When we went to Europe we had five hotels to book, which added up to 17 nights
of hotels in the space of about a month. Once I narrowed down my
search on Trip Advisor, I was definitely stressing about how much money
all of these hotels were costing us. I felt I owed it to myself to
check out AirBnB and Home Away, just to see what my options were so I created accounts and
started looking. However, I found that the search was even more
exhausting over there than on Trip Advisor and that it probably wasn't going to work out because A. I probably wouldn't be saving all that much money in the end
and B. I just wasn't comfortable taking a chance on some of the places.
I considered going the non hotel route but it didn't work out and this is why.
Some of the rentals have pretty rigid cancellation policies, and I only feel comfortable booking when I can cancel. I don't even mind paying up front as long as I can get my money back if I need to. Even the cheaper no cancellation allowed price doesn't lure me because I can't stop the
what if anxiety. How many big vacations have I had to cancel? Zero! But still. You never know.
I can't stay some place that doesn't feel clean. I just can't. This is part of why it takes so much research for me to find a hotel and why I really like
Trip Advisor. The reviews are extensive, and the pictures are real. I head straight for the traveler photos (not the glossy hotel pics) of the bathroom. If that 'aint right, I don't have to look at anything else because I already know I'm not staying there. Also, I know a lot of them are exclusively vacation rentals, but I'm pretty sure some of them aren't and I don't know if I like the idea of staying in someone's house, sleeping in their bed, surrounded by their things. I sometimes even have issues staying in homes of people I
do know. I definitely wouldn't say I'm OCD, because I'm clinically not, but I am that person who doesn't feel comfortable just anywhere. I see things that nobody else does. Textured fabrics in general kind of gross me out and if the place doesn't feel right, I'll be wearing my house shoes the entire time. I can't just roll up anywhere and be okay like my husband. And the thing is, he has standards. He likes nice hotels, but he certainly doesn't carry the anxiety that I do about how clean it's going to feel.
I don't want my vacation ruined. I don't have time for that. Every day is just too precious for me to risk being cancelled on, or showing up and finding that the place is not as advertised. Or something else, because I've heard some pretty random Airbnb stories. I just don't want to risk something going terribly wrong on my vacation. If I'm going to shell out money for a trip, I really really need for everything to go smoothly.
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| Keys from hotel #1 Paris, Hotel #2 Santorini, and Hotel #3 in Mallorca. How charming is that? |
I
like luxury. I don't have to stay in the nicest hotel in town, but I am also not interested in staying in Uncle John's extra bedroom. Some of the lower priced options were functional, basic, and served as a roof over one's vacationing head with nothing more and nothing less. I'm afraid I tend to want a little bit more when I'm on vacation and it's worth it to me to pay for it.
By the time I found a place that had extensive A+ reviews, a flexible cancellation policy, in the ideal location that met my rigorous standards of cleanliness and ambiance the cost was close to the same amount I would have been paying for a hotel. In that case...I might as well pay for a hotel I can count on. The infrastructure and housekeeping staff that a big hotel provides is worth it. They can arrange transportation if needed. You know exactly what amenities will be available.If they overbook, they will find you another room. If something is broken, they fix it. You know there will be a hair dryer, and sometimes, you even get a cozy robe and slippers!
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| Cosmopolitan Hotel Prague |
Some people say that they don't like the feel of a big hotel when they travel and that they prefer a more authentic experience. I mostly agree with that. Inside the US I don't care that much, but I definitely try to avoid Marriott, Hilton etc when we travel outside the US for that very reason. I found that many of the European hotels we've come across tend to be small boutique hotels anyway. In Paris for example, most of the hotels are really tiny. When I say tiny, I mean so tiny there is barely room to walk around your bed, and fit into the elevator with your luggage. Bam. There is your authentic experience. The hotel where we've stayed in Paris twice now, is a perfectly cozy boutique hotel on a quiet little street, walking distance from a laundromat. I was so hot and sweaty I seriously considered using it. There was nothing chain like about our cave style apartment in
Santorini at Nostos Apartments or that
amazing 4 bedroom apartment in a quiet neighborhood in Rome that we stayed in last year. I felt so at home at El Coto in Mallorca, and I mean, look at all those adorable keys. In Paris, they make you leave it at the front desk when you come and go, but at the other two it goes where you go. I was worried about what would happen if we lost them. The Cosmopolitan Hotel in Prague had the largest hotel feel of any we stayed in, but the building itself was charming, and at the end of the day, I'm pretty much gonna be okay with nice, fancy and hotel like. That's part of the fun of being on vacation. Also, nice and fancy usually means clean. Sold!
The hours upon hours of research on Trip Advisor paid off. Every hotel we stayed in was pretty amazing. They were clean, well situated, and really enhanced our vacation experience. That's really important to me. I still haven't done the cold hard numbers on exactly how much we spent. I'm not very good at math, but I think it was a lot. I didn't really want to know at the time, but now that the money is already spent, I'll go back and add it up. If anything will make me seriously consider an Airbnb for next time it's that!
Plenty of people find perfectly lovely AirBnB, HomeAway, or VRBO rentals for a killer prices and have a positive experience. Maybe one day I'll be one of them. I'm definitely open to it, but there were a lot of moving parts on this trip and I just didn't feel like taking any chances.
Do you utilize vacation rentals by owners? If so, which website did you use and was your experience good or bad?
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So. I have used AirBnB quite a few times and have had mixed experiences. Mostly it was for short European breaks where a) we couldn't have afforded to go if it weren't for AirBnB and b) it was only for a short time. Also they're useful for me as sometimes I need to cook my own gluten free meals as I can't eat out easily, in which case having your own kitchen is a life saver.
ReplyDeleteHowever the older I get the less inclined I am to faff around with that stuff! We stayed in our best AirBnB ever last month here in Australia, but for the next few trips I've just gone for a hotel. AirBnB takes a lot of time to research and make sure you'll not end up with a donkey, and with a hotel you know what you're in for. And you know things will be much less stressful.
I think, if it's a trip that's important to you, go for a hotel. It's safer.
We've never used AirBnB either-- for a lot of the same reasons you mentioned. I guess I feel "safer" with hotels because if something is wrong with your room or something happens, there's usually someone there to fix. With a rental, it seems like you could be stuck without somewhere to stay. The few times I've briefly looked at AirBnB it seemed just as expensive as staying in a hotel, but maybe it's better in different areas-- or if you're traveling with a larger group? You found some gorgeous hotels for your trip- if I ever make it to Santorini, I would definitely keep in mind where you guys stayed!
ReplyDeleteI have never used AirBnB or anything like that - but I also haven`t traveled anywhere since it`s become a thing. I know a lot of people like it, but it does feel strange to me to be in someone else`s house. And I like staying in hotels (assuming they are GOOD hotels, of course)!
ReplyDeleteI have definitely felt the same way about taking chances when traveling so far abroad. But it looks like you ended up with some great choices.
ReplyDeletexo Ashley
www.ashleyringger.com
I enjoyed my AirBnB experience more in San Diego than I did in DC. I think the key to a great AirBnB is being able to book far in advance that way you get the best picks. We didn't do that in DC which is why I don't think it was as great as our experience in SD but still it wasn't bad.
ReplyDeleteI am good with either option as long as the reviews are good but I do think it is so much easier and convenient to just book a hotel because they help you while you're there. Need any recommendations and the front desk can help, need a taxi they'll grab you one, need your room clean, voila. So I def. understand why you didn't go the AirBnB route.
When I travel I use a combination of hotels, AirBnBs and I house sit. Because I work for myself and make my own schedule, I house sit a lot so I can afford to travel for months at a time. Since I don't pay for lodging most times, it saves me a lot of money. But if I can't find a house sitting assignment in an area where I want to be, I do enjoy AirBnBs. My guy and I recently traveled for 3.5 months and we did mostly house sits with 3 AirBnBs tossed in. It's really about what's available at the time that we want to travel. But if I can save money somehow and still stay someplace spacious, that's the road I'll take. I've never used Home Away. I should try it some time. But your trip and your lodging sounds perfect, so you made great decisions.
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