So I’m officially off the hook, a self-declared freelance writer, with no full-time job that makes me question my real existence in this world. 

Besides some pre-trip preparations to busy myself with, I’m all geared up for our South America trip that will probably see us hiking up mountains, snorkelling with sea lions and  sampling some fresh ceviche!

In a few weeks’ time, we’ll be starting our 4-month trip through South America from Buenos Aires, Argentina. As budget backpackers and a travelling couple, we tend to book affordable accommodation that allows us privacy of our own room, with  prices below US$20/person. These hotel reservation sites below come in handy for cheap guesthouse that are perfect for our needs:

Hotelsio.com

With a comprehensive search, linking you up to any of the popular hotel reservation sites such as Venere, Priceline and Expedia, this site is catching on to the new trend. It’s literally a one-stop booking engine for all hotel sites. However, the engine does not automatically compare the prices of the various reservation sites. You are redirected to the reservation site, and no extra booking fees are required.

Plaza Hostel Buenos Aires is the cheapest and most centrally located hostel I found, offering double rooms (breakfast and WiFi included) through Venere.com for US$33.7 per room.

Hotelscombined.com

This brand new site is also ahead of the trend, combining several reservation sites under one roof. What I like best is its function of comparing all the hostels/hotels of the various hotel reservation sites as one. A cheap hostel from Venere.com could be compared with another from Booking.com! The left bar also shows the various search options such as distance, currency to display prices and type of accomodation (hostel/guesthouse/hotel).

Plaza Hostel on Hotelscombined is also directed straight to Venere that charges the same amount of US$33.7 per room. Vida Baires Hotel offers nicer rooms but is slightly pricier, at US$38 per room, and can be booked through Booking.com.

Budgethotels.com

Though straightforward and user-friendly, this site caters more to the high-end travellers despite its ‘budget hotels’ title. The cheapest hotel in Buenos Aires came up to be Days Inn, with rooms from $57 per night, a far cry from our budget. Still, this is a useful site for the those seeking comfort and idyllic location.

Flashbooking.com

This funky website is radiating with energy and flashpacking vibes. This would be perfect for travellers seeking cheap and fun accomodation. But for those who are looking for private rooms might find this a little more tedious to use, as I had to click on each hostel to find one that provides double rooms. Unlike Hostelworld, it does not have the feature to refine a search. This new site is still building up its library, so don’t expect a wide selection of choice.

El Hostal de la Boca costs US$9.68/per person here, but without specifications of bathroom inclusion. A service charge of 2euros per booking is required.

Hostelworld.com

My personal all-time favourite booking site is easy-to-use and allows access to thousands of hostels around the world. You can narrow the search to private rooms/dorm beds and get an overview of all the guesthouses/hostels. My favourite feature is the free sms service it provides to remind you of your booking.

A double-bed ensuite room in el Hostal de la Boca on Hostelworld costs US$9.98 with a service charge of US$2 for each booking.

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What’s your choice of hotel reservation site? Do you use any other engines? Any good/bad experience? Share with us!

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