Accommodation Choices for Single Travellers

One of the most expensive aspects of travelling is accommodation especially for a lone traveller. The bigger the group the more money there is to be made, through the cost of accommodation and also because people tend to spend more money especially on holiday when in a group than alone. Pairs and groups consume food and drink more from the offset - they tend push the boat out more because they make a saving when they split the cost of accommodation.

Single Supplements

The price of any hotel room is based on the service provided - mainly, the labour costs of the personnel employed to make you comfortable, the initial outlay for the fixtures and fittings, and the cost of consumables - linens, food and drink, toiletries etc. Of course the cost of accommodating a group of people is not much higher than the cost of accommodating just one solo traveller, therefore pairs or groups pay a lot less per head than singles.

On the bright side however, travelling solo is an area of the market that is growing at a extraordinary rate, and certain pockets of the industry are beginning to react - specialist travel agents have been the first to catch on, offering a whole range of packages designed to tempt the lone traveller - who accounts for about 10% of the market now. Certain hotel accommodations, mostly those geared for business customers are beginning to make special concessions for travellers who are frustrated with the single supplement culture.

Budget to Mid Range Accommodation

Most travellers have limited budget and therefore would like to spend as little as possible. Some people would be spend more  if they were with friends or family but opt to downgrade to avoid being punish for travelling alone - either through necessity or sheer stubbornness - to types of accommodation that offer a fairer deal.

Bargain accommodation options include campsites and hostels and they tend to charge per person rather than per space. The only main disadvantage is that this is the bottom end of the market – with the least comfort, services, facilities and security. On the other hand, campsites and hostels are the lone traveller's bread and butter - where the are guaranteed to meet people of like mind and make friends.

Bed & Breakfast Houses, Guest Houses and 1-3 Star Hotels are the next rung of the ladder and unfortunately it's here where we approach that middle ground of the market, where single supplements exist and lone travellers get the short straw.

Luxury

If you can afford the luxury room option then the cost of your accommodation probably isn't too much of an concern to you - and neither is the single supplement. However, you should bear in mind that this is the area of the market where the industry is responding most to the demand from the single travellers for a fair deal. Many 4 and 5 Star hotels are offering reasonable deals for singles, and not just for business clients.

Such deals would typically consist of lower-cost bonuses particularly attractive to solo travellers, such as the use of the health spa, Turkish baths and wellbeing facilities. As mentioned above, the cost of accommodating a solo traveller is not much less than that of accommodating a couple or a group of people, so to make up the difference they'll throw in these extras.

Travelling alone offers much joy but the advantage of sharing costs is not one of them unless you're ready to rough it a little now and then. If you're looking for something out of the ordinary and you have a reasonable amount of money to spend it's worth weighing up your options with various travel agents and put together a plan of what you're hoping to get out of your trip. With a very small budget try to avoid the catches by making the most of the Internet's countless travel sites and search the online forums for other solo travellers with whom you could share costs.