5 reasons to choose holiday rentals over hotel accommodation
With a plethora of great hotel and self catering options to choose from, it’s often hard to know which to go for you when deciding on your next holiday. So what are the advantages of choosing a self catering holiday villa or apartment over a hotel break for your next stay away?
Value for money
Well, first and foremost, self catering villas and apartments tend to offer great value for money, especially if you’re travelling as part of a larger group or as a family, and particularly if you don’t conform to the 2+2 family model. The cost per head is typically far cheaper when opting for a holiday rental over a hotel based on a comparable level of accommodation. But not just this, opting for self catering allows you to purchase and store your own food supplies and cook your own meals, thus saving you money on eating out as well.
Better understand the local way of life
Those opting to stay in a holiday villa or apartment often find that it allows them to enjoy a greater understanding of the local culture and way of life. After all, when staying in a holiday rental, you could well be lucky enough to meet and get to know your neighbours, and you can certainly find plenty of opportunities to practice your language skills and absorb the local culture in the shops and markets when stocking up on groceries. It’s an experience that you just wouldn’t get to enjoy as much in a hotel.
More space in which to relax
Families can certainly find that opting for a villa or apartment can provide them with the space they need to relax properly. For those with little ones, there is surely nothing more depressing than putting the little one to bed at 7 o’clock only to find they have to spend the rest of the evening tiptoeing around the hotel room in fear of waking them up?!!! Opting for self catering will mean your little one can be tucked up in bed whilst you are sat in the living areas, on the balcony or even in your own private garden. But even when your children are teenagers, it’s just as important to have the extra space in which the whole family can relax. And, as it’s your own space, you don’t have to worry about your children disturbing any of the other hotel guests either. What is more, if you’re lucky enough to have a holiday rental with a pool, you can even have the pool all to yourself.
Set your own holiday timetable
Whilst it can undoubtedly be lovely to have someone make breakfast for you, a service which you can almost always enjoy in a hotel, on the flip side this does mean that you are restricted to hotel breakfast times and strict hotel rules. Opting for a holiday villa means that if you fancy a lie in one morning, you can enjoy one safe in the knowledge that breakfast will still be on hand after a late start. And you can certainly do it safe in the knowledge that room service won’t be knocking on the door wanting to make up your bed! Choosing self catering means you can set your own timetable on holiday, allowing you to come and go as you please… So if you want to stay in bed until late morning and have lunch in the middle of the afternoon, you can! Or if you want to stay out late and enjoy the local culture, you can arrive back safe in the knowledge that you won’t be disturbing other guests.
More flexibility
If you have children, or if you have members in the group with special dietary requirements, then opting for self catering will certainly give you much greater flexibility at meal times. Those with young children can stock up on healthy snacks at the supermarket whilst those with fussy eaters in the family can relax knowing that you’ll be able to whizz up some familiar meals for them in your own kitchen. In any case, what can possibly beat a BBQ in the comfort of your holiday rental garden? 9 times out of 10, it’s usually a much more relaxing option than eating in the hotel dining room, particularly if you have children that need to be entertained!
Jo Mackay is Owner of Bookings For You. Bookings For You is a company offering apartment and villa rentals in Italy and France.
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Thank you for sharing this article. Holiday rentals are very popular in countries like the US but not as much in other countries (e.g. Europe). However I think holiday rentals will become more popular as people realise that it can offer more different choices (even including tree houses and log cabins!). Also, holiday rental owners are often more willing to provide a more personalised service for guests than hotels.
We always use rentals both in Europe and lately in South Africa. It gives you so much freedom
I never thought about how you can get a better understanding of the local culture while on vacation if you rent a luxury apartment. I mean you may not live there all year or it might just be a one-time rental. But the idea of actually living in the community for that period of time is really fascinating to me and I want to try it someday.
That’s a good point that there would be a lot more space in the rental than there would be in the hotel. I feel like it would be nice to have more space to let the kids play in. I should consider getting one of those next time we take a vacation so we could have some space.
Jo, I like that you said one of the benefits of home rentals is that the family has more space to relax and enjoy their vacation. My wife and I have been talking about going on a vacation since our kids have been overwhelmed with school work this academic year. Perhaps we should consider renting a cabin in a lake upstate rather than flying somewhere, booking a cramped hotel room, and going on hectic tours. Thanks for the idea!
It makes a lot of sense to stay in a rental apartment for a while so that you get all the space you need with your family. My spouse and I are trying to plan a big vacation for our family this summer so that we can get out of the house. We need to plan ahead so that the vacation is fun and full of unique experiences.
I’d like to stay at a vacation rental over a hotel because of how quiet they are. My wife and I don’t like a lot of loud noises. I’ll look for a vacation rental for our Thanksgiving vacation so we don’t have to hear a lot of loud families.
Nowadays Europe is most sought place for holidays, and Holiday rentals in Europe are becoming popular as people realize that it can offer more different choices and offers. Also, holiday rental owners are often more willing to provide a more personalized service for guests than hotels.
It’s great that private rentals give you more time flexibility since you don’t have to follow hotel rules. My husband and I are talking about visiting the beach next month to take some time away from the stress of everyday life. A private beach house would be perfect for our needs since it is affordable and flexible.
Really helpful article! I recommend whenever you go for vacation must read this blog to get some guidance.
I’m glad you talked about how a vacation rental comes with more space and privacy levels. Recently, my wife and I started to plan our next vacation, and we’re excited to look for a sunny place with a beach! We’ll have our week off in a few months, so we’ll be sure to read your piece carefully. Thanks for helping us learn about the perks of a rental vacation property.
You got my attention when you said that you can save money on eating out when you consider a holiday rental because it can allow you to purchase and store your own food supplies and cook your own meals. This is a great tip for companies that are looking to have a vacation with their employees as part of their team-building plans. I could imagine how cooking their own meals could ensure that no food is going to be wasted. Thanks for sharing this.
It made sense to me when you said that opting for an apartment could provide families the space that they need to properly relax. My husband and I are planning to go on vacation early next month, and we need a place where we can stay for 3-4 days. We have 4 children, and it could be a hassle for us to rent different rooms for accommodation. We will be sure to consider renting a vacation apartment.
Thanks for the tip that when you said that opting for a holiday rental is cheaper than booking a hotel and the advantage is you can buy and cook your food, so it will save you money. My cousin is planning for a vacation with her husband next week and asked me what type of accommodation would be the best and affordable. I’ll make sure to tell her that she could consider cabin rentals to spend their holidays!
Woo-hoo! I’m super duper excited after learning that staying at a holiday rental is actually a worthy long-term investment as we wouldn’t need any in-person services at all. My mother-in-law and her canasta friends are going to spend the weekend in California and since they’re quite frugal they want to spend their money as less as possible. I’ll share this tip with them so they can make the right booking.
I appreciate you bringing up that families may discover choosing a villa or apartment might give them the space they require to relax completely. I want to take my family on a vacation. I’m going to rent a villa so that my family may rest and relax.
I like that you said that having extra space gives families more room to unwind and enjoy their trip as one benefit of renting a property. My partner and I have been discussing taking a trip because this school year has been so busy with our kids’ schoolwork. Instead of traveling by plane, staying in a small hotel, and doing frantic excursions, perhaps we might think about a South Coast holiday rental property. Thanks for the suggestion!