Should You Stay In A Home Rental Or Hotel?

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How do you decide where to stay, a home rental or hotel? With so many choices, price points, amenities, and even safety to consider, it can be a lot to take in.

One of my favorite things about travel planning is not just choosing the destination, but finding unique and interesting places to stay. Generally, you might think that would lead us to AirBnb for their original and distinctive accommodations like treehouses, ranches, RVs, and more. And I’ll admit, I have a lot of lists for where to stay.

However, we’ve found wonderful and unique stays by staying in a hotel. These do tend to be the smaller lodging style of hotels. Yet, we’ve also found larger luxury hotels that are also unique and glorious. It does depend on what you’re looking for.

So, where should you stay, a home rental or hotel?

Jump To:

Why choose Airbnb or another Home Rental

What I love about Airbnb is the availability of unique accommodations. I curate lists through their website and app all the time of different exciting places to stay. To date, we’ve stayed in two different RV/trailers, a condo steps from the beach, and a historic home in downtown St. Augustine, just to name a few. My curated lists include a horse ranch, tree houses, and sailboats to name a few.

Read How and Why to Book an Airbnb Here.

Other reasons to choose a home rental include:

Price Savings over chain hotels
Fully equipped kitchens
Spacious, more room for family members

Why Choose a Hotel

We’ve also chosen hotels for their unique properties as well. I will say that we like hotels that offer something beyond standard chain hotels. We’ve stayed on the beach in the Keys, next to a coffee plantation, near a wildlife reserve and more. And granted, we have stayed in the roadside hotel and there are benefits to that as well (Can you say free breakfast??)

Also, a hotel can be closer to the attraction for easier access. Obviously, you’re not going to do better than a Disney hotel to get close to the Magic Kingdom.

Benefits of staying in a hotel include:

Name brand hotel means no surprises
On-site Staff
Amenities such as breakfast, room service, fitness center, housekeeping

What about Authenticity?

Here at Detail Oriented Traveler, we seek out authentic experiences for us and our children so that we can better understand the world around us from a traveler’s point of view and a worldview. I think you can find authenticity in your travels by seeking out unique accommodations either through a home rental or hotel. I have found it in both.

Our most authentic experiences in a hotel came from staying at Cay Pointe, and Finca Rosa Blanca in Costa Rica. We found these places through sites such as Superior Small Lodging in Florida and Cayuga Resorts in Costa Rica. Search for small lodging in your destination and I’m sure you’ll come up with hundreds of locations.

During a home rental, I felt it in the RV in Gatlinburg. And I had a less authentic stay in St. Augustine with the oversized mismatched decor. The location was convenient but I may have had a better experience in s superior small lodging.

Check the Reviews

Before renting a hotel or a room, be sure to check the reviews. This will give you an idea if the descriptions are accurate, service is as expected, as well as tips about the surrounding community.

Should you stay in a home rental or hotel — Me, working in a hotel

Each hotel chain has its own website, and you can price check hotel accommodations at sites like Priceline which searches all the popular hotel sites or your local travel agent.