Hotel or Vacation Rental? 4 Factors that’ll Swing Your Decision

Hotel or Vacation Rental? 4 Factors that’ll Swing Your Decision

• Top Picks, Hosting

Oh, to launch with joyous abandon onto a luxurious bed with crisp, white linen. And to sip a chilled glass of something special, courtesy of the minibar. And then there are those adorable mini soaps and lotions in the pristine bathroom… Sound like a five-star hotel room? Guess again. A holiday rental has all the thrills and frills of a high-end hotel, and more. Sumptuous linen? Tick. A well-appointed kitchen with a fridge to stock with Champagne (who needs a minibar?!)? Absolutely. Top quality toiletries? Uh-huh. And here are four more factors that will resolve, for once and for all, your ‘hotel or vacation rental’ quandary.

Size matters

With the incredible shrinking hotel roomon a rising trend, those who prefer to take more than two paces from the bedside to the toilet bowl, or to put their feet up without knocking into five pieces of furniture, will appreciate the space that comes with a holiday let. Deciding between a hotel or a vacation rental is ultimately choosing between an en-suite bedroom and an entire home with multiple warmly decorated rooms and bathrooms, a kitchen and a dining area—perhaps with a garden, too.

Value for money

Vacation rentals are, on average, a third of the cost of a hotel room per night, taking into account relative floor space and number of bedrooms. Hotels have mega running costs, employ legions of staff and require a hefty upkeep. The costs to run a holiday let, however, are relatively low, and this reflects happily in your bill. That’s not taking into account your entertainment extras, either. With the excellent kitchen and dining facilities in a vacation rental, it’s a pleasure to dine in and even more of a pleasure to avoid endless restaurant bills. And that handy washing machine means you won’t rack up a painful laundry tab.

 Keep it in the family

If you’re bringing your brood abroad, travelling with a tribe of mates or booking a business trip, choosing between a hotel or a vacation rental is a no-brainer. A vacation rental creates comfortable and intimate communal areas for you and your gang to relax and spread out. Forget adjoining doors and eavesdropper-proof hushed tones in the dining room—vacation rentals come with plenty of shared spaces that encourage you to feel right at home. Besides, who wants to face the world at some ungodly hour over a buffet breakfast? Brunch is served at your leisure!

Live local

The heavyweight hotels tend to flank the touristy districts—which is great (apart from the hiked-up prices that accompany them and the generally overpriced surrounding restaurants!). But step a little to the side and you’ll find a beautiful bijou home that’s in easy reach of all the blockbusters, but also benefits from an immersion in local culture, with all its accompanying charming restaurants, independent shops and neighbourhood cafés. It’ll give you coveted insider access to the authentic local experience—in itself, priceless.

Explore Ivy’s extensive and reasonably priced portfolio of charming London vacation rentals to suit all tastes and needs, located in the capital’s most coveted postcodes here.

Feature images © MangoStar_Studio/iStock; Ivy Lettings; volkansengor/iStock; @meanderingmacaron/Instagram