The hospitality industry has seen many changes since it first began in 15,000 BCE, when the Lascaux caves in France were developed to accommodate members of other tribes. 

It has evolved from family owned accommodation, where weary travelers would seek out lodging, food and drink, to inns and taverns, until the hotel industry took off with the opening of The City Hotel in New York in the 1790’s.

Nowadays travelers have an incredible range of accomodation options, with hotels and home rentals being the most popular. If you’re considering which is best for you, this post will compare the two options.

Home Rentals vs Hotels on Vacation

Space

One of the biggest factors that you should consider when deciding whether home rentals or hotels might be the right option for you is the space that each provides.

Hotels can often be cramped, depending on the cost of the room that you book, and you might find that your entire family is stuffed into a single room with multiple beds unless you book a suite or multiple rooms.

However, a home rental can allow you to have as much space as you need for your family, ensuring that you can all spread out and get out of each other’s hair when you need to. 

Even if you don’t have a family, and you’re traveling solo or as a couple, you still may appreciate the huge difference in space a home rental provides for spreading out, whether you’re working from the road, or enjoy space for morning yoga.

Cost $$$

It is also important to consider the cost of a home rental versus that of a hotel. Although home rentals can often be more expensive than hotels due to their size, your cost may be dramatically reduced when split between a large group of people.

Not only this, but when you book a hotel, you usually have to pay for add-ons and extras, such as breakfast, and this can make the cost of your room creep up, unlike home rentals which are usually self-catered and allow you to bring all of the items that you need with you.

However, if you are still struggling to afford the cost of your trip, you could consider a personal loan to potentially help you to cover your vacation cost and give you a better chance of having a great vacation without having to worry about money. 

Facilities

Home rentals and hotels often have different facilities, with hotels usually only providing you with a kettle and a hairdryer, while home rentals can offer you everything from a washing machine and an oven to a swimming pool on-site.

Due to this, home rentals can often be the best option if you want to spend a lot of time within your accommodation, although hotels sometimes have restaurants, spas, and entertainment that home rentals won’t be able to offer.

Relaxation

Home rentals can often be more relaxing than hotel alternatives; in a home rental, you are able to follow your own schedule without any sort of disruption, and you’re not sharing the property with other guests.

In hotels for instance, you often have to eat breakfast at a certain time and leave at a certain time on your departure day. You may also be disturbed by the cleaning team unless you remember to put up a ‘do not disturb’ sign on your door.

And there’s the disturbance of being situated in rooms next to noisy guests.

Location

If you don’t have a rental car with you, you do need to consider the location of these hotels and home rentals.

Often, the best hotels are located in desirable spots in the middle of the action, where you can easily walk or find public transport options.

With home rentals on the other hand, you tend to be placed outside of city centers, in real neighborhoods meaning that you may have to travel to get to the sights and activities you want to see.