Renting a vacation home from Italy Perfect provides some unique benefits. If you are trying to decide whether a vacation home rental or a hotel is best for you here are some trade-offs to consider.
VACATION RENTAL PROS
- More spacious than a hotel room
- Price-per-night is usually lower, especially stays of 4+ nights
- A living room for relaxing and for gathering
- A kitchen so that you don’t have to eat out every meal, saving money and allowing for casual dining with children
- A washing machine (in most, a few even have a dryer)
- A more authentic experience; live like a local
- More special features, such as views or a terrace, at a better value than a hotel
- Our photos and videos are accurate, you know exactly which apartment you are renting
- A wealth of travel tips and information to help you plan your trip
VACATION RENTAL CONS
- Fixed check in times in the late afternoon
- Not good if you are arriving late at night
- No concierge service for directions, luggage storage, transportation and restaurant reservations
- No bellman to carry your luggage
- Extra housekeeping, if available, is paid separately
- No daily towel change
- Toiletries – There might be a small supply but don’t count on it. Plan to bring your own soap, shampoo, conditioner. There will be enough toilet paper to last a day or two, after that you purchase your own.
- Kitchen – There might be a small supply of condiments, but a full selection is not guaranteed. Plan to get to the grocery store soon if you plan to cook to buy condiments, oil, vinegar, paper towels, paper napkins.
- Wi-Fi is usually free
- More restrictive cancellation and reservation change policy than a hotel
- Not advisable for 1 and 2 night stays since the economics don’t work. Many vacation rentals won’t take a 3 nights reservation either.
HOTEL PROS
- Front desk open round the clock and more flexible check in hours
- Concierge to help you with directions, taxis, luggage storage, transportation and restaurant reservations
- Bellman to carry luggage
- Daily housekeeping & towel change
- Toiletries provided
- If you don’t like your room, switching rooms is probably possible
- Better for very short stays of 1 and 2 nights
- More liberal cancellation policy
HOTEL CONS
- Rooms in European hotels are usually tiny
- You won’t know exactly which room you will get, probably not the best one featured in the hotel’s website photos and view unknown
- Difficult to get adjoining rooms for families
- No place to sit other than on the bed
- Price per night usually higher versus a comparably located apartment
- Room service, if available, is very expensive
- Mini bar, if available, astronomically priced; expect to pay $15 USD for a can of Coke.
- Laundry service cost is astounding and turnaround time is several days
- Wi-Fi is usually an extra fee
- More hidden fees, taxes, service charges
- Expensive for longer stays of 4+ nights
- Your confirmation will not include any materials such as tourism tips, tour guide suggestions, restaurant lists, shopping tips, and driver recommendations.
