Vacation Rentals are often less expensive than hotel rooms and are generally have more amenities.
Understanding Vacation Rentals
What are Vacation Rentals?
The travel industry defines ‘vacation rental’ as renting out a house or furnished apartment on a short-term basis to tavellers as an alternative to a hotel. For some time now, vacation rentals have been a popular travel alternative in Europe, in Canada and even more so in the UK specifically.
Its popularity is increasing worlwide. You could think of them as self-catering rentals or villas. Take vacation rentals in Barcelona as an example. In cities like Barcelona, local officials decided that vacation rentals had become a threat to the hotel industry and passed laws placing regulations and limitations on the industry, while in others, such as England, France, and Ireland, the government certifies and promotes holiday rentals, even offering their own program of holiday / vacation rentals.
Vacation rentals are completely furnished properties, such as a condo, townhouse or single-family dwelling, generally referred to in Europe as villa rentals. The client/tourist makes arrangements to rent the vacation rental property for a specific duration.
Some may rent by the night similar to hotel accommodations. However, the more common practice is weekly rentals. A true vacation rental can’t be purchased by the guest; rather, the owner simply permits the guest to rent the property for a preset time period.
Vacation rentals are typically apartments or houses in popular travel destinations that are usually leased to leisure tourists. Guests generally have full use of the residence, including utilities but typically not meals or servicing.
This option is usually not as expensive as reserving a room in a hotel or in some cases multiple rooms for the same time period, especially when vacationing with family or a large group of people. These rentals generally have amenities that make your vacation more enjoyable, often including a pool or private hot tub (with no loud neighbors), a full kitchen (so you save money by not having to eat out as much), and laundry facilities (so you can pack lighter).
A few important benefits of using Vacation Rentals
- Travellers get the privacy and comfort of a home so they can have a more enjoyable and relaxing visit.
- As mentioned earlier, a vacation rental is often cheaper than a hotel room and is perfect for families or large groups who would normally have to pay for multiple hotel rooms.
- Generally, a hotel room is going to be about 400 square feet (37 sq. meters); but the typical vacation rental is akin to a 2,000 square foot house (186 sq. meters).