Choosing a place to stay is a rite of passage for all holiday goers. Once you’ve decided on your destination, figuring out where you’re going to call home during your time away is usually the next step. Hotels have been the traditional choice for accommodations, but more and more people these days are choosing vacation condo rentals. Whether you’re traveling to Cambodia, looking for a place in Reykjavik or examining Roatan condos, you’ll find vacation rentals wherever you find hotels. This article will go over some of the advantages of picking a vacation rental instead of a hotel.
Economics
With the advent of online, short term rental websites such as Airbnb there are more options available for cheaper accommodations than what hotels have traditionally offered. This can be especially true when travelling in a large group. Renting a large, multi bedroom condo is often much cheaper than booking multiple hotel rooms. Even many of the smaller one or two bedroom vacation rentals available online offer a better price compared with a traditional hotel stay. Vacation rentals may not always be the cheaper option, especially with higher end locations, but if price is a concern, they’re definitely worth a look.
Space
Most everyone is familiar with the standard, double hotel room. It’s basically just that – a room with a bed or two and a bathroom off to the side. You’ll likely have a TV, some side tables and possibly a desk or table and chair. Unless you’re willing to pay for a premium upgrade you wouldn’t really expect much more. You’d probably even expect to pay for wifi. Vacation condos, on the other hand, are usually set up more like an apartment or home. Quite often, you’ll have multiple rooms including a kitchen, living room, dining room, bedroom and a bathroom. Many vacation rentals will also include laundry facilities and free wifi. Check the rental description for all the details, but rest assured you’ll likely have much more space than you would in a hotel room.
Neighbourhood
While most hotels are centrally located in touristy parts of town or close to the airport and other transport hubs, vacation rentals are quite often located in neighbourhoods where the locals live. If you’re looking for an authentic local experience, a vacation rental can provide a connection with native residential neighbourhoods. Shop at the local grocery stores, have coffee with the neighbours heading to work or grab a drink at the community pub. Staying in a residential neighbourhood will give you a much different feel for the local culture than remaining in the touristy parts of town.
Image Caption: Cozy room at Roatan Condos, Blue Bahia.
Luxury
While vacation condo rentals can provide an economical means of accommodation, it’s possible to experience the other end of the spectrum as well. A high end vacation rental can allow you to have knowledge of a lifestyle that would be completely unaffordable to you in the long term. Spending a few nights or weeks in place that might cost tens of millions of dollars if you were to buy it can give you a taste of an expensive lifestyle without needing the millions to support it.
Drawbacks
There are certain amenities available with a hotel that you might not get when staying at a vacation rental. Things like a concierge service, easy access to taxi cabs or daily room cleanings are more common in a traditional hotel than they would be at a vacation rental. Some vacation condo rentals also have minimum stay periods or rigid booking schedules whereas you can usually book a hotel room for single night or for an odd number of days. Ultimately it would depend on the specific hotel or vacation rental, so read their descriptions closely to understand exactly what you have access to and what you won’t.
