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When choosing a stay, the choice of often begins with: hotel or vacation rental? Though many other travelers swear by vacation rentals for unique stays on their international trips, we are bucking that trend by continuing to chose hotels.
I’ve heard many good reasons for staying in a vacation rental—a unique experience, more private, more cost effective. Call us old fashioned, we chose to stay at hotels over vacation rentals for the convenience, accountability, consistency, and amenities. And one reason above all others…
Our top 5 reasons for staying at hotels rather than vacation rentals:
#5. We can physically find hotels.
Hotels have signs and lights and welcome mats. Taxi drivers know the name of notable hotels and so does the GPS. We’re not relying on a small house numbers in the dark or a door that just looks like somebody’s house. When we arrive at night, trying to read a foreign language is taxing. Whereas a sign with a recognizable logo is like… a light left on for you (to paraphrase a well-known hospitality company).
# 4. Speaking of the light left on, there’s typically a person there too!
You may have to ding the bell but there’s a person to greet you. Hotels put their best English speaker up front. When you’re tired from a long day of travel, having a real person to walk you through the check in process and maybe even walk you to your room, is so reassuring. And when something goes wrong like the heater doesn’t work or the toilet’s clogged, it’s a quick phone call or walk in slippers to the front desk where someone can get on it quickly or even move you to a different room. Last minute upgrades are a possibility too—there’s typically other rooms available. With a vacation rental, what you book is what you get. Something goes wrong and you live with the issue or find another lodging.
# 3. A hotel has a reputation to uphold.
It’s a business in it for the long haul. Reviews span years and are typically consistent of what to expect though updates and staff changes take place. Though some vacation rentals might be around for a long time, many are quick to come and go leaving you wondering if the host is even the owner of the rental and what of their personal taste you have to put up with while being on their turf.
# 2. Hotels level rating are more consistent.
The differences between 2 star and 4 star hotels are pretty consistent without even looking beyond the number of stars. The comparisons are often apples-to-apples: square footage, bed type, amenities, balcony, luxury touches and more. Vacation rentals can have a wide variety of looks and feels which certainly adds to their charm but also adds to the uncertainty.
# 1. My favorite reason for choosing a hotel …
It’s vacation! That means getting away from it all—all the cooking and cleaning and daily tidying up. This is where hotels often cost more—to employ staff for the front desk and clean up and the restaurant or bar. But I save on time and stress by forgoing deciding what to cook, finding what I need at foreign stores, and learning somebody else’s kitchen.
If you prefer vacation rentals, maybe you’ll disagree on some of these. If I was traveling with children or extended family and friends, then having communal spaces to enjoy each other’s company would be paramount and a full rental would be preferred. If we had food allergies or a restrictive diet preventing us from going out to eat, then a well-appointed kitchen would be a priority. Yet since we are just us two, maybe even the vacation rental crowd can appreciate our reasons listed above. So though vacation rentals tend to be the trend, we still chose hotels.
Three of our Favorite Hotel Recommendations
Out This Door gives deep dive reviews and photos on Google Maps, Booking, and TripAdvisor. Here are three of our all-time favorite hotels:
- In Lausanne, Switzerland you are in for the surprise of your life at one of Best Westerns International Hotels! Check out the Hotel Mirabeau just steps from Lake Geneva and the Olympic Museum. Read my short personal review about the Hotel Mirabeau here.
In Trier, Germany, the Villa Hugel spa hotel includes spa time that’s saunas dry rooms and steam rooms included in your room rate, along with two swimming pools–one indoors and the forever pool outside.
- In the countryside of Aberdeenshire, Scotland is the sweetest boutique hotel: The Redgarth. Just a short drive from the magnificent Balmoral Castle (the royal family’s getaway) and more standing stone circles than you can shake a stick at, this beautiful country inn boast gorgeous luxury rooms and an excellent bar at an amazing price point.
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