When is the last time you took a vacation? Where did you stay? If you are like 95% of the world, you found a hotel in the area and spent your vacation time there, in your 350 square foot hotel room which included nothing more than a bed, a chair, a bathroom, and a small TV. Basically, it is a place to sleep when you complete your activities each day. I know I’m not making this sound too glamorous, but is there really a better option? For many, yes there is! By renting a vacation home, you can most likely save a bunch of money and add enjoyment to your trip. To be fair though, let’s look at the pros and cons of vacation home rentals.
Pros of Renting a Vacation Home
While you may not have thought of renting a vacation home for your next vacation, there are many pros to doing so:
- Lower cost per night – I know this may shock some of you, but renting an entire house can often be cheaper than renting a dinky hotel room. If you are looking to rent a hotel room in NYC or San Diego, you will likely pay $350 a night, but if you travel just a few miles outside the city, you can find an entire house for rent for only $209 a night. Pretty crazy huh?
- Can split the cost with others – Hotel rooms are small and most often cannot be split with more than one other couple. Houses have multiple rooms and can often be split between three or more couples. Plus, you each have your own room!
- Can save money on food – When you’re at a hotel, you typically either have to order room service or eat at a local restaurant. Neither of which is as cheap as cooking your own meals. When you rent a house, you can buy a bunch of groceries before you get there and eat cheap meals all week! This option is fantastic for people with allergies, for picky eaters, or for those that just want to save money.
- There is on-site “free” laundry – When you’re in a hotel, there aren’t often too many options for doing laundry, so you just have to pack enough clean clothes to get through your entire vacation stay. If you plan to stay longer than a week, vacation rentals are very handy. They often have onsite laundry for no added expense.
- You get tons of space – Which is bigger, a house or a hotel room. The answer is obvious. You get way more bang for your buck with a house. Plus, with a house rental you reserve outdoor space as well! This is huge if you have kids that need to burn off some energy from time to time.
- House rentals more often allow pets – Sometimes one of the most expensive parts of the trip is leaving your pet behind to be cared for by someone else. At $30 or $40 a day, the costs can really add up if you need someone to take care of your dog for you. Hotels rarely allow pets. Vacation home rentals will much more easily entertain the option, which will allow you to enjoy your vacation with your pet(s) and for no extra cost!
Cons of a Vacation Rental Home
Yes, there are a ton of positives to renting vacation homes, but there are of course cons as well.
- Not in the city – Chances are, your house will not be smack dab in the middle of the city like a hotel would be. If you enjoy the hustle and bustle of the city and want to hit the clubs at night, a hotel room in the city might be more enjoyable for you. A house is likely outside of town a few miles and will force you to drive in each day. This can be quite a pain when parking is limited in the city. Plus, this could increase your costs substantially (the cost of parking garages, parking tickets, lost time, etc.).
- You might not get what you expect – With hotels, they pretty much always deliver as promised. Their hotel rooms are clean, in order, and if they fail you can always get an upgrade. With a house though, you pretty much have to take what you’re given. The place might be dirty, in a bad area of town, and everything might not be fully functional. These are just difficult (or impossible) things to know before you arrive. There is definitely a lower level of conformity between rental houses, and you’ll have to be prepared for that.
So what do you think is best for you? A vacation rental house, or a hotel stay?
