For your next vacation, consider vacation rentals in lieu of booking pricey hotels. By renting a house when vacationing it can greatly help cut some of the costs of traveling. Having more space, dedicated parking, and kitchen facilities can add value to any vacation. The fact is there are pros and cons to renting a home for your next vacation. So let’s look at some and see if it’s right for you and your family. Of course, regardless of what you decide to do, you have to make sure your accommodation is family-friendly and you book your next stay using the best accommodation booking sites available.
Pros Of Vacation Rentals
1. A Home Base
Having your own property means that you have the luxury of sleeping in, venturing out, and returning throughout the day. If you want to rest and relax all day undisturbed, you can do that. Plus you can enjoy more privacy without busy hotel lobbies or crowded elevators to deal with.
2. Unpacked Clothes
Having a dresser and walk-in closet you can use makes picking clothes for the next day much easier. A dedicated bedroom can help to give you the freedom to settle in even more. Live like a local and experience your dream destination in the comforts of a home.
3. More Space
Most times when renting a vacation home or condo, they offer a lot more space than a hotel room. When traveling with a group of people a lot of times everybody is looking to stay together or close by. Renting a house can offer more beds, couches, and floor space than the regular hotel can.
4. Perfect Location
By renting a house for your next vacation you can really find exactly what you want. Hotels don’t always offer all the features we like, but with a rental, you have more options and features. You may want to stay in a log cabin or a house on the beach. Whatever your tastes are, you can most likely find the perfect home rental for your travel adventure.
5. Save Money
The amount of money that you can save by staying in vacation rentals versus booking a hotel can be substantial. Besides having a higher cost and fees associated with booking hotels, typically the rate can be lower with rental properties.
6. Uniqueness
We live in an age of cookie-cutter designs, so staying someplace that is different and unique can be a lot of fun. Really experience the area by staying like a local by staying in an Airbnb house or condo. This can help you to get a better picture of the area and to get familiar with some of the local spots.
7. More Privacy
By choosing a rental property instead of a hotel you will find that there is a lot more privacy in a private home versus a hotel. You won’t have to worry about curious room cleaners or the hotel front desk staff members. You also won’t have to worry about sharing things with other strangers or hotel guests like pools or dining areas
8. A Kitchen
Not many hotel amenities can compare to having access to a full kitchen and refrigerator. Having access to a full kitchen with the needed utensils can really save you possibly hundreds of dollars in food costs. Being able to cook and store you own food is a huge benefit and adds extra flexibility for meal choices. With a kitchen you won’t have to spend extra money on breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can plan and choose what meals to make and when you want to eat out, instead of having to always eat out, which is expensive.
Cons Of Vacation Rentals
1. No Staff Or On-Site Support
We always picture a perfect vacation but sometimes things will go wrong while on your vacation. Hotel staff members can be reached very easily and can help to rectify many problems rather quickly. However, with vacation rentals, there are times when it may not be very easy to contact or immediately rectify the situation.
2. Extra Needs
Depending on where you are renting, especially in some other countries, you will need to bring certain items if it’s something that you regularly use. Some European rentals require you to provide your own linens or towels and even extra toiletries. These are all things that you will need to consider before you start packing for your trip.
3. Transportation
While regardless of where you stay you will most likely run into the situation where you need some type of transportation. As a lot of hotels tend to be located near cities offering easy access to public transportation, a vacation home may not necessarily have the same level of access. Depending on your location it may make more sense to just rent a car, which does add to the overall trip cost. Otherwise, services like Uber and Lyft can help get you around town.
4. Cleaning After Yourself
Some people enjoy having room service and staff that can clean dishes and do the laundry, but not all vacation rentals offer this service. Many vacation rental homes require you to assist with the clean once your visit has come to an end. Things like, cleaning dirty dishes in a dishwasher, washing the towels and linens, and emptying the trash are just some of the tasks that are usually requested of guests.
5. Unpredictability
As great as the idea of staying in a dream vacation home seems, the reality is that it can be very unpredictable sometimes. Finding the perfect vacation home for you and your family may take some time and research. Make sure to read past vacationers reviews of the location. You’ll also want to look into the cleanliness and safety of the location.
In closing, you can see there are quite a few pros for choosing to rent a house or condo for your next vacation versus booking an over-priced hotel. You might even have considered a timeshare ownership if that works for your family long-term. Vacation rentals offer more space, privacy, and kitchen access. Hotels, on the other hand, offers immediate assistance in case of an issue, predictability, and people to clean up after you. And even though vacation rentals seem to have more going for them than against them, you should be aware of both the good and bad of what they have to offer. Your ultimate goal is a stress-free vacation!
