Why Sharing a Hotel Room With Another Traveler is a Phenomenal Idea

We live in a world that is not only constantly evolving but one that is doing so at an incredible speed. More and more we are hearing of innovative individuals and companies questioning the status quo and challenging norms to find unique ways to improve products or services while making them far more cost-effective—the concept which gave rise to the sharing economy. What once started as a buzzword and has now totally transformed the way in which many people live, the sharing economy now allows you to “share” almost anything—from taxi rides and bicycles to WiFi and houses. The latest revelation in the sharing economy is equally as novel as its counterparts and takes the concept of sharing accommodation to a whole new level. Today, solo and business travelers can split their hotel bill in half by opting to share their room with another willing traveler. While your initial reaction may be one of surprise, here’s how the concept typically works and why it makes a lot of sense:

It’s a simple concept

As with many of the businesses that form part of the sharing economy, the idea to share your room with another traveler is simple; when you book your ideal accommodation according to your preferences (star rating, location, perhaps even a green rating, etc.), you will have the option to share your room. Other interested globetrotters traveling over the same dates and in the same destination as you, with similar preferences, will be suggested to you, at which point you can review their profile and either reject or accept the suggestion. If you feel the suggested person would be a good fit for you, you can accept it and enjoy the perks of sharing your room with another traveler.

You can save money on premium accommodation

Backpacking when you are young and none the wiser is great. Backpacking and sharing a room with 19 other strangers when you feel that you have far outgrown a dorm—less enjoyable. As are less-than-average two- or three-star hotels. With the “share a room” concept, you don’t have to settle for less than four- or five-star accommodation if you don’t want to. Because you split your fare with your travel partner, you get considerably more value for your money than if you were to stay in a luxury room alone or enjoy absolute opulence for the same price you could a three-star hotel. For bon vivants who enjoy all the best things in life, but don’t quite yet have the cash flow to indulge in it fully, this option is ideal.

It’s one of the most secure ways to share a space

Opting to share your room with a stranger might raise a lot of questions regarding safety, but in reality, it’s far safer than sharing someone’s private home. The reason? If you book your share room through a trusted site that offers this option, then you can rest assured that potential travel partners have been properly vetted. Between the pre-screening process, the fact that you can pick your room partner yourself (and get in contact with them before your trip) and the added bonus of excellent security typical of high-end hotels, sharing a room with a fellow traveler in this way is far safer than many other forms of shared accommodation out there.

You don’t necessarily have to travel alone

Anyone who has ever traveled by themselves (be it for business or pleasure) would know that it’s not always a comfortable feeling going everywhere solo with no one to make sure that you made it back to your accommodation after a long day exploring the city. By sharing with another traveler, you ensure that someone will know if you don’t make it back to your accommodation. Because you are able to hand select your room share buddy, you might also find that the two of you are even more like-minded than you originally thought, which means that you might not need to dine or go sightseeing by yourself—in fact, you may find that at the end of your trip you have a new lifelong friend.

If you are interested in booking a stay at a luxury establishment for a fraction of the price then look no further than TiCATi. Our innovative and efficient online booking platform allows you to book or book-to-share (with our ShareRoom function) the hotel of your dreams in many of the world’s finest cities such as Paris, New York, San Francisco, London, Amsterdam, Bangkok, Tokyo, Osaka, and Taipei. Those interested in eco-friendly hotels also have a wide array of options to ensure that you find the ultimate accommodation, perfectly in-line with your efforts to live life greener and with more integrity to your beliefs.