Once you’ve chosen a destination for your next vacation or weekend getaway, the next thing that travel planners usually focus on is where to stay.
It’s a decision that needs to be made early, especially during busy travel seasons, if you want to ensure that you can secure your first choice. It’s also a decision that can affect many other parts of your stay, like what you’ll be near or who all will be staying together.
While roadside motels were once one of the only options travelers had, today, your choices are far more diverse. With websites like Airbnb and VRBO allowing homeowners to open up their properties to travelers, some are opting for non-traditional stays for their vacations. Dedicated vacation rentals are now easy to find and offer many of the amenities of home while you’re away. But hotels have also stepped up their games, offering guests more amenities than ever before.
If you’re planning a vacation to Springdale for your family, keep reading to learn how to decide between a vacation rental and a hotel for your stay.
Choosing a Vacation Rental for Your Trip
Vacation rentals offer travelers a number of perks that you might not find in your standard hotel. But they may also lack amenities that you’d find standard at nearby resorts
Benefits of a Vacation Rental
When most travelers consider a vacation rental, it’s often because they are looking for more space and want some of the perks of a home while they’re away. When you rent a condo or home, you’ll often get both. While most hotel rooms can sleep anywhere from 2 to 6 guests, you’ll have a hard time finding a room that sleeps more than that, even with a suite. But depending on the type of rental you’re looking at, you can often sleep many times that.
Besides extra beds, vacation rentals often come equipped with a full kitchen that’s perfect for preparing meals while you’re traveling. For larger families, this can be a great way to save some money, versus eating out at restaurants two or three times a day.
Another perk of a vacation rental is additional living spaces. If you plan to spend time relaxing with family, watching movies, or playing games during your vacation, this is one amenity you won’t want to go without.
Drawbacks of a Vacation Rental
If extra space and a kitchen are important to you, a vacation rental might be a better choice over a hotel. But you may be giving up other perks that can enhance your vacation.
In most cases, you won’t get fun on-site perks like a pool, fitness room, playground, or restaurants. Often times, rentals don’t come with maid service, so you’ll be doing your own cleaning during your vacation.
If you’re renting someone’s personal home or a room on a site like VRBO or Airbnb, keep in mind that there may be other drawbacks. If you have problems during your stay, you’ll need to deal directly with the homeowner. If you don’t rent the entire property, you may deal with noise, pets, or other disruptions from the homeowner as well. Luckily, renting a dedicated vacation rental can help you avoid most of these unique issues.
Choosing a Hotel for Your Trip
Hotels continue to be the popular choice among travelers. But besides being the traditional way to travel, they also offer some amenities you won’t find in a vacation rental.
Benefits of a Hotel
There is no shortage of benefits that come with staying in a hotel during your vacation.
Some of the biggest ones are musts for many vacationers. If you want to kick back and relax during your vacation, cleaning up, washing towels, or dealing with issues on your own might be a huge headache. But with a hotel comes maid service and a front desk with staff ready to help out with any issues. You can even call for room service or visit on-site restaurants when you’re hungry for dinner or just looking for a late-night dessert.
While you can play games or watch a movie in your vacation rental, a hotel often comes with plenty of ways to spend a day. Walking paths, swimming pools, picnic areas, and playgrounds are just a few amenities that your family might get to enjoy. Some hotels even offer yoga classes, educational programs, tours, and more.
If a kitchen and living space is important to you, you can always look for suites at your favorite hotel properties.
Drawbacks of a Hotel
While you may be able to get a kitchen and room to stretch out when you stay in a hotel, you’ll still likely get less space than you would with a vacation rental. And those extras aren’t guaranteed with every hotel room. Your standard room likely won’t offer much more than a microwave and mini-fridge for a kitchen, and perhaps a couch or chairs to relax in during the day.
If you’re traveling with a large group, you’ll need to book several rooms to make space for everyone as well. This may mean splitting up your group. And after a long day of hiking and exploring, there may not be space in the hotel rooms for everyone to hang out together.
Planning Your Next Vacation to Springdale
Ultimately, choosing between a vacation rental and a hotel is up to you. Depending on your family’s wants and needs, one option might be a clear winner over the other. In the same way, what works for one vacation might not work for the next.
Luckily, you’ll have no shortage of options for places to stay in Springdale. From luxurious vacation rentals to boutique hotels, the city offers endless options for vacationers looking to explore Zion and the surrounding area. Check out our list of the top options today to start planning your next vacation.
