mostly to the sights we wanted to see. Nearby are tons of cafes and restaurants, grocery shops and also a copy shop. If you wanna travel on a lower budget and don't need too much then this is the right place for you to stay.
The hostel is located in a beautiful, quiet, safe and relaxing area. The right place to calm down from the stress life can offer. Also they have a pool (it was too cold when I came there to jump in) and free food nights! They have washing machines (bring coins!) and the staff is friendly and really helpful. When I got there I got all the maps and bus schedules I needed and some hints where to go in the city. It's possible to walk into the city but there are also some bus stops close-by. At night it's quiet; I stayed in a dorm room with a few other women and went to explore the city with one of them. They offer a kitchen and a breakfast room. Also it's clean and seems pretty new to me. So if you want a quiet place in a safe and beautiful area you should definitely go ahead and stay at the Hi Hostel in Houston.
Because I love the Hi Hostels I also chose one here in Austin. It was a good choice, as always. There was a bus stop close by, it was right next to a Lake with a wonderful walking trail (highly recommended), they have a relaxing zone outside and you can also rent bikes directly in the hostel. They also offer breakfast which consists of fruits, oatmeal and cereals. I'm not sure if there where also other things. The hostel is clean and affordable. So it's totally a hostel you can book if you don't wanna spend a ton of your money on a hotel.
What I liked about this hostel was the way it is built. They offer rooms, as well as a common area and a bar on the ground floor; also the check- in counter is there and more rooms on the first floor. They offer laundry service and free food nights. The rooms seem pretty old to me and not really clean. We had a bathroom ensuite which was really convenient. Although the cleaning woman came every day, the rooms just didn't seem clean. The location is great, it's close to South Beach and also to the city center. The breakfast they offer is not really big.. it's a bagel with cream cheese or jam and juice. That was kind of disappointing. We bought our own breakfast and we had enough space to store our food in the kitchen. The kitchen was really smelly and the floor was wet. I'm not sure if this was just during our stay or if it's always like this. I can't really recommend staying there to be honest.
San Diego - Unfortunately the hostel I stayed is not available online anymore. Never mind, it wasn't good anyways!
Las Vegas - Windermere at Worldmark
This accommodation is a more expensive one, but worth it. We had a really nice apartment, on the third floor (no elevator). There where parking spaces right in front of the apartments, which was great since we rented a car in Las Vegas. We had a kitchen with a dinner table, there was tea and coffee available, all the cooking utensils that you need, a microwave an oven, a dishwasher, etc.
We had a bathroom with shower gel, shampoo, fresh towels every day. There was a living room with a TV and one of the beds, also another room with the second bed and another TV, a closet, a little closet for the vacuum cleaner, a washing machine. You could literally live there. Also we had hot tubs outside of the apartment but we didn't have time to use them. There is a free shuttle to the strip; you will get the schedule when checking- in. Also you can order food at the reception. The only two things that we didn't like that much was that the wi-fi was only available for a fee and we had some issues with the aircondition at night. First it was too cold and then we woke up because it was way too hot. Might have been our fault though. All in all, it's a wonderful accommodation where you have the best service and for sure a great time.
A nice house, in a really peaceful area with friendly hosts! Totally recommendable is this airbnb close to downtown Memphis. We only spent 1 night there and first we didn't have big expectations. Just a room with some air mattresses.. but no there's so much more. First of all I have to point out that the air mattresses are really comfortable which I never thought. As I came there I had some issues with getting inside as the lock is pretty challenging. Luckily I had the phone number of the host Kimberly and she texted back within a few minutes so I was able to get inside. First it was kind of spooky to enter a house where I've never been before but as I turned on the lights and saw how beautiful it is I felt comfortable and that didn't change. In the evening Kimberly came upstairs to make sure everything is fine. She is such a nice person. There is plenty of space in the house. There are 2 bathrooms (one upstairs, one downstairs), a really clean kitchen with enough space to store food as well as cereals for breakfast and other stuff and also the living room where you can watch TV. What I really enjoyed in this airbnb is that there were a few rooms and we also met the other people who stayed there!
Nashville - Nashville Downtown Hostel
From Memphis we took the bus to Nashville where we stayed in the Nashville Downtown Hostel, which is as the name says directly in downtown. So the location is absolutely perfect! You're close to everything - tourist attractions, bars, restaurants, nightlife, etc so you won't need any transportation. The rooms are equipped with clean and comfy bunk beds, a sink, a microwave and some space to store food, we also had a bathroom ensuite with 2 sinks, a huge mirror, of course the toilet and a shower. The common area downstairs is quite big and offers a huge kitchen with tons of utensils and a few dining tables - a good place to get to know other travelers, some sofas and chill out areas right around it, music, bathrooms, the reception desk is there too and I guess these are the most important things. We had a great time in Nashville and I would for sure go back and book the Nashville Downtown Hostel again.
Orlando - Airbnb
We stayed in an awesome airbnb in Orlando which is unfortunately not available online anymore.
The only hostel I could find in this city! I came in and first it was kind of creepy, it seems also pretty old. Anyways, the staff was super friendly and helpful! I stayed in a 4 bed female dorm and it was nice and quiet. First I was by myself but then a woman from Germany joined. There is food for breakfast available and also one of the hosts offered self baked banana bread. They have filtered water and enough space to store food as well as a stove and plenty of cooking utensils. There is a common area with a TV and also the dining table is there. You will meet other hostel guests too so it's perfect for solo travels. To get around you can walk or take public transport. It's pretty close to the city center, there are a few supermarkets nearby. The area is safe and quiet. Make sure to look up the check- in times first. There was not really a place where I was able to store my luggage so I waited in the common area for a pretty long time. They offer free wi-fi which made the time went by a little faster. They have a nice outside area where you can eat, enjoy a drink or use the jacuzzi.
San Francisco - International Hostel
!!!ABSOLUTELY NOT RECOMMENDABLE!!!
As I arrived pretty late on a friday, the staff asked me to wait a few minutes as I wanted to check - in. I was not the only one, a few other guests were waiting. It was not like the staff was busy with work, they where talking about private things. After checking- in I went to my room, it was on the fifth floor, an elevator was available. The hostel didn't make an amazing impression but it was okay, it just seemed like an older house. They offer tons of rooms with less furniture. My room was equipped with bunk beds, a sink and a heater. I really don't need a lot but I didn't feel comfortable at all. The room was not clean and there was a little box on the floor with something inside that looked like animal poop, I was just hoping that there are no animals inside this room. With a very bad and uncomfortable feeling I went to bed, I was by myself this time. The other girl that stayed in the room went out. Suddenly as I wanted to sleep I felt something crawling on my body. I couldn't believe it but I had an idea what it was. I jumped out of the bed as I heard a squeaking noise, turned on the lights and away ran a little mouse. Shocked I went downstairs to the reception and asked them if they know that there is a mouse in this room. They didn't really care about it so I asked for another room. Their reaction was rude! With a smile they said "It's friday night, there are no other rooms". So I told them that I want to check out and also that I want my money back. Within a few minutes I packed my bag and luckily got a bed in the hostel down the road which is the next review.
The hostel that saved me from the mice - hostel! It was a last minute call and they still had a bed for me for the next 3 nights! I was so thankful and happy because as I entered the hostel I already saw that it's great. It looks very new, modern and clean. In general, I love all the hi- hostels I've been to so far. It's the hostels that I can recommend the most. They offer all the facilities and tools you need and there's nothing negative to say about hi- hostels. This one in downtown San Francisco is perfect if you wanna be close to tourist attractions, party, shopping, etc.
There's always breakfast included, they offer free food nights and other activities like walking tours through the city. If you book a hi- hostel you can be sure that it will be clean and also you'll get towels there ;)
San Francisco - Hi Fisherman's Wharf
A little walk up the hill and you'll arrive at the hostel with an awesome view where you can see the golden gate bridge. Sunsets there are amazing. The rooms are pretty simple when it comes to furniture and facilities. I had a bed (of course), a locker, a nightstand and a sink. The bathroom was outside of the room but that depends on the type of room you book. Compared to the Hi Downtown Hostel it was not that clean, but still recommendable. Also it was a little cheaper than the one downtown.
New York City - Blue Moon Hotel
Located in the Chinatown of New York City this Hotel is the perfect pick. The specialty for me personally was, that they also offer dorm rooms so it's affordable for young people too! Staying in a hotel but for a cheaper price, who would say no to that?
My room was on the second floor and had 6 beds - no bunk beds here! Only this was even luxury for me. Four of the beds where in the first room and then there was another door where the other two beds where. We had a bathroom, a sink, a little fridge, a dining table with some chairs, space for food storage and a TV. We were able to open the doors and also had some space to go outside to a little kind of balcony thing with a little table and two seats. During the night is was quiet and also the aircondition is easy to use. Downstairs where the reception is, is also a little café where you can buy beverages and food. They also have a common area but I didn't use it during my stay. The staff at the reception was friendy and quick. Definitely a place to recommend!
Washington D.C. - Highroad Hostel
Pretty close to the city center you can find this hostel, which offers dorm rooms as well as private rooms. I took the 15 dorm room but would not recommend it as it was really noisy at night. I was the only woman there for a few nights and all the other ones where guys... and they started to snore really loud at night. Also I prefer going to bed pretty early as most of my travels are solo travels and there were mostly groups in this room during my stay, that went out at night and I always woke up when they came back home. So I didn't get so much sleep there. But you can walk to the city center and also you have bars, clubs and restaurants down the street. You will also find supermarkets close-by and Washington D.C. is pretty cheap as most of the museums are for free. Back to the hostel, the rooms where clean, also the bathrooms. They offer multiple showers, sinks and toilets which is great so you never have to wait! Also downstairs where the reception is you will find a nice and huge common area (living room, dining room), a beautiful clean kitchen with 2 refrigerators and also a nice weekly program that you can look at while checking- in. During my stay they had free Mac and Cheese for the guests.
We found a pretty good deal on the app Groupon to stay here for a night.
We were 3 people and had 2 beds which was fine with us. There was also a heater, a microwave with coffee, a tiny bathroom with towels, a table with some chairs and a TV. So basically everything you need! We didn't have any problems there. It is a nice motel and also clean. Breakfast was not included.
The main reason why we picked it was, because it's really close to Crater Lake. It took us about 2 hours with the car to get there for our hike in the snow. Crater Lake is absolutely recommendable! The view is amazing and it was like a winter wonderland.
All in all I can recommend the Budget Inn if you want a nice, moderate and clean accommodation with friendly stuff.
We stayed there for a night after our visit to Bryce Canyon. This time we found a good deal on the website booking.com
Each of us had a separate big bed which was very convenient. The room was equipped with a table and a few chairs, a TV, a bathroom with towels and a sink with a big mirror outside of the bathroom. The motel also offers a pool and a hot tub (which was closed on the thanksgiving weekend). Breakfast was included and was totally adequate. There was different kinds of cereal, waffles (dough and waffle iron), juice, coffee, yoghurt, fruits, bread, jam, butter,...
Checking in was easy and quick, the woman at the reception was very friendly and for the check out we were able to drop our key into a box.
I can definitely recommend staying here.
Roadway Inn - Utah (Monticello)
Pretty similar to the one right above as it is the same chain. Also recommendable!
I stayed at this hotel just for a night. The rooms are very clean, mine was small but I had all that I needed. A bathroom, desk, TV, a big mirror, wardrobe, a very tiny fridge (this could actually be bigger). There was free water and wifi although I must say that the wifi is pretty slow. The aircondition costs extra which I think is a bummer.
The breakfast menu was great! A lot of variety to choose from: different kinds of bread, sausages, cheese, juices, a hightec coffee machine, cereal, pastries,... all you can think of!
Unfortunately the lady at the reception was very rude when I asked for an early check- in. I hope that the other stuff is more friendly. They have the opportunity to leave the luggage in the luggage room which is very unorganised and doesn't seem to have any system.
The location of the hotel is great. It is very central and if you wanna see the city you can walk everywhere, There are nice restaurants, bars, cafés right outside the door.
The price is a little bit too high I would say, since a single room costs 85€/ night with breakfast. Anyways it's a good, quiet hotel with all the service you need. Except the aircon in my case.
