If you plan on traveling around the World for a year, I highly recommend couchsurfing, which Alex did not mention. You'll save a lot of money and get to know places a lot better through it. If you haven't tried it yet and want to know more about it, check out the recently released full length documentary One Couch at a Time

(disclaimer: my girlfriend made the documentary, but even if she wasn't my girlfriend, I would recommend it to others interested in traveling the world.)