<p>Interested in hearing feedback from CCers who choose to rent an apartment or house when they go on vacation. We have always been the “stay in a hotel” kind of people because I enjoy how everything is cleaned up for you; it’s more relaxing; I work all the time and I don’t think I’d enjoy grocery shopping and cooking while on vacation. But many friends and relatives rent a house when they go to: Nantucket; Maine; Italy; France; etc.</p>
<p>What are the factors that would motivate you to do the hotel vs house?</p>
<p>One thing I can see is sheer family size – once you have 2+ teenage kids, they need their own hotel room, and that ups the price right away, whereas a house or apartment gives you room to spread out. And if one of you genuinely enjoys cooking or perhaps has dietary constraints, then renting is better than being restricted to a hotel. Also perhaps length of stay. If you’re only at a place for a few days, I would think hotel is the better option.</p>
<p>Thanks for any ideas and comments you can share.</p>
<p>I like houses so you don’t have to round everyone up for every meal. When you go out you can take the leftovers home for the next meal. People can hangout and watch tv while others sleep. </p>
<p>Though I do only do it if I’m there for 6 days or a week or more.</p>
<p>You can hire people to come in and cook for you. I’d suggest not the last day, as it didn’t matter if it was Florence or Floriday, they always make enough for at least one more meal.</p>
<p>When we vacation in HI, we rent a condo through Expedia or another online booking agency. It makes check-in much smooher (I’ve heard horror stories from folks who had to track down owners to get access to their room after flight delays), and you get some housekeeping. Also, no security deposits or cleaning fees to mess with. I like the option of having a kitchen and outdoor grilling area, and I make our meals the way DH likes them. </p>
<p>When we traveled to Europe a few years ago, we rented a flat in St. Petersburg (through our friends), and that turned out to be a very wise move, because eating out in major Russian cities was extremely expensive.</p>
<p>We always rented a house/condo simply by virtue of the size of our family. It would be a true luxury for me to get a hotel. Because when we rent these units, who do you think ends up being the maid? I remember going to Hawaii some years ago, getting into the place late at night and immediately having to go to a grocery store to buy toilet paper, juice, breakfast stuff, etc. Some start to a tropical paradise vacation. So it really depends on the work you want to do. </p>
<p>If you are not in the truly rich bracket and if you don’t have a family slave (like what I am) to do bulk of the planning and work in the necessities of living in a place, a hotel is where you can get a true vacation. In my income bracket, those who own second homes don’t get my envy for an instant, as we make enough to get one, but not enough for someone to caretake the place. It means more work. I’ve been on one cruise in my life, and I so loved it because after the planning phase, I could sit back and enjoy instead of having to deal with the everyday stuff.</p>
<p>I really prefer to stay in a condo or house if the stay is a week or longer. We have rented from VRBO many times and have had good experiences. Again I think it depends most on how many people you have and how long your stay is going to be. We like to be able to eat breakfast before taking off for the day and depending where we are we may also want to pack lunches to take with us. </p>
<p>We have stayed in some beautiful homes with the families of girls D shows horses with. We are staying in a lovely home this summer for two weeks with the same group while the girls attend a horseshow. We rent the house in order to be able to cook and make it affordable for everyone to attend (this house is 6 bedrooms and 6 1/2 baths!).</p>
<p>House or condo for us.<br>
We like the extra space.<br>
We are able to make more healthy eating choices when we keep our own groceries.<br>
Washer and dryer.</p>
<p>We rented a house for the trip we went on for PMKjrs high school graduation. We wanted to stay right on the water and I didn’t want to be competing with people for space, listening to other people’s music, etc. We had our own private, waterfront and it was heavenly. </p>
<p>We did cereal for breakfast/fruit and cold cuts for lunch. Simple, grilled dinners on paper plates made even dinner easy. </p>
<p>I will caution that I knew everyone staying with us was neat, responsible and easy to get along with. You are, after all, together a lot but, on the other hand, you’ve got your own private bedroom to get away too. </p>
<p>We used Vacation Rental By Owner and were very please. I’ll absolutely use this website again in the future. [VRBO</a> is Vacation Rentals By Owner](<a href=“http://www.vrbo.com/]VRBO”>http://www.vrbo.com/)</p>
<p>We have vacationed both ways. (Disclaimer, we own a vacation rental property). I often use the vacation rental when traveling with the kids, even if only two days. I usually don’t cook often. We stop and buy breakfast items, coffee etc so in the morning everyone can be getting ready with coffee and cereal or toast. I usually bring or buy some snacks, drinks (adult and other). Some snacks, drinks we bring with us depending on our itinerary, others stay in the house/condo for evening treats. If its a short stay, I won’t cook, but if longer I might make a meal or of something fairly easy, planned for a “down” night so we don’t have to wait for a table or try to get reservations. </p>
<p>When traveling with younger kids it makes even more sense than with teens (when it does get tough to accommodate different genders) because you can put the younger ones to bed and still watch tv, talk etc. If it is just the two of us, I have never pursued anything other than a hotel.</p>
<p>timeshare. we own 2 bedroom units. plenty of space for 4 people with full kitchen. we do not have eat out every meal. we also belong to exchange companies when we can exchange to different places. </p>
<p>warning: do not buy a timeshare without fully researching it. do not believe everything the sales person tells you.</p>
<p>We have vacationed both ways. It depends on number going and location, as well as the nature of the rental agreements. The first time in a foreign/new city where it can help to have guidance and help with restaurant reservations, museum arrangements, etc., (especially in the pre-ubiquitous internet info days), I tended to prefer a hotel. If I know a place well or I am going mostly to relax on an island, I have enjoyed the privacy and flexibility of a rental place. If massive cleaning on your last day is not required, it is truly a vacation also. I have had daily housekeeping in a rental in some locations where it is traditional. Some places offer one BR villas, with a private pool, housekeeping and kitchen for less than or equal to a hotel. I like not having to have every meal out and having a kitchen. It’s nice to consider both options and see what fits each trip.</p>
<p>We do both. I find there are pros and cons to both options. We rented a vacation rental last weekend with my SIL and her family. My inlaws own a vacation rental in the same area. It was nice to not all be in one house. The house we rented was down the street from the inlaws. I love having the space. Plus the kids can eat when they want. We did breakfast and lunch in rental and dinner out. The con is you are at the mercy of the taste of the owner. Sometimes the furnishings are dated and the beds and carpet old. In this case we wanted to be near the ocean and our goal for the weekend was to be with family and walk along the coast. If we wanted to be near the walking area of town a motel would have been a better option.
In Hawaii we have rented a house and also done the hotel route. The house was great but if you have teens who want some freedom a hotel might be in a better location.</p>
<p>We ususally stay in hotels. We have rented a beach house through someone we knew for one week in the US and we have purchased a timeshare week through a friend for an island vacation abroad.</p>
<p>I feel as if I am on a vacation more when I stay at a hotel. That said what motivated me to rent a house on the beach was:</p>
<p>We were vacationing with extended family and they wanted to rent a beach house and had stayed at the one we were renting before. They also know the homeowner very well.</p>
<p>To try something different for us.</p>
<p>To save on cost of our trip. We split the cost of the beach house, and we ate 2 dinners and all breakfasts and a one or two lunches at the beach house. This can save money, although I am a shopper for a hotel at a bargain price so for us the savings was probably when we ate at the house. Price of the beach house cost the same or slightly more than what I would spend at a hotel (assuming that I am not paying rack rates minus a AAA discount, but a better rate than that).</p>
<p>I have refused to stay at friend’s houses even at no charge because with my crew, the toll can be heavy. It’s bad enough that I have to work to stock a rental and provide the usual necessities, but I feel that using someone’s place as a favor means having the additional responsibility of making sure the place is in sterling shape when we leave whereas there is that wear and tear allowance with rentals. </p>
<p>I stayed at a military vacation place once courtesy of my brother, and I remember having to clean out the place with DH before leaving. No thanks. That tips it over the scale for me.</p>
<p>Issues such as “cleaning yourself out” need to be clarified with the owner or property manager. Most places I have rented do not have that requirement. Check out procedures should be clearly spelled out so that there is no confusion. I have rented where they asked me to throw one load of sheets in the washer as I left (no problem) and another where they asked me to place garbage in the outside container as I left (also no problem).<br>
Some areas there an expectation that the house should be left as found. Again these are sometimes “community norms” or procedures that the owner has found works well for them.</p>
<p>I’ve done both and I’d say it varies. If it’s just me and someone else I usually prefer a hotel… with a microwave and a fridge. If it’s a bigger group (3+) I tend to like a house. Otherwise I feel way too squished in one room.</p>
<p>We prefer to rent a timeshare or a house if we are going for a week or more,so we can spread out. I don’t make breakfasts here at home and it would be more of an effort to make the kids get up early so we could go out for breakfast instead of everyone getting up when they want and eating cereal or bagels, etc. I much prefer sitting in my pj’s and having my second cup of coffee with my husband and eating a breakfast I like to having to wait for someone else to make something that’s not quite the way I like it. </p>
<p>I don’t really cook on vacations and having a kitchen doesn’t mean that you HAVE to use it like you do at home.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for all the great insights! You brought up many pluses to renting a house I hadn’t considered (ability to sleep in, flexibility with meals, ability to eat healthier). And I agree – if it’s just me and H, a hotel is going to be more relaxing. I’ll take all this into account for the Co2015 family vacation. Thanks again</p>