I am, for lack of a better term, hella passionate about traveling. I’ve been to 27+ countries and lived & worked abroad in Australia, Greece & the Netherlands. But travel isn’t just about going abroad – sometimes, you need a weekend getaway in nature to reset your rhythms. Or, you just need to book a hotel because you can’t stay with your family again. 🤣
For whatever type of traveling you want to do, I have alternatives for you to book your travel and where to stay.
Check out Airbnb Alternatives: Part 2 for longer-term, family & pet friendly, queer-focused, and eco-friendly options.
Reminder: Cut Off the Spigot will be on break May 22nd and 29th and I will not be publishing those days. However, I’ll be back June 5th with Part 3 of my De-Google series (Part 1, Part 2).
The Learning Curve Episode 2: will be out within the next week for paid subscribers!
Monthly Q&As for Paid Subscribers: I had originally planned to host these on Patreon, but I think for the first few I may do them on Substack instead. More details to come, but I’m aiming for the last week of May to host the first one!
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As of publication (5/15/26) the viral TikTok campaign to buy bankrupt Spirit Airlines is still cracklin’ along. I like the idea – I’m all for shared ownership, and I appreciate that they’re talking to the Spirit union employees as part of the process. There have been missteps however – Hunter Peterson, the voice actor behind the effort, announced working with Munity and then backtracked and terminated the relationship.
I would love for this idea to work, but I’d hold off giving any money to the project until the details are more clear. If you want to learn more about how Spirit went bankrupt in the first place, More Perfect Union has a great video.
With all of the BS we’ve had to deal with from airlines over the past few decades, it’s worth learning more about why we should nationalize the airlines again. More Perfect Union has an incredible video on this as well.
Using Large Travel Sites as a Directory to Book Directly: While I don’t recommend using Booking.com to book your travel, you can use them as a travel directory to find options and then book directly through the hotel, airline, etc. This is similar to using Amazon as a shopping directory, which I’ve talked about before.
Hotels vs. Airbnb/Home Rental Stays: Generally I’ve found that it’s easier and sometimes cheaper to book a hotel vs. an Airbnb for lodging. For Airbnbs, communicating with the host and getting into the property can be a nightmare, especially for international travel.
Trip.com, Skyscanner.com: I’ve been using Skyscanner.com for over 10 years now, and Trip.com seems to have everything you’d find on similar travel sites.
The Details: Trip.com Group is publicly traded on the Nasdaq stock exchange with institutional investors as the largest shareholders. Trip.com supports DEI, but has spent $200K on lobbying since 2023 on the American Innovation & Online Choice Act. More info on the bill here.
My Thoughts: While I don’t love that they spent money on lobbying, they’re a decent option compared to some of the other major booking players.
Travel Sites They Own: Skyscanner, Travix, MakeMyTrip, Qunar, Ctrip, Travelfusion
What Can You Book?
Skyscanner.com is great for flights and they also have hotel & rental car options.
Trip.com has Hotels, Home/Apartment Stays (Similar to Airbnb), Flights, Rental cars, and even trains, attractions, and cruises.
Booking.com: Directly supports and profits from Israel’s illegal occupations and is on the BDS Boycott list.
Booking Holdings Inc owns: Priceline,com, Agoda, Kayak, Cheapflights, Rentalcars.com, Momondo, OpenTable, Booking.com
Expedia: Operates in illegal Israeli settlements and is on the BDS Boycott list.
Expedia owns: Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Vrbo, Travelocity, Hotwire.com, Orbitz, CheapTickets.com, CarRentals.com, Trivago, Wotif, eBookers
TripAdvisor: Operates in illegal Israeli settlements, mishandled sexual assaults in 2019, and they’ve spent $1.24 million on lobbying since 2023 on issues related to travel pricing legislation.
TripAdvisor owns: Viator, TheFork, Cruise Critic, FlipKey, Jetsetters, Bokun.io, Niumba, Holiday lettings, Housetrip
HomeToGo: Airbnb-like platform that offers home stays and rentals. If you don’t want to use Airbnb because of their impact on increasing rental costs for residents, I’d recommend a hotel instead.
The Details: Berlin-based company that’s publicly traded with institutional investors as their largest shareholders. HomeToGo does not have a public diversity policy, though that can be less common in non-US countries, and does not have a profile on OpenSecrets.
Travel Sites They Own: Agriturismo.it, AMIVAC, atraveo by Interhome, Casamundo, CaseVacanza.it, e-domizil, EscapadaRural, Ferienhaus.de, GetAway Group, HomeToGo, HomeToGo_PRO Doppelgänger, Interhome, Kraushaar Ferienwohnungen, Kurz Mal Weg, Kurzurlaub, maisondevacances.fr, my.hometogo, secra bookings, Smoobu, Timwork, Tourist-online.de, Tripping.com, and Wimdu.
What Can You Book? Generally seems to be home-stays only.
Where Can You Book? Across the US & internationally. I tested it out on a couple of rural locations where I used Airbnb in the past, and they had listings there too so their US coverage is pretty extensive.
HomeExchange: Membership-based home exchange. You will need to pay $235 a year for membership, but staying in another person’s home is free.
The Details: Owned by the Tukazza Group, a French company. Neither HomeExchange nor Tukazza Group have a profile on OpenSecrets or a public diversity policy. HomeExchange is a Certified B Corp and is committed to responsible travel.
What Can You Book? Home exchanges with other members.
Where Can You Book? US & internationally. On their website they note they have 550K+ homes across 155 countries.
HostelWorld Group: Although Hostel is in the name, they also offer hotels and BnBs. It’s a good option if you’re looking for cheap lodging in Europe or internationally.
The Details: Based in Dublin, Ireland and publicly traded with Charles Jobson as the largest shareholder. It looks like Charles Jobson built up a stake in the company for a potential buyout, but has not stated he wants to do so. HostelWorld Group supports DEI and does not have a profile on OpenSecrets.
What Can You Book? Hostels, hotels, & bed and breakfasts.
Where Can You Book? Europe is where they have the most listings, but they also have offerings in South America, Asia, & Africa. Their US listings seem to be limited to major cities.
FairBNB: Co-op based model for ethical house/apartment rental.
The Details: I would love to get into them, but unfortunately their website has been down for several months now. I’m not sure if they’re operational, as the last post on their Instagram page was from November 2025 noting that they were addressing the security attack, and have not updated their page since.
Originally covered in my Let’s Boycott Companies that Support ICE article, but included here for reference.
BreakfastAndABed.com: Directory of Bed & Breakfasts across the US and internationally.
BBOnline: Directory of Bed & Breakfasts across the US and worldwide.
InnSite: Directory of Bed & Breakfasts across the US and some international countries.
InnDependent Stays: Super helpful map & directory of independently-owned hotels, motels, bed & breakfasts across the US & Canada. (Added 7/24/26)
The Details: Founded by Brett McManus and held privately, InnDependent stays does not have a profile on OpenSecrets nor a public diversity policy, though their company has less than 10 employees.
Family & Pet Options: You can’t filter listings by family or pet friendly options, but details are available in the listings and on the properties’ websites.
Independently-Owned Hotel/Lodging Networks
Magnuson Hotels: Network of locally-owned hotels mostly in the US with some international locations. Magnuson Hotels is independently owned by the founders, Thomas & Melissa Magnuson.
Lark Hotels: Network of independent properties in California, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont. Approximately 22 of the properties are owned by the founder of Lark Hotels, the rest are owned independently.
SLH (Small Luxury Hotels of the World): Network of independently owned hotels worldwide, though they partner with Hilton to offer their properties to rewards members. SLH itself is privately owned.
Select Registry: Non-profit network of independently owned inns, BnBs, and hotels across the country.
Historic Hotels of America: Network of mostly independently owned historic hotels in the US, including Puerto Rico & the Virgin Islands. Historic Hotels of America is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a non-profit, to recognize and celebrate historic hotels.
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Couchsurfing is sort of like the Buy Nothing groups of the travel world – it’s free! You pick a host to stay with, and generally in exchange you connect with the host through conversations. It’s very communal.
I couchsurfed several times in Europe while in college and it was incredible. Two young handsome Italian men made my friends and I dinner in Tuscany while we stayed with them, and I met a Polish artist in Krakow through my host and received beautiful photographs taken by him of the city in a helicopter. I’m so grateful for the experiences I had couchsurfing, it made my trips unique in a way that a hotel, hostel, or Airbnb couldn’t.
Couchers.org: Non-profit to facilitate couchsurfing across the world.
The Details: Non-profit organization created to facilitate travel and community, with open-source code. Couchers.org doesn’t have a traditional DEI policy for employees, but Inclusivity & Accessibility are two components of their values. They do not have a profile on OpenSecrets.
Couchsurfing.com: The OG couchsurfing site with a worldwide community.
The Details: Held privately with venture capital investment. Couchsurfing.com does not have a profile on OpenSecrets nor a public diversity policy.
Quouch: The queer version of Couchsurfing! You can find queer hosts, or set up your own hosting, and filter by options like neurodiverse, non-smoker, sober, sign language, and more. (Added 7/24/26)
The Details: Founded by queer woman Nora von Breitenbach and held privately with no major outside investors as far as I can tell. Quouch does not have a profile on OpenSecrets nor a public diversity policy, but currently they only have 3 employees.
What can you book? Quouch is similar to couchsurfing, where you can stay or host someone for free. They also offer Hangouts, where you can connect with fellow travelers or locals for a coffee, coworker, or other hanging out experience. It’s free to use or upgrade to one of their paid membership options for additional features.
Where can you book? Quouch is available across 80+ countries.
I wrote in January about hotels to avoid because ICE agents were staying there. I’ve researched a few more of the larger hotel companies, though none are fully in the clear.
Best Western: Best Western is a non-profit that is owned by the independent hotel owners that franchise the Best Western brand, kind of similar to how Ace Hardware or DoItBest works. Best Western supports DEI and has not spent money on lobbying.
Hotel Brands They Own: SureStay, WorldHotels
Involvement with ICE: Best Western does not have any contract with ICE that I could find on USASpending.gov.
Endeavors, an independent organization that contracts with Best Western, Wyndham, and Holiday Inn to license their hotel brands, had a $86.9 million contract in 2021 to detain immigrants in hotels. While a Best Western branded property was utilized, Best Western themselves weren’t directly involved in the contract as far as I can tell.
My thoughts: I don’t love that a Best Western property was used as part of the Endeavors contract. But Best Western itself did not contract with ICE, so I put it as questionable.
Choice International: Publicly traded with the Estate of Stewart Bainum as the largest shareholder at ~17%. Stewart Bainum Sr. founded Choice Hotels, and his son Stewart Bainum Jr. is the chairman. Choice Hotels supports DEI but named it “We Hear Your Voice”, which is one of the more creative rebrandings of DEI I’ve seen. Despite the name change, Choice Hotels supports diversity through employee resource groups. Choice Hotels has spent $255K on lobbying from 2023-2024 on issues related to supporting advocacy on hospitality issues, which is frustratingly vague.
Hotel Brands They Own: Radisson, Comfort Hotels, Country Inn & Suites, Quality Inn, Clarion, EconoLodge, and more
Involvement with ICE: There is no direct contract with Choice Hotels & ICE listed on USASpending.gov, and I cannot find reports of ICE agents staying at Choice Hotels or their subsidiary brands.
My thoughts: Although they don’t have involvement with ICE as far as I’m aware, I don’t love that they spent $255K on lobbying.
Motel 6: Motel 6 & Studio 6 are owned by G6 Hospitality LLC, which is now owned by Indian company Oyo after being sold by Blackstone in 2024. Neither Oyo nor Motel 6 has a profile on OpenSecrets. Oyo supports diversity & inclusion, and G6 Hospitality supports it as well.
Hotel Brands They Own: Motel 6, Studio 6
Involvement with ICE: In 2019, Motel 6 had to pay $12 million for handing over guest lists to ICE, with no warrant required, after agreeing to pay $7.6 million to settle a lawsuit from Hispanic guests in 2018, whose guest information was also shared with ICE.
Sonesta: Privately held, with Services Property Trust owning approximately 34% of the company shares. Sonesta has not spent money on lobbying nor has a public diversity policy.
Hotel Brands They Own: Red Lion, Classico, The James Hotels, MOD
Involvement with ICE: A woman and her baby were detained in a Chicago Sonesta for 5 days through an ICE contractor, MVM Inc. An employee of the Chicago Sonesta said that MVM had a special rate at that location, and other Sonesta properties around the country confirmed MVM books rooms at their properties. Sonesta corporate has not confirmed they have a special rate with MVM or their relationship with the company.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts: Publicly traded with institutional investors as their largest shareholders. Wyndham supports DEI through employee resource groups. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts have spent $500K on lobbying since 2023 and I’m not sure why, but they also have their own Wyndham Hotels & Resorts PAC. Their PAC seems to give minimal money to candidates (<$3K in 2024) but gives more ($31.5K in 2024) to other PAC groups across both sides (Democrat & Republican) like the American Hotel & Lodging Association, International Franchise Association, McCarthy Victory Fund, US Travel Association, and the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor Party.
Hotel Brands They Own: Days Inn, Howard Johnson, Microtel, Ramada, LaQuinta, Travelodge, Windgate, and others
Involvement with ICE: I can’t find any specific reports of ICE agents staying at Wyndham or their subsidiary hotels, and there is no ICE contract with them on USASpending.gov.
Endeavors, an independent organization that contracts with Best Western, Wyndham, and Holiday Inn to license their hotel brands, had a $86.9 million contract in 2021 to detain immigrants in hotels. While a Wyndham Hotel was involved, it does not seem that Wyndham contracted with ICE directly.
Originally covered in my Let’s Boycott Companies that Support ICE article, but included here for reference.
Hilton: Removed a Hampton Inn franchise in Minneapolis from their system for refusing to allow ICE agents to stay there and fired a Hilton Anatole employee in Dallas for sharing a video warning people ICE agents were staying there.
Marriott: ICE held detainees in a Marriott property in Louisiana, potentially since 2023. This goes against Marriott’s own 2019 policy refusing to allow its properties to be used as detention centers.
Hyatt: There was a protest last September at the Hyatt Place in Medford, MA which protestors believed was hosting ICE agents. It’s unclear if the agents were actually staying there as the location claims they had no knowledge of ICE agents staying there, but I would not be surprised if they were being untruthful.
IHG: I could not find any articles directly mentioning ICE agents being hosted by IHG properties, but protestors demonstrated outside of a Holiday Inn in LA in June after ICE agents had reportedly checked in to the location.
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