This Travel App Saved Me When My Accommodations Fell Through At The Last Minute

Regardless of how many times I go abroad and explore a new country or city on my own, figuring out my accommodations isn't any less stressful. Because I travel so much, I typically rely on staying with friends, friends of friends, or in hotels arranged for me by other friends. And though these connections help me travel more than I ever thought possible, the nature of them means that they can fall through with little warning. But booking last minute on HotelTonight totally saved me when my accommodations fell through on my recent trips to Paris and Barcelona.

For these trips, I arranged my hotel accommodations through work friends, and because of one reason or another, both of those hotels didn't work out. Luckily, HotelTonight.com completely saved my trips.

If you're not familiar, HotelTonight offers amazing deals on hotels within a short time frame. My trips to Paris and Barcelona absolutely would not have been able to happen as successfully as they did had I not had a great service like this available to me.

In Paris, I was able to book an incredible stay at The Chess Hotel via HotelTonight. The Chess is within walking distance from the Opéra de Paris, near different metro stations, and was scootering or biking distance from some of the city's most iconic landmarks, including the Louvre Pyramid, the Montmartre neighborhood, and the Arc de Triomphe. My room even had a charming Parisian balcony so I could have the self-timer photo shoot of my dreams.

I love that I was able to book a hotel in a great neighborhood with all of the charm of a Parisian boutique hotel, and of course, all the comforts I regularly enjoy (like bathrobes and a rain shower), for such a discounted price. For a superior room like the one I stayed in, the starting rate is €165 (around $184), but I was able to book it for about $150 per night.

In Barcelona, I booked my stay at the Wilson Boutique Hotel on Avinguda Diagonal, which I picked out so I wouldn't break the bank. My budget for this trip was a lot smaller than it was for Paris, and this hotel was only around $100 per night through the app, so it was perfect for me. The location also seriously did not disappoint. I was next door to two different coffee shops so I could grab some breakfast, and the hotel was within walking distance of landmarks like Antoni Gaudí's Casa Milà and the Passieg de Gràcia shopping district.

The hotel is right across the street from a few buses, and has two different metro stops about a half mile away. When I was there, the hotel even offered a metro pass that provided 10 rides for only €10.20 ($11.36), instead of having to pay €2.20 ($2.45) per ride. All of this made the city super accessible for the entire time I was there, and I didn't have to break the bank while exploring.

Even though I consider myself a pretty good travel researcher, I'm not entirely sure I would have found these hotels had it not been for HotelTonight.com — especially at these price points.

There are definitely other hotel booking services, like Hotels.com, Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity, and more, that are great resources when you're trying to find last-minute accommodations for a bargain. While those are all great options, It's safe to say I'm glad I had HotelTonight to save the day and help make my Paris and Barcelona trips unforgettable.