Why I Prefer Hotels To Private Rentals 

In recent years there has been a huge boom in the private rental accommodation industry, thanks in part to the success of companies such as AirBnb. I travel frequently as part of my job and I have been staying hotels for as long as I can remember. I have tried with private rentals in recent years and it is just something that has never quite worked for me. Last month I was sitting in the amazing Bicycle Casino Hotel in California, and finally made my mind up that hotels are far better than private rentals, and here is why.

Promotions

Many people will talk about the prices for private rentals being much better than the price that you pay for hotels but in my view this simply isn’t the case. Of course you may save some money when electing a cheap rental versus an expensive hotel, but looking generally across the board, for similar accommodation, I believe hotels to offer the best prices. What I love most about hotels, is that they regularly offer promotions and this gives you a great chance of bagging a hotel room at great rates. Promotions and price drops are not seen very often in the private rental sector.

Entertainment

I love the entertainment that you find in hotels, take the Bicycle in California for example, they have the biggest casino in the state, they regularly host live shows and cabarets and their bars are packed with TV to watch sports on, and plenty of live music. When you stay in a private rental, the onus is on you to find entertainment whereas in many hotels you can simply head downstairs, and it is all there for you.

Service

Many people will also allude to the fact that in a private rental, you can cook for yourself and have independence but for me, this sounds like the opposite of what I am looking for. As long as you find a good hotel, you will have someone to carry your bags and show you to your room, there are desk staff to help you out with whatever you need and you can also enjoy some food which someone else has prepared, without the dishes! There is next to no service when you use a private rental and this is another reason why hotels win every time for me.

Locations

Generally speaking, hotels have been placed in central locations, close to the heart of the action. With private rentals you may very well find great locations, but they are not a given. When I decided to give some private rentals a go last year, I found that the locations were miles away from where I wanted to be, and that the hotels were the polar opposite. Whether I am traveling for business or pleasure, the last thing that I want is to have to travel every time that I wish to go somewhere.