It is
again time to plan your choice
hotels reservations. This of course
does not feel like a chore. It's one
of those relaxing mind activities
that get you daydreaming during
those drowsy Monday mornings at
work. Glancing out of the window,
the sky returns a solid gray (or do
you work in a cubicle?), the chair
is uncomfortable, and the computer
screen too bright. Yes, you deserve
that holiday. You start thinking
about it more and more consistently
as your work holiday approaches. And
all of the sudden the planning
process is at full regime, with
plenty of questions coming up and
very little answers.
This is usually the time when you
sit down and, above all other
questions, ask yourself: do I want
to stay in a hotel or in a choice
hotels in? Do I want the convenience
and service of a hotel or the
freedom and larger space of a choice
hotels reservations? And what will
ultimately be cheaper, yet pleasant?
When comparing extended hotels and choice
hotels reservations you are really
comparing pears and apples. But you
have to choose eventually. In order
to make the right decision you
should look at the following factors
and prioritize depending on your
needs.
Location.
Usually hotels are set in more
convenient locations than holiday
choice hotels. Hotels rise in high
service areas (such as airports) or
very convenient and central
locations (such as city centers)
because that is going to be one of
their major selling pitches.
Provided minimum standards are met,
one primarily books a hotel room out
of its location, while other factors,
such as decor and services may be
lower tier factors.
For choice hotels in, on the other
hand, there is much more variation.
You could find one you like in a
far-off location, or a very central,
very noisy, one. As an example,
there are Tuscany apartments located
in the heart of Florence overlooking
trafficked streets, while others are
in quiet, wonderful remote country
locations. What is your priority,
convenience or tranquility?
Services.
When thinking of vacation services
the natural winner between hotels
and holiday rentals would be the
hotel. Hotels are great at making
you feel pampered and taken care of.
Let's face it. Coming back from an
abundant breakfast to find your bed
in mint conditions and your fluffy
bathroom towels freshly changed
makes you feel great. While in a
hotel you do not have to worry about
hundreds small details that make
your everyday life a bit tedious. No
food preparation, no house chores.
It feels like the real vacation.
Moreover, hotels can provide extra
services at little or no extra
charge. Depending on their location,
they will organize daily excursions,
beach activities, or guided city
tours.
Choice hotels reservations do not
provide these kind of services, as
they usually are self-catered
apartments or villas. You will have
to do all your house chores, just
like at home. You will also have to
plan for your activities and
daytrips. Holiday rentals do provide
services, however. There usually is
a discreet presence of the owner who
will provide a very personalized
service if requested to. Usually,
property owners tend to be much more
flexible than hotels when providing
services. If you need a special
delivery, or would like to have a
special dinner catered for you and
your family or your group, at your
villa or apartment it can be
arranged just with some prior notice.
Booking conditions.
Hotels apply a very flexible booking
policy. All hotels accept any length
of extended stay and provide you
with the freedom of renewing your
booking for the next 24 hours, given
they have availability. You will
usually be able to reserve a room
without any down payment and cancel
the reservation without any
cancellation fees until up to 24
hours prior to your intended arrival
date.
Choice hotels reservations often
have a much stricter booking policy.
Especially during the high season,
they may apply a Saturday to
Saturday only rental condition,
which may be quite frustrating in
terms of flight availability and
fares. Even in medium season many
apply a weekly rental only condition,
while others have a minimum stay of
fewer days. Although discounts may
apply, you often have to pay for the
full stay even if you leave earlier.
There usually is a down payment to
be paid to secure your holiday
rental. Cancellation policies are
much stricter, with no refund given
if the booking is canceled 15 days
prior to arrival. Some are stricter
than others, take this as a general
rule of thumb.
Freedom and living space.
This factor for some people is a
biggy. Hotels are left a bit astray
on this one for obvious reasons.
Unless you have the money to pay for
the imperial suite, any vacation
rental will beat any hotel, given
the same price range. Hotels usually
offer one bedroom and one en suite
bathroom. Although you might get a
large room at a good price, there
will not be much left to do in there
for you after your daily morning
routine. After a few hours it will
feel like a cage. Many hotels do
provide wonderful communal areas,
although you can never fully relax
in them, and never make them "your
private space". Even outdoor
swimming pools, gyms, or sun bathing
areas do not provide that sense of
comfort necessary for you to fully
relax and enjoy.
For the same price range, holiday
choice hotels in offer much more
freedom, independence, and space.
Most of the time interiors are
personable and cozy. You will have
plenty of room to stay indoors
without feeling constrained, yet
with all the comforts and the
liberty to be in your underwear, if
you wish so. In a rental apartment
or villa you can create your
personal space, even if you are
there for just a week. If you rent
an apartment off a city center, the
property will usually come with a
private garden area to eat outside
and other communal areas. Private
villas also provide complete outdoor
freedom. Additionally, vacation
rentals give you the often sought
freedom and space to organize a self
catered dinner, or even a small
event.
Have you decided what is the best
choice hotels reservations for you
yet? I hope I made it a little
easier for you by spelling out the
common pros and cons of staying in a
extended hotesl Vs a choice hotels
reservations.
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Jim
Labello has an extensive
experience with holiday
property rentals, which
he managed for several
years for a leading firm
of the industry. He also
often writes for travel
blogs related to Tuscany
and extensively travels
to Tuscany, where he
lives part of the year.
For several years he
also worked as the
customer relations
manager in hotels of
various countries. He
plans to move to Italy
and acquire a farmhouse
to transform into many
Tuscany apartments. http://thriftytuscany.com
is one of the projects
he co-authors. He also
is a moderator for the
forum on Tuscany http://forum.thriftytuscany.com
as a useful resource on
Tuscany apartments,
villas and hotels. |