The usual question amongst traveling groups of four or more: house or hotel? While hotels seem to be the go-to option for most, house rentals have always been big among groups and are increasing in popularity along with websites such as AirBnB and Home Away.
The question isn’t which option is best overall, but rather, which option is best for your group? Each has its own distinct pros and cons that are yours to consider during your next group vacations.
Hotels
Pros
- In most destinations, there is a plethora of hotels to choose from, ranging from franchises to local accommodations. You will find one that suits your needs and is within your travel budget.
- Hotels are even easier to find thanks to review and booking websites such as TripAdvisor, Orbitz and Expedia. Most of them provide deals and booking discounts, as well as user-generated reviews.
- When choosing a hotel, location matters. Hotel owners know so and make sure to advertise their proximity to hot spots and popular tourist attractions. This means that you can stay close to your destination and spare on hefty transportation fees.
- Hotels aim at giving their guests a unique experience. This means that you have access to large comfy beds, free toiletries, and top-notch amenities, “free” of charge.
- A hotel will provide you free services you will not get at home. Room service, room cleaning are basics. It also means concierge service, free shuttles and unlimited wireless internet. Higher-end services you subscribe to, the more “free” services you will get.
Cons
- Usually a hotel room is just one room and a bathroom. Basic rates only cover this much and it’s not until you start spending extra cash on suites and villas that you get a bit more space to share with friends.
- They can be very expensive, especially if you “want it all”; a good location, lots of amenities and size.
- If you are just booking a few hotel rooms amongst friends, there is a bit of a disconnect. You spend your time getting ready in your own space and congregate later.
- Even if you were to all pile in one hotel room, you’d have to worry about the hotel’s other guests hearing you or complaining about the noise.
- Finally, there’s no dining-in with the regular hotel room. You will often have to allocate extra resources to eat at restaurants and dinings, which increases your travel budget. It gets worse when you were out partying with friends and come back when all restaurants are closed.
House Rentals
Pros
- When renting a house not only does everyone have their own private room, but they also have shared spaces, lounge areas, a kitchen, balcony, patio, and more. There is plenty of space to share amongst friends. Plus, you can host your own parties.
- You spend more time with your friends. You don’t have to worry about knocking on your friend’s hotel room and waking somebody up. If they are up, they’ll be hanging out in the living room watching TV or cooking breakfast.
- Groups get more for their money in houses. Extra features come at a high price, but in houses they are just expected. A house rental often comes with kitchen, TV, outdoor area, dining space, laundry facilities, parking, and sometimes also has a private pool and bar.
- House rentals usually work out to cheaper than hotel rooms depending how many people are chipping in and how long you rent. In general, the trip will be cheaper, because you’re not always going to be eating or drinking out.
- It’s more of a homey and family environment. Hotels are comfortable, but they will not feel like home.
Cons
- Choosing a house to rent is a lot more work than with a hotel. There are only a few really mainstream rental websites and agencies known and trusted around the world. The rest are very local and it’s hard to know whether or not to trust them.
- Further, no matter how trusted the site, there’s no protocol like at a hotel, the upkeep and cleanliness of a house is at the owner’s discretion.
- It can be hard to gather the money to pay for a house rental. When people are booking their own hotel room, they only need to deal with maybe one other person to pay for it or make a reservation. With a house rental, you need to get everyone to pay at the same time or one person needs to put the money up front and rely on everyone else to pay him or her back.
- Most house rentals don’t come with a maid. You will have to make your own bed and breakfast, as well as keep the place as tidy as you found it. Some house rental agencies will even charge you for it.
- Houses can be in good locations, but that’s always a worry when renting. Most of the time, homes in hot spots are much more expensive. House rentals tend to be a bit further out than hotels.
So, hotel or house rental? I guess it is really depends on what you value most. Hopefully, this breakdown of the perks and inconveniences of each option will help you make better choices from now on. What is your go-to option when you travel? Let talk about it in the comment box below and on social media: Twitter, Facebook, and Google +.