Picking a vacation rental over a hotel is a big deal because you lose some things like valet parking, room service and a concierge. There are amenities that vacation rentals have that hotels do not but there are pros and cons to both. As the About.com Expert for Vacation Rentals and Shares, obviously I prefer to travel a lot by staying in vacation rentals. In fact, my entire family now prefers vacation homes as well.
Here are some of the reasons why I tend to choose a vacation home over a hotel when traveling.
1. Space
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I
love space and vacation rentals are usually good for that above all
else. No more cramming into a hotel room when we can have two or three
bedrooms and everyone gets their own room.
2. Amenities
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The amenities are also the things that we call the comforts of home.
We
go through a lot of clothes and having a washer / dryer is so
incredibly helpful. In fact, we have come home from a few vacations with
our suitcases full of clean clothes.[post_ads_2]
A full kitchen is wonderful after we
have picked up fresh ingredients at a local market. We can cook dinner
on our time and even heat up leftovers later. I love a midnight snack of
cereal every once in a while and a vacation rental lets me do this. We
cook at least 1-2 meals per day every time we rent a vacation home.
3. Price
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We
recently checked into getting a hotel in Tokyo for three of us and the
cost per night was astronomical. Instead, I found a fabulous vacation
rental apartment in the heart of the city for less than $150 per night
with a kitchen. We had more room in this place than three of the hotel
rooms put together all at a great price.
4. Location
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One of the great things about
vacation rentals is that you can pick the exact place where you want to
stay. In fact, some of the rental sites let you see the exact place on a
map. Vacation rentals can get you in a residential area or near a
specific attraction that you are wanting to see.
5. Comfort
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Every place we have stayed at has had a nice living room and dining room are where everyone can hang out.
We play games, watch movies, cook together and do so much more all in a comfortable setting.
6. Live like a local
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This
is one of my favorite things. We love living like locals. Many of the
places we have stayed have been in residential areas which means we get
to live like locals and really experience the culture of the city that
we are staying in.
We also tend to always get some really good
recommendations on local restaurants to eat at, places to shop and
things to see. Many of the rentals we have stayed at offer maps, travel
guides, GPS systems for taking around the city and so much more.
Some rentals offer extras like bicycles or cars.
No matter what you choose, the key is making
certain to find something that is a good fit for you and the people you
are traveling with. Be cautious and thorough but most of all, NEVER be
afraid to ask questions.
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