Having a comfortable home is something we all need and desire. Our lives are usually so hectic that after a long day’s work, all we want is to go to our safe space, our sanctuary. We treat ourselves through vacations, leaving our repetitive and draining routines, going away from the places we’ve familiarized ourselves with to somewhere far away. These vacation destinations may be an exotic island, a faraway city, or some village in the middle of nowhere, we want to get lost for a while so that we can be reminded of who we are.
The thing, though, is that settling even for a short period in a completely unfamiliar place can be next to impossible without assistance. People usually get help from travel agencies and book hotels they recommend so that they can get the best experience during their journey. This can cost a penny and drains bank accounts faster than air from a balloon with a hole. Not everyone can afford it, and not everyone wants to take that kind of a financial leap. The next best thing is service providers like Airbnb and VRBO.
Airbnb, short for Air mattress Breakfast and Bed and VRBO, Vacation Rentals By Owner are online marketplaces for rentals that register authentic homes and apartments available for rents in all parts of the world. These rentals may be homes, apartments, shared spaces, or even villas and are available for both long-term and short-term usage, according to the need of the customers. These Marketplaces provide a catalog of all these rentals, with customer reviews, pictures, available services, price ranges, and periods of availability. People choose the rental they find the most suitable. They then book their temporary home away from home and the marketplace connects them with the owner of the rental.
It’s safe and trusted and the reviews are, for the most part, very positive and people who have tried this service recommend it to others as well. These service providers are so good that they’ve been putting traditional hotels out of business. Here are a few reasons why that might be so:
- Cheaper rates:
Airbnb and VRBO are both known to have cheaper rates as compared to hotels in the same area. Renting a room in a hotel at a vacation spot is very costly and not affordable. In Airbnb and VRBO, the rates are set by the rental owners themselves and so are quite less than those set by a big hotel, which charges customers for every little thing.
- Comfort and Services:
Hotels are usually very uncomfortable, with papery sheets and a general clean and monotonous vibe; they do not give a homey feeling. Airbnb and VRBO rent out homes and furnished apartments that are very comfortable and do not feel alien. They also have more open spaces and are bigger in size and area. For example, in a hotel, you will have to pay for parking but a rental comes equipped with a parking garage if you’re renting an entire home and so saves money. Wifi lagging is one of the biggest complaints people have about hotels and these rentals cover it nicely, with a very high-speed internet connection. They also have other services like TV with Premium channels, sound systems, and other forms of entertainment. Sometimes, depending on the area, these homes also have extra equipment like bicycles, canoes, private pools, views, pool tables, etc. which you’d have to pay extra for at a hotel. Sounds like a pretty good deal, right?
- Locations and Directions:
Hotels are located in tourist areas where people are aware that a big part of the population isn’t native. Due to this, everything is overpriced. The rental properties, on the other hand, are located in neighborhoods that are more welcoming and have normal priced items. The people in the neighborhood are willing to provide help in most cases as well, which is a plus point. The rental owners also help out with directions to the best spots and precautions to take in the area.
- Kitchen and Home Appliances:
Apartments and homes have kitchens and home appliances like washing machines and ovens, which is a big pro for people who are on a long vacation or plan to stay there for a while. It allows them to cook for themselves, which is both healthy and saves money. Baggage for the trip is also lesser then, as you can easily wash your clothes if you want and wear them again.
These are only some of the reasons why Services like Airbnb and VRBO are way better than hotels and thus are becoming more and more popular nowadays. That in no way means that hotels are out of vogue. Rather, when people are on short-term vacations, they prefer hotels over rentals. This is because they do not have the time to properly acquaint themselves with a completely new house and atmosphere and would rather have the luxuries provided by a hotel. They are also the better option when you are traveling with children, as hotels make sure that the room is child friendly and not dangerous in any way. In rental, on the other hand, you will have to make sure of that yourself, and it is not a good idea to introduce a kid to a completely unfamiliar atmosphere without taking any precautions.
To add to that, hotels are subject to a lot of taxes, and thus that increases the overall price range of the rooms. The private properties are exempt from such additional taxes and hence the cost is vastly affected by that.
To put it simply, Airbnb and VRBO, and Traditional hotel chains are good and satisfactory service providers. They are accessible and utilized by people on vacations and trips. But during the last few years, there seems to be an increase in inclination towards services provided by Airbnb and VRBO over those provided by hotels, mainly due to the price differences and the difference in space provided by them. These companies have seen a drastic increase in net worth and demand, with Airbnb now being available in over 220 countries, which surpasses any and every hotel chain.
