If you are a business traveler or frequent vacationer, you may realize that short-term rentals are quickly becoming the new luxury hotels. They may not have room service or housekeeping service, but many of them provide luxury amenities and perks that you simply cannot find in a hotel chain. Here are three advantages of staying in a rental home rather than a hotel:
Photo by: Chad050 Flickr Creative Commons
1. Lower Costs
Especially if you are staying in town for a week or more, renting a house or condo can be cheaper than paying per night at a hotel. Even for the most economical hotels, you could easily pay up to $1,000 per week. But many nice rental homes charge a similar amount for an entire month’s stay and even prorate the rent if you only stay part of the month.
2. Nicer Location
Hotel chains are often built in commercial zones, limiting you to freeways and fast food chains. When you rent a privately owned house or condo, you choose your area and neighborhood. If you are visiting Chicago, for example, you may prefer to stay in a trendy neighborhood of Chicago near Wrigley Field or Lincoln Park. In neighborhoods such as Bloomingdale in Chicago, you have pedestrian-friendly access to public parks and trendy local restaurants to choose from, giving your visit a more personal and local feel.
3. Better Amenities
Hot tubs, large flat screen TVs, billiard rooms, and a private washer and dryer are not necessarily included in hotels. They are, however, fairly common in rental homes. If you don’t mind cleaning up your own mess, having a fully equipped kitchen is nice if you are traveling by yourself or if you want to invite people over for a meal. Having a front porch or backyard patio can be a refreshing change of pace from the usual four walls of a hotel room as well.
If you are considering visiting a city for business or pleasure, it is wise to check out the wide variety of short-term rentals in the area before plunking money down for a pricey hotel. Rentals.com lists rentals by city, neighborhood and zip codes as well as property type, features and price range.
April Lentini writes for Chicago’s Apartment Guide.
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