Advantages of Vacation Rental Home vs. Hotel

When you’re planning your next vacation, a good thing to remember is that a vacation rental home is an excellent alternative to staying in a hotel. By staying in a vacation rental, you have much more privacy, abundant space and you can save big money on both lodging and food costs.

When comparing vacation rentals to hotels, one of the greatest benefits of a vacation rental is privacy. When you’re on a family vacation, privacy and space are essential for keeping everyone happy. If you are unfortunate enough to have several days of bad weather, having everyone cramped into a small hotel or motel is a prescription for bickering children and frayed nerves. The average size of a standard hotel room is around 300 square feet. Vacation rental homes range from 1,200 square feet to over 10,000 square feet for large villas.

hotel accomodations with bedroom and bathroom verses folly beach vacation rentals with private rooms, kitchen, hot tub, yard, multiple bathrooms, laundry, cable tv

Remember, you’re on vacation to relax. A large vacation rental home offers everyone the opportunity to do their own thing and have their own space. Large hotel suites are very costly and you still end up looking at the same walls for a week. In a vacation rental you never have to worry about loud neighbors on the other side of the wall or the amorous couple next door enjoy themselves a little too loudly. You also will never be disturbed by annoying hotel staff or guests talking at high volume outside your door. You never need a Do Not Disturb sign on a vacation rental.

Have you ever tried taking your pet on vacation and check into a nice hotel? It’s virtually impossible at many locations. Many vacation rentals are pet friendly; they just require a small damage deposit. Plus your pet will have much more room to frolic in a home as compared to a cramped hotel room. Many vacation homes even have a yard with grass just outside the door.

The majority of vacation rentals have fully equipped kitchens and living areas. Many homes also feature formal dining rooms, large dens, hot tubs, private pools, laundry rooms, game rooms and large yards. Most vacation rentals also have TV’s, cable, DVD players and stereos. Some also come equipped with video game systems and internet access.

The fully equipped kitchen in your vacation rental is a great way to save money on your vacation. You can buy groceries locally and cook your own meals instead of eating in restaurants every meal of every day. The savings from this at the end of a week is considerable. You can still enjoy the local tastes; buy local seafood, veggies and fruits and cook them to your own personal tastes. For example, if you’re staying on Folly Beach, pick up some fresh local shrimp and oysters from Crosby’s Seafood and some local greens at the supermarket and you have the makings of a spectacular Lowcountry feast.

Try a vacation rental instead of a hotel on your next vacation. Just because you’re a tourist, you don’t have to live like one.