Hotels vs. Holiday Homes: Which Is Better?

PUBLISHED June 21st, 2017 06:30 am

With the rise of holiday home rental platforms like Airbnb, HomeAway, and Roomorama, travellers worldwide are now even more spoilt for choice when it comes to accommodation options overseas. Besides the entire spectrum of hotels – affordable chains, boutiques, luxury brands and what have you – there’s also vacation rentals that come in different forms: villas, cottages, cabins, tree-houses, and even boats. So if you’re debating between the two, here are five things to take into account before you book:

Price

Hotel prices vary mostly due to the star rating, the time of travel, and the location of the property. Taking Tokyo as an example, a standard room in a four-star hotel typically ranges between $150 to $300, as opposed to a two-bedroom apartment in the city that’s available at  $120-$300 a night. If you take the per person/per night calculation into account, holiday homes are definitely more economical, especially if you travel in the large group.

Space

If a hotel does it right, it can feel like a home with other people living in it. Besides your room or suite, there’s the lobby, the restaurants, the pool, or even a club lounge – you never have to leave the hotel if you didn’t want to. The best thing about hotels, particularly those with a brand to upkeep, is the consistency of space and service. But if your mantra is “more is better”, holiday homes are almost aways bigger (fun fact: listings on HomeAway average 195 square metres!). Definitely more living space, and the more premium homes even come with private gardens and pools.

Experience

While there are the run-of-the mill hotels – think high-rise views and shoebox layouts – there are properties that offer different experiences within the building (such as Keio Plaza Tokyo with its cultural activities). Some – like Noku Kyoto – even go out of their way to come up with neighbourhood guides and maps for easy exploration. These hotels, however, are far and few between. The variety of experiences to be had with holiday homes are definitely more vast since you can choose a location that works for you. Be it a quiet suburb, the bustling business district, or gorgeous natural views away from the city, you’ll certainly catch a glimpse of everyday life of the locals. Hosts renting out their homes are also usually quick to enlighten you on the best that their city has to offer.

Privacy

Travellers can usually expect communal facilities like the swimming pool, a gym, and access to the hotel spa in hotels. These are, of course, open to all hotel guests, and could be crowded, depending on the travel season. That said, hotels and resorts have club lounges (some complete with their own swimming pool like Hyatt Regency Danang) for a more private experience – and you’ll feel like a queen (or king) throughout your stay too. Renting a holiday home means that as you don’t have to share anything with anyone outside your travel company, unless you get a private room. In this case, you might be obliged to spend time with your host.

Amenities

We have to say that hotels have an edge here, simply because there’s daily room cleaning. It’s definitely a vacation when you don’t have to make your own bed. Laundry, dry cleaning, and room service are also usually available for a fee, but you don’t have to life a finger. Coffee machines, kitchen stoves, microwaves, and dryers are essential amenities in holiday homes – since it’s supposed to be your home away from home. Alternatively, there are some homes on HomeAway that offer daily cleaning, butler services, and personal chefs, but expect them at a more premium price.

This post was contributed by our friends at HomeAway.

Top Image: The Amala Seminyak