Picking the right accommodation is essential when going on a vacation, as your choice will impact your overall experience and catering. Considering factors like location, amenities, budget, and whether the accommodation aligns perfectly with your vacation goals is vital.

There are a vast range of options when you’re browsing hotel booking sites, from hotels to vacation rentals, Airbnb, camping, and even eccentric novelty stays like a Barbie Dreamhouse, or accommodation in a plane.

So how on earth do you choose a type?! 

Hotels and Airbnbs are the two most popular accommodation categories, and both options have their own pros and cons. However, there are good reasons to pick a hotel over an Airbnb for greater consistency and better services.

Reasons To Choose a Hotel Over Airbnb

Professional Services

When staying in a hotel, you have access to a range of services provided by professional staff, and there is undoubtedly a higher level of comfort that can be taken from services such as housekeeping, room service, and concierge services.

Airbnbs are set up in a way where you’re on your own for the entire stay; you make your own bed, you clean your own kitchen, and depending on the rules of the stay, you may need to complete household chores like cleaning the batheroom and removing the trash.

Airbnb hosts are becoming more strict and bizarre in their house rules, though hotels generally maintain a consistent professional standard.

Security

Most hotels have robust security measures and safety practices for guest complete safety and security, including security cameras in public areas and entrances, 24-hour surveillance, and onsite personnel who may also man the desk 24/7. 

Security measures are often missed in an Airbnb, as these are homes of an individual, and are not held to the same industry standards or liability as hotels. For instance, federal laws regarding privacy do not apply to vacation rentals.

And while Airbnb prohibits the placement of cameras by hosts in private spaces, which it defines as “bedrooms, bathrooms, or common areas that are being used as sleeping areas, like a living room with a sofa bed”, there is a rise of reports of hidden cameras popping up in Airbnbs. 

Round-the-clock help and support

Hotels usually offer 24/7 assistance to assist guests and have a front desk with expert and experienced staff. 

You can rely on the hotel staff at any time of the day or night for help, whether to learn about local attractions or ask for a travel agreement or check-ins.

This round-the-clock support is not available on Airbnb.

Check-in / out Flexibility

Hotels are known to be more flexible than Airbnb regarding check-in and check-out times, and this is much easier for a property which has hundreds of rooms, vs the one in an Airbnb. 

Strategic and Convenient Location

The locations of most hotels are planned, and they are often strategically located near the transport hub or popular tourist attractions.

The purpose is to make it more convenient for tourists and travellers to travel, explore, and visit various regional attractions, vs Airbnbs which are private properties, and often located in the outskirts or suburbs. 

Hotel developers and property groups simply have more to invest in prime real estate, vs individual home owners who can’t often afford a property right in the center of the action.

Reliable Process for Payment

Booking a hotel room is much easier than paying for an Airbnb, and more reliable as the payment process is usually secure and straightforward.

There are well-established processes and reputed platforms in hotel booking systems that provide detailed information with secure payments online. And your refund / cancellation policies are clear from the get go. 

Such a hassle-free experience and consistent services may not be available in the case of Airbnb, where there are constant complaints of the booking process and host communication. 

Consistent Quality with Predictable Costs

When you book a hotel, you know exactly what you are paying for, and the costs associated. But with Airbnb, you always need more clarification as there might be hidden costs or additional charges.

Often with an Airbnb, the cleaning fee makes the booking no more affordable than a hotel.

@masonbriles wrote the following on Twitter: “They got $150 cleaning fee on a $90 a night apartment. I’ll spend that at a hotel and they’ll make my bed for me thank you.”

Another Airbnb customer, @_va_ne, wrote “An Airbnb host when we went to Joshua Tree wanted to charge me $375 for not arranging the pillows correctly and for some hair in the shower.”

Although Airbnb offers a home-like experience, which is preferred by larger groups looking for more extended stays, hotels offer greater convenience and consistency due to reliable services with transparent costs.