Airbnb vs Hotel
Let’s face it, half the fun of your trip is having a great place to stay. However, planning a holiday can often involve a lot of working parts. Gathering the crew, agreeing on an area and shortlisting properties that meet your needs and your budget. One minute you’re happily browsing various accommodation options and the next you’re overwhelmed with decision fatigue.
We might be a little biased, but we think that choosing to base yourselves from a holiday home has some pretty awesome advantages over staying in a hotel. Let us tell you why!
7 reasons why you should absolutely choose a holiday home (like an Airbnb) over a hotel room (in our humble opinion) …
1. Home away from home
Travelling for many is about breaking away from the standard routine and experiencing new places, sights and sounds. Despite all the new, there’s no denying the cravings of familiar home comforts, especially upon returning to your accommodation after a long day of exploring.
Hotels just don’t seem to cut it even though they provide great service. Enjoy all the amenities you’re familiar with at home, plus you may have a whole raft of added comforts such as swimming pools, spa pools, walkways to the beach and incredible views of snow-capped mountains to name but a few – only adding to a terrific experience! Even your furry friends can make themselves at home, with many holiday homes now being pet-friendly.
2. Quality family time
Unlike other more traditional accommodation offerings, holiday homes allow the whole family to spend time together in lovely spaces. You won’t be separated by different rooms making it hard to connect and get that desired quality time away together. In a holiday home/Airbnb you can spend as much time (or as little) as you like with each other – making the most of all the communal areas perfect for winding down like the lounge, garden, courtyard, kitchen, pool, or snuggled up around an outdoor fireplace reminiscing on the day that was!
3. Excellent value for money!
Accommodation always takes up a significant chunk of the holiday budget. One of the wonderful things about staying in a holiday home is the capacity to have many people sleeping under one roof. Having the extra space and rooms means that you can holiday with your friends and family, sharing the experience together (and the cost).
There are many hotels that can offer decent value. However, holiday homes can do one better! Compare the cost and you’ll see what a big difference there is, especially when looking at the cost of various rooms if travelling with a group and having to buy all of your meals out. Bringing your own food and beverages will save you a considerable amount of money, leaving you with a bigger budget for activities and other memorable experiences. This brings us to the next advantage – amenities!
4. Amenities
The big one here for most people is the kitchen. Having full reign over your own kitchen and the option to do your own shopping and cooking saves some serious dollars and makes pleasing fussy eaters and children a breeze. Enjoy browsing the local shops and preparing meals for your group in the comfort of your holiday home, spending precious family time together.
The majority of holiday homes also have washers and dryers, a holiday luxury that allows you to do your own washing (and for free!). Hotels are notorious for hiking the prices up for such a service, which makes keeping on top of kids laundry quite the task and a costly one at that.
Holiday homes also have the added benefit of their own TV’s with cable and often now have Smart TV’s allowing you to watch a movie or your favourite series on the likes of Netflix. It’s great not having to pay hotel rates simply to watch a movie or keep the kids entertained. Many of our holiday homes / Airbnb’s even have PlayStations, table tennis, kayaks, boogie boards, paddle boards, swimming pools, hot tubs, outdoor pizza ovens and fires… the list goes on!
5. Privacy
Privacy isn’t just an option in your holiday home, it’s guaranteed. Holidays are for relaxing, either solo, with your significant other or with your friends and family. The last thing you want when you’re on holiday is to be confronted by other holiday-makers and tourists all trying to do the same thing. It’s not always easy to find accommodation that delivers on the desire for privacy. Hotels make this difficult with shared facilities and staying in the same room in each others space can all get a bit much when you’re trying to just completely unwind.
In a holiday home, you can rest assured you’ll be away from the crowds and prying eyes. The entire space will be yours and yours only.
6. Freedom
The luxury of making your own schedule and holiday timetable is crucial for a stress-free getaway. Enjoy coming and going as you please at your holiday home and not having to conform to designated meal times and amenity opening hours – such as the pool closing at 9pm. Choose to have your breakfast when it suits you, whether that’s at the crack of dawn or after a nice sleep in. Feel like a swim in the pool after 9pm? Go for it – it’s all yours!
Whether you want a very active or a more chilled out holiday, the beauty of choosing a holiday home is that you can enjoy everything at your own pace.
7. Spoilt for choice
You’re absolutely spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a holiday home and the location! You’ll be amazed by the number of options available when making your decision. Fancy staying in a beachfront villa? You can. Prefer a sprawling home complete with swimming pool, tennis court and open fireplace? Done. Perhaps a yurt in the middle of a national park? It’s yours! A tiny house overlooking the ocean? Sure thing. More into a small studio apartment right in the middle of all the action? That’s on the cards too. Enjoy the multitude of choices you have, without breaking the bank!
It’s all of these 7 benefits and more, that make staying in a holiday home the perfect recipe for an excellent getaway! Feeling inspired? Bachcare has over 2,000 holiday homes throughout New Zealand. Come and explore somewhere magical with us!
