Hotel or Vacation Rental?

There are many of you out there that are now planning your upcoming vacation. You are deciding where you are going to go. You are choosing what you will do. And you are trying to determine where you will stay.

Ten years ago, the question of where to stay was simpler. Most of us would be settling on a hotel in the area of vacation spot.

But the Internet has expanded our options. Now, we no longer are just able to see what hotels have availability. We are able to see what homes have availability.

In mass, people are offering up their vacation homes and condos for rent.

And now you have a choice to make—hotel or vacation rental?

Here are some thoughts to help you along in your decision-making:

Cost. Vacation rentals tend to be cheaper than hotels, especially if you consider the price per square foot. You get more space for your money with a vacation rental. If you want the ability to affordably stretch out, a vacation rental may be right for you.

Food. Staying in a hotel tends to limit your food options. Most rooms do not provide a space for food preparation. You either go out to a restaurant or eat at the hotel. If one of your top priorities is to experience the local cuisine, you may be fine with this. A vacation rental provides more options. Certainly, you can go out to a restaurant. But since most rentals have a kitchen, you can create a meal just like you were at your own home. The more cost effective option is cooking your own meal. So if money is a concern, a vacation rental wins this factor as well.

Service. A hotel has a staff that is there for you all day and night long. Their business model is built around making you a satisfied customer. If something goes awry at your vacation rental, you may find service to not be as efficient as a hotel. A hotel also offer services like towel service and room cleaning. At a vacation rental, you are on your own. Because of this, hotels tend to win the service category.

Predictability. Hotels have a lot of systems in place. Many of these systems were created to provide predictability. What you experience at one Hampton Inn should be similar to what you experience at another Hampton Inn. It provides comfort for the customer. Vacation rentals vary. Your experience with one rental can be completely different than another (Hint: read the reviews!). So when it comes to predictability, hotels beat out vacation rentals.

Privacy. Needless to say, hotels can get crowded. It is the hotel’s goal to book every room. Beyond your room, there is very little privacy. For a vacation rental, privacy depends on the type of property you rent. Homes offer more privacy than condos. But, more than likely, both offer more privacy than a hotel. So in terms of privacy, vacation rentals win.

You have more options for your stay now than in the past. This is a good thing. Personally, I prefer vacation rentals over hotels. But that is just me.

Consider what is most important to you and your stay. And have a great vacation.