Should I Stay in an Airbnb or a Hotel?
I often stay in Airbnb’s when I travel, but sometimes a hotel is a better option. Because we all have limited time to plan our trips, these are the guidelines I use to choose where to search and where to book.
If you are staying one night:
A hotel will be a better deal than an airbnb. This is because airbnb’s typically charge a cleaning fee which will put it’s rate higher than an hotel for that night. Hotels also typically have more flexibility with check-in and check-out times which is more important if you are only staying one night. Even if your room isn’t ready yet at a hotel, you can leave your luggage and go explore a city. The exception to this is if you are wanting a unique experience. Our guest cottage airbnb, is often rented for just one night as a special getaway. Because it is small, we have more flexibility with check-in and out times because it won’t take hours and hours to clean in between guests. If you do find an Airbnb you love and only have one night, it doesn’t hurt to ask if there is flexibility on the check-in and check-out times.
If You are staying a few nights:
I recommend doing a quick search on airbnb to get an overview of the nightly rates and also doing a quick search on Kayak to see the nightly rates of hotels. Depending on the destination, you may see a big difference in price between hotels and airbnbs and it’s not predictable which one might be higher. If prices are similar, then what I plan to do and who I am traveling with on the trip determines if I spend more time searching for an Airbnb or a hotel. Hotels often have more amenities like a pool, a gym and free breakfast. If those things are important to me, it might tip the scale in the favor of staying in a hotel. If I am traveling with more than 4 people or do not want to share a room with all four people, then an airbnb is often going to be the best bet price-wise for the space that you want. Do your kids go to bed early (or in the case of my teenagers, stay up late) and do you want to not have to tiptoe around a hotel room? If prices are somewhat similar, prioritize what is important to you and search accordingly.
If you are staying more than a few days:
When I am staying somewhere for more than two or three days, I will almost always want to stay in an Airbnb instead of a hotel. Airbnb’s might not have the gym or the pool (although some certainly do), but they do often have washers and dryers and full kitchens. If I’m getting away for the weekend, then eating out most meals is just part of my vacation. However, when I am staying somewhere longer for both the sakes of my pocketbook and my waistline, I need to be able to cook a few simple meals or at least have a space to store leftovers and heat them up. It might be fine to share a room with your whole family for a few nights, but for longer stays, people will want their own space.
Travel outside the United States:
In bigger cities in Europe and Canada, the above guidelines tend to apply. However, in places like Peru, I will almost exclusively stay in Airbnbs, even for one night. Cleaning fees are often almost nothing (I had one for $1!) and I have found hosts to be incredibly accommodating with check in/out times and leaving luggage. I’ve even had hosts pick me up from the train station.