Deciding between staying in a hotel and renting a vacation property is a common consideration when planning your annual vacations, especially if you are traveling with family members or friends. Both hotels and vacation rentals have their advantages, and knowing what’s best will depend on your particular needs. In many cases, something in between would work better, like a timeshare rental, which combines both the qualities of hotel rooms and vacation rentals.
What’s Best? Hotel?
The primary reason for choosing to stay in a hotel is because of the luxury factor and all the facilities and services you receive. Hotels have to meet certain standards of services and generally have restaurants, concierge services, swimming pools, room service and more. Some hotels even have a spa and gym. Hotels often boast the best locations too, right on the beachfront. The key advantage to choosing a hotel is that all of your needs are attended to by the press of a button on your telephone – you want a taxi, you have it; you want a midnight snack, you have it; you need someone to fix something, you have it straight away.
What’s Best? Vacation Rentals?
So, why do people prefer vacation rentals? Renting an apartment or house gives you great autonomy and the sense that you are “living” in another location. This makes you really feel free. Some people prefer the privacy afforded by vacation rentals. In comparison to the size of a standard hotel room, vacation rentals are generally much bigger and you often rent apartments with kitchens and social areas, making it feel like a home aways from home where you can fit as many people as there are beds for without paying extra. There are also additional taxes that are charged for staying in a hotel, so vacation rentals can work out cheaper.
Timeshare Rentals
Perhaps the happy medium between choosing from hotel or vacation rentals is to opt for a timeshare rental. Timeshare rentals are like vacation rentals in that you get to choose a size that can fit the whole family – more like an apartment with a kitchen and other home from home amenities. The advantages of timeshare rentals with the top names is that you will also enjoy the luxury hotel services offered by the resort where you are renting. That means, room service, on the spot services, spas etc.
The key, however, to deciding between hotel or vacation rentals is to know what you are looking for in a vacation and from there, make your decision.
