Vacations are always something we look forward to. However, where we’re going to stay while on vacation usually becomes somewhat of an afterthought. The obvious choice is a hotel right? They’re easy to find and usually in the heart of most travel destinations. Not so fast. If you’re looking to get the MOST for your money, you might want to reconsider and explore vacation rentals. Here are our top reasons to choose vacation rentals vs hotels.

All the Comforts of Home

Staying in a hotel can be nice sometimes. You don’t have to worry about cleaning up after yourself and some hotels have fun amenities such as pools and fitness rooms on site. But a hotel room is not a home. It’s a room surrounded by other rooms in a commercial property. For a night or two it can be fine to be removed from everyday home comforts, but any time longer than that and you’ll start missing them. That’s one of the main reasons to consider vacation rentals vs hotels. You’ll have a kitchen and laundry room, as well as bedrooms, a living room, and even a yard. A rental house will have the feeling of home away from home.

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Money – the Price is Right

Did you know that the average cost of a SINGLE hotel room is $118 per night, but that average rate for a 1300 square foot condo with room for 6 people is just $99 a night? Depending on where you go, you can find multi-bedroom vacation rentals for as little as $58 per night. Depending on the size of your traveling party and how long you want to stay, that can mean hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars in savings.

Hotel rooms can come with a lot of fees tied up with them. You may have to not only pay for the rooms you book, but also parking spaces in the hotel’s lot, room service if you want meals, laundry service if you want your clothes cleaned, and tourist taxes if you stay in an area that requires them. If your hotel doesn’t offer amenities such as mini-refrigerators and microwaves you won’t be able to make even small meals in your room. And while some hotels have continental breakfast included with your stay, you will still have to pay for lunch and dinner elsewhere. A rental house often won’t require so many extra costs. There will be the rental amount, and possibly a deposit for any damages that might be incurred, but free parking will be included. And even if meals don’t come with the house, a kitchen surely will. You’ll be able to make breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even snacks.

Article originally written on Dec 1, 2014. Updated on Dec 1, 2019.

Privacy

Staying in a hotel room with paper thin walls and a community pool means it can be pretty tough to find any privacy. Vacation homes offer private bedrooms, pools and spas, so that after a long day of vacation activities, you can either retire to separate spaces or enjoy time together as if you were in your own home.

Large Group

Let’s say you are booking a place to stay for your family, your friends, and your extended family. You can look into a hotel, but unless you get a block of suites you are going to have a tough time finding room for everyone. Some hotels have rooms set up more like apartments than traditional hotel rooms, and you might be able to fit more people in those, but there is a good chance they’ll cost a lot more than you want to pay. Especially if you have to book multiple rooms to accommodate everyone. A vacation rental house, on the other hand, will most likely provide enough space for everyone and will probably cost less.

Amenities

Many vacation rentals come with amenities that will have you feeling like you never left home. Two of the biggest standouts include full-size kitchens and washers and dryers. These allow you to save money on dining out and pack only what you really need, making for an easier trip. Other amenities that are standard in many vacation rentals include WiFi and telephone service.

Space

It’s a pretty simple question: Why would you pay more, for less? In addition to costing significantly more than the average vacation rental, most Orlando hotel rooms are between 400-800 square feet and have only two beds in a single room. There’s nowhere to put your luggage, enjoy a family movie together or just sprawl out and relax without being on top of one another. Even smaller vacation rentals offer a real, spacious living area separate from your sleeping quarters.

Extras

One thing about vacation rentals is all the little extras that make vacation that much sweeter. Many rentals enjoy private pools and spas, outside barbecues, game rooms and even home theaters. Considering that you’re actually paying less to enjoy all those luxury features, why wouldn’t you?

Surprisingly enough, most people don’t consider vacation rentals when looking to go on vacation, but they do offer great value and are perfect for almost any occasion.