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Hotels vs Vacation Rentals: Which is Your Preference and Why?

Chris Carley by Chris Carley
June 14, 2022
in Hotels
6
A guest bedroom at The Westin Tokyo, then a Starwood / SPG hotel, now a Marriott property. © Chris Carley

Guest bedroom at The Westin Tokyo.

Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.

I wrote about using my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card’s vacation rental credit to book a hotel instead of a “traditional” Airbnb or VRBO.

In other words, I didn’t stay at a stranger’s house.

I mentioned I’m much more of a “hotel person” than a “stay-at-other-people’s-home person.” (That even applies occasionally when visiting family. I know that might seem strange.)

Some friends are the complete opposite. Sure, staying in hotels isn’t exactly a punishment. But they stare longingly out their hotel room window — wondering what kind of fun or unique experience Airbnb guests are having elsewhere in town.

So, this presents an excellent opportunity to discuss some pros and cons of both. And I’m curious which you prefer: hotels or vacation rentals — and why?

Why I Prefer Hotels Over Vacation Rentals

I grew up visiting hotels a couple of times each year. My dad frequently traveled for business and racked up tons of Northwest Airlines WorldPerks miles and Hyatt Gold Passport points.

No doubt hotel stays played a part in my travel passion that started when I was six years old. I have fond memories of the Hyatt Grand Cypress in Orlando and the Hyatt Regency in downtown Minneapolis. Both are excellent properties.

Staying in hotels has always been a privilege I enjoy. (Well, usually enjoy. A couple of stays were disasters, like at the Days Inn in Austin with blood-stained sheets.)

Plus, I enjoy being spoiled when I travel. I admit it. Whether I travel for business or vacation, I appreciate having someone tidy up my hotel room. During vacation trips, it’s a luxury for my family to return to made beds, fresh towels, replenished supplies, and that “clean” smell.

Those qualities also are very welcoming when I travel for work and come back to my room after a long day.

W New York - Times Square hotel review: king bed room.
W New York – Times Square king bedroom

Many hotels feature either a restaurant and bar. If they don’t, they are probably close to one or the other. I genuinely love cooking (especially with my wife). We regularly make our meals at home. But I enjoy the convenience and experience of dining out during trips. (And not doing dishes.) Hotel bars can be great places to enjoy a beverage while meeting people from around the world.

There’s also the comfort of knowing what I’m getting into when I stay at hotels. I can ask the front desk to move me to another room if something is wrong with my original assignment. If something goes wrong at a vacation rental, there’s the pain of getting in touch with the homeowner or property manager — then getting them to fix it (if they can) or summoning the appropriate help to get there as soon as possible.

Finally, I generally don’t need much space when traveling by myself or even with my family of three. Suite upgrades are fun and appreciated, sure. But I don’t need an apartment or a house.

I rarely spend entire days in hotel rooms. I work on location, enjoy pool time with my daughter, or explore the city.

Daughter playing with sand at the Mandalay Bay Beach in Paradise, Nevada, outside of Las Vegas.

Also, I get creeped out by using strangers’ “things.” I like the anonymity of hotels. Seeing other people’s photos and items special to them is fine for a brief visit — like coffee, drinks, or dinner. But staying overnight just isn’t something that comforts me.

This sounds like a(nother) very strange reason to avoid vacation rentals, but I swear it’s true (especially with a child): I’m terrified of somehow breaking other people’s belongings. I come from a family colloquially known as the Clutzy Carleys. (See? We can’t even correctly spell “Klutzy.”) I don’t want to accidentally do something to their coffee table. I’m scared my daughter will pull a Hey, Mom and Dad aren’t looking. What happens if I do this? sort of thing.

That said: I’ve enjoyed some wonderful stays at vacation rentals.

My in-laws used to rent a “Castle House” near Disneyland each Christmas for the entire family to spend a few days. I always looked forward to that. (Then Anaheim put the kibosh on vacation rentals only to reverse course a few years later.)

Monsters Inc. room at an Anaheim Castle House
Monsters Inc. room at an Anaheim Castle House

Similarly, my parents rented houses when all five of their kids (we’re a blended family) could come with wives, significant others, and children. Those trips were a blast.

My wife and I stayed in a cozy townhome in Amsterdam. The host stayed on property — and was charming, helpful, and makes a heck of an espresso. (His husband is a doctor; we think the bed & breakfast is something the good doctor bought to keep his man happy and busy.)

I’m open to unique experiences offered by some vacation rentals. I’ve seen some “Stay on my houseboat” opportunities — complete with a boat ride! Or something when the property is a destination itself. But staying in someone else’s house or apartment just because? Not my cup of tea.

Why My Friend Prefers Vacation Rentals

My colleague and good friend “Mia” is a world traveler. (“Mia” is a nickname.) She lived abroad and enjoys traveling domestically and internationally. (For those wondering, her go-to card is the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.)

There are many reasons Mia prefers vacation rentals over hotels.

A Croatia vacation rental. Please contact chris at eyeoftheflyer dot com for copyright information and photographer information.
Croatia (Image provided to Eye of the Flyer. Photographer maintains copyright.)

I’ll start with the biggest selling point she gave me.

“You can get an inside look at how other cultures live!” she said. “I always stay in condos or homes abroad. It’s cool to see different features and feel like a local.”

Interesting point.

As for the properties themselves?

A Vail vacation rental. Please contact chris at eyeoftheflyer dot com for copyright information and photographer information.
Vail (Image provided to Eye of the Flyer. Photographer maintains copyright.)

Mia said she can “find incredibly stylish, well-designed homes, versus more traditional/standard styling in hotels. Even boutique hotels can’t come close to features in a well-designed home, high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, etc.”

Mia also mentioned she enjoys private outdoor spaces, the use of a kitchen and full-size fridge, and quick and easy parking.

Plus, she seeks out places with fireplaces and porches.

A Greece vacation rental. Please contact chris at eyeoftheflyer dot com for copyright information and photographer information.
Greece (Image provided to Eye of the Flyer. Photographer maintains copyright.)

She likes that vacation rentals are a home — not just a random room. That helps her get comfortable and acclimate. And she can be as close or far from city centers as she pleases.

“I never use housekeeping, so I don’t miss that feature,” Mia told me. “I also love that no one will knock on my door. I never leave hotel rooms a mess, so it doesn’t bother me to tidy up an Airbnb before I leave. Pile up the towels, clean the dishes, etc.

A Lake Arrowhead, CA, vacation rental. Please contact chris at eyeoftheflyer dot com for copyright information and photographer information.
Lake Arrowhead, CA (Image provided to Eye of the Flyer. Photographer maintains copyright.)

“I like to be removed from other people since they make regular life so stressful,” she said. “And I don’t need to interact with anyone on check-in or check-out.”

I get that.

Mia brings up some interesting points. And based on the pictures she provided, she seems to find some gorgeous properties.

Which is YOUR Choice?

I want to hear from you! Please share your thoughts as to your preference: hotels or vacation rentals? Maybe you overwhelmingly prefer one over the other. Perhaps you’re 51%-49% in favor of one.

Tell us in the below Comments section which you prefer — and why!

Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.

Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

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Chris Carley

Chris Carley is the owner, editor, and lead writer of Eye of the Flyer (formerly known as Rene's Points).

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Comments 6

  1. FNT Delta Diamond says:
    3 years ago

    I travel mostly for business. So a hotel works better, especially if I have to meet a client, prospect or colleague for drinks. It’s easy to meet up in the lobby bar. But increasingly, I’ve used Airbnb for vacations since hotels have eliminated many of the amenities and services that make a hotel a hotel. A couple of my Airbnb bookings have actually been timeshare units at resorts. So you had the ability to use the hotel services that guests booking through the resort use. Right down to the restaurants and charging to your room. Even some of the big US franchisees are now putting rooms on Airbnb, not Marriott.com even though they fly a Marriott flag. Here’s an example: https://viewfromthewing.com/several-marriott-hotels-sell-rooms-through-airbnb-even-instead-of-marriott-com/

    Reply
  2. Zee says:
    3 years ago

    I like to stay in hotels or resorts when I travel. There are certain expectations that I have when staying at a hotel property and I also like that hotels are situated in a certain locale so I can select the property that is suitable for my needs. I like everything to be clean and tidy with fresh towels, bed linens and I like the option to have room service if I want that. When I am away from home, I am not interested in doing any cleaning or cooking. I can do that right at home.

    Reply
  3. Jeff says:
    3 years ago

    I’m getting to the point where I am preferring hotels again. After having an upcoming trip to London where the host has canceled on me with two weeks prior to a trip that has been booked for seven months. VRBO has no policy in place to alert travels that hosts have a tendency to cancel. Finding a place to stay with enough room for all people in the party is now a struggle, and VRBO is unwilling to help the situation.

    At least with a hotel, I know I have a guaranteed room, unless the place burns down or is swept away in a flood.

    Reply
  4. DLPTATL says:
    3 years ago

    100% Team Hotels

    Probably the biggest perk of a hotel is if you don’t like the room you can request a different one.

    Last stay at a home rental we all got flea bites. Probably not the host’s fault, guessing they came from a recent guest’s pet, but still…

    Reply
  5. Dottie Blair says:
    3 years ago

    It depends. If I’m staying in an unfamiliar foreign city I prefer hotels because of the concierge services. If domestic I much prefer to rent a house or condo. I don’t like to go out for breakfast so having a kitchen eliminates that. If we’re hiking then I can also pack a picnic lunch for the day. I can do laundry in a condo so I don’t have to pack many clothes. My pet peeve about most hotels is that they will have one comfortable chair and a desk chair. Since we are retired and travel for pleasure there are two of us. I actually ask for a second chair and sometimes that happens and sometimes not.

    Reply
  6. Dee says:
    3 years ago

    We like hotels and the bar dining especially with only the 2 of us. Lately we have done renting a large private condo in a resort so we get the best of both worlds. We can cook ( grocery delivery)and dine in with the whole family(12 of us now) order food or go to the bars or restaurants on site!

    Reply

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