Booking Mistakes I’ve Made

When you start travelling, you make mistakes. It's part of the process — you learn by doing, you get burned once, and next time you know exactly what to check. Some of the best travel lessons come from the wrong hotel, the wrong booking, the small moment of "I should have read that more carefully."

Here are a few I made when I was starting out, and what I do differently now.

The Lima hostel that wasn't what I booked

I booked what I thought was a private room in Lima. I paid, I flew, I showed up, and it turned out to be a hostel with shared dorms and shared bathrooms. The listing was misleading, and I hadn't read carefully enough to catch it.

I almost lost it at reception. But there weren't many people staying that night, so I calmly asked the guy at the desk if he could move me to a private room. He did — problem solved. But it easily could have gone the other way. I could have ended up sharing a room with strangers, sharing a bathroom, on a solo trip where I really wanted my own space.

What I do now: I read every single line of the listing before I book. Room type. Bathroom. Amenities. Photos. And I check the reviews to see if anything sounds different from what the listing promises.

The Miami Airbnb with the Superhost living inside

I found what looked like an amazing Airbnb in Miami — beautiful place, near Brickell, ocean view, exactly what I wanted. I booked without reading carefully enough.

When I arrived, I realised the "Superhost" lived there. It wasn't the whole apartment — I was sharing the space with the owner. The place was big enough that we didn't cross paths much, but it was awkward. I like travelling solo because I like being alone. Closing my door, being on my own, not making conversation with a stranger in the kitchen.

What I do now: Before booking any Airbnb, I check three things — is the entire place private, is there a shared bathroom, does the host live on site. Those three answers change the whole experience.

Córdoba, and picking the wrong area

In Córdoba, Spain, I picked a hotel that was nicer than the others I was looking at — but it was outside the historic centre. Every day I had to walk quite a bit to reach the main sights. Ten easy minutes became thirty each way. On a short trip, that eats up your time and your energy.

The hotel was lovely. The location just didn't work.

What I do now: Location comes before amenities. A simpler hotel in a great area beats a beautiful hotel far from where you actually want to be. Always.

What all three had in common

They all came from the same mistake: not reading carefully enough before booking. Beautiful photos, an exciting price, a rush to lock it in — and the details that mattered got missed.

Now, before I book anywhere, I go through:

Full description. Every line. Especially the parts most people skip.

Reviews from women. Real experiences, not just star ratings.

Location. Satellite view, street view, and where it is relative to what I want to see.

The fine print. Cancellation policy, check-in hours, deposits, and anything about the host being present.

It sounds tedious. It takes fifteen extra minutes. It has saved me every single time.

Have you experienced this while travelling solo? Share your story with the She Wanders Safe community soon.