Over the past year we have been fortunate to take 8 separate trips – for 2 of them we only stayed in a hotel, for 4 trips we only stayed in a vacation rental and for the rest we split our time between the two. So, how do you decide where to stay? Vacation Rental vs Hotel? Here are a few things we consider when we’re booking our trips.
Vacation Rental
Space for Everyone and for TV Time
One of the things we like best about staying in a vacation rental is that everyone can have their own space. In a hotel, you are often in a single room with two queen beds. That can be tough if you’re traveling with two teenagers. And there’s nowhere to get away. But, if we book a vacation rental, the boys can have their own beds in their own room(s) and we have a separate TV area, so we can spread out at the end of a busy day.
In one of our favorite vacation rentals in Northern Utah, the boys each had their own bed in a bedroom upstairs with a TV and we had our room downstairs next to the TV room. After a long day of hiking, it was great to come back and let everyone decompress in separate areas.
Kitchen
We also choose vacation rentals that have a full kitchen so that we can cook the majority of our meals. This means that we can wake up a little more leisurely and have coffee and breakfast in the house before venturing out. We can also pack lunches to bring along. This is especially appealing if we’re going hiking in a national park or to a theme park.
Plus, at the end of the day when everyone is starving and tired, we don’t have to worry about finding a place that meets our needs and doesn’t have a wait or being on our best behavior in a restaurant. It does mean that we grocery shop on vacation, but our food budget is also really small and mirrors what we would normally spend at home.
Laundry
We look for vacation rentals that have laundry machines. This means we can pack less. When we’re skiing or hiking this is huge because we don’t need to worry if someone gets sweaty or muddy – everything goes into the laundry as soon as we get back. And the best thing is we can go home with a suitcase full of clean clothes. That’s a definite win for mom!
Recommendations from a Local
Most vacation rental hosts can give you travel recommendations ahead of time and many now have digital guidebooks available right on their listing page or available once you book. Many have guidebooks, travel guides and other information available when you arrive as well. We never hesitate to ask questions as we plan for our trip and some of the best information has come from our hosts.
Quiet Neighborhoods
Often, vacation rentals are located a little outside of the touristy areas, which allows us to feel like a local and learn the area a little better. They often also include free parking, which is a plus. For us, the best part about staying in a vacation rental is that we feel like we are at home and that helps everyone to feel relaxed and at their best during our time away.
Packing List for Vacation Rental Stays
We’ve created a packing list specifically for vacation rentals that includes a few extra touches that help make our rental feel like home when we’re away. You can download it here.
Hotels
Concierge and Bellman
One of the best things about staying in a hotel is that there is always someone available to answer questions or help guide you to whatever you need to find. This means that if you’re not a planner – or you find you have a little extra time – you can get recommendations right as you’re walking out the door. It also means that if you arrive early in the morning or aren’t leaving town until late in the day, you can leave your bags with someone. This is a huge perk for us when we are visiting cities and won’t have a car. For example, when we visited Madrid, we arrived by train early in the morning, but wanted to have all day to spend in the city. It would not have worked to carry our luggage around all day, but since we had booked a hotel we could drop off our bags as soon as we arrived and the bellman would keep them for us until our room was ready.
In the Center of City
Most hotels are located right in the center of the action, which means that you might not need a car and that you’ll have easy access to restaurants. When we stayed in Paris, we chose a hotel right in the Saint Germaine neighborhood because we knew that’s where we wanted to be. From there we could walk to everything we wanted to see and there was a patisserie right on the corner for our morning coffee.
On Site Restaurant and Amenities
Hotels often have a restaurant or bar inside so that you don’t have to venture far for something to eat. Some hotels even offer free breakfast, which is a nice way to start your day! When we stayed in Madrid there was a small restaurant just down a beautiful winding staircase from our room. It was perfect because at the end of the day we could go for a bite to eat and then the boys could go back to the room to relax while we had a coffee and we never had to worry about them. Some hotels also offer additional amenities like a gym, steam room, pool, or jacuzzi.
Housekeeping
One really great things about hotels is that you don’t have to strip the beds or take out the trash before you leave like you often have to do in a vacation rental. And, housekeeping will come in and clean your room each day and bring you fresh towels, a hairdryer or anything else you might need. For us, the best thing about staying in a hotel is that they can assist you with anything you need from the moment you arrive in town until you’re ready to depart.
How to Choose?
Vacation Rental vs Hotel? For each part of our trip we think about what we’ll need in that location and then choose the lodging that fits best. If we’re arriving early, leaving late or only there for a single night, we usually choose a hotel. But if we want to relax and spend a few days in a place, then a vacation rental is usually a better fit. Not sure what to look for in a vacation rental? Download our ebook of top tips and things to consider.
Which do you prefer?
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