Continuing our 12 travel websites of Christmas series, here are our favourite online accommodation booking sites.  These three fantastic sites all give access to a world of interesting, characterful accommodation - rather than the usual medley of dull corporate hotels.

I-escape: The site is beginning to look a little dated, but look past the surface and you have without doubt the best collection of small character accommodation online.  Yes they have the usual boutique hotels that so many web-sites are chasing after nowadays, but the exciting products are the charming small inns, villas and guesthouses.  This means there are actually character properties on the site that you can afford, even without a banker's bonus in the pocket.  The killer feature is that every property has been reviewed in person by one of their writers - this is no small feat, and means that the descriptions of each hotel are hugely comprehensive.  The actual booking process is a clever system, which although not quite immediate, does allow you to buy online.  I hear through the grapevine that a new site and full online booking is in the offing which will make this 'the' site for booking character accommodation.

Airbnb lists accommodation offered by locals.  At its best, you can stay in a flash city centre flat for $50 per night.  The site has a lovely clean design and decent content momentum.  At the moment, there are 150 properties listed for London.  The big question is, will it make it?   Will the public grab the idea and run with it?  If airbnb can get to decent coverage levels then it will be a hugely exciting traveller resource.  My greatest concern is that the interesting listings (someone else’s apartment) get swamped by B&Bs and holiday rentals (rather like what has happened on ebay).  If you are thinking of using airbnb then check out this Washinton Post article which has a good guide.  The always excellent goinglocaltravel also has a round up of the alternatives.

Hostelworld & Hostelbookers: For better or worst, pre-booking hostels is a growing trend.  Just 5 years ago, when we were last backpacking with abandon (cue misty eyes), only the silent few used them.  Instead, we lived on our wits, checking out the various dives to find that one gem.  Nowadays though, everyone seems to use Hostelworld or Hostelbookers to book their hostel online.  The biggest drawback of this whole pre-booking malarkey is that it is now harder to travel as the mood takes you, because anywhere any good will always be full.  On the other hand it does make hostels far more accessible -  now we have kids I’d never dream of just turning up in town, bags flying everywhere, 3 little kids in disarray as we try to find a hostel.  We‘ve used both these sites recently to book some fantastic family rooms in hostels in the UK and abroad.

In the last of the series (phew....) I'll look at my favourite alternative travel blogs.