Daily Archives: July 8, 2009

July 08th, 2009

Is a vacation rental really a better value than staying in a hotel?

Posted by: jess|1 comment

While rentals are often cozier and have the added benefit of private amenities, it’s natural to wonder if those comforts come at a higher price. To address all of these questions, our partners at TripAdvisor have created a calculator that helps you compare the costs of renting a vacation home to staying in a hotel. It works by comparing their own database of hundreds of thousands of hotels to FlipKey’s database of over 90,000 vacation homes based on location and number of travelers. Putting your mind (and wallet) at ease.

Is renting a home more economical than a hotel?
Weigh the prices of staying in a home vs. a hotel wherever you decide to travel. We found that a family of 5 could spend 4 nights in Orlando, Florida for $860 less than a hotel. It would cost about $230 per person to stay in a hotel while renting a home would only be around $106 per person for the entire stay. Unlike hotels, in most cases, the more people you bring along the more economical it is to rent a home, which is great for a family vacation.

What are my savings if I cook and dine out?
The calculator will take your dining plans into account when figuring out the cost of your stay. The same family of 5 vacationing for 4 nights in Orlando can save an additional $240 by cooking a few meals at home while still managing to treat themselves to a dinner out. Or cook all of your meals in your private kitchen and stretch your dollars even further.

Wondering where to relax?
Use this tool to compare prices of regions to see what works for you. For example, if you can’t decide between Cape Cod or Martha’s Vineyard, the calculator will give you an estimate of prices at a glance, so choosing is easier. A quick comparison proved that a family of 5 can spend 5 nights on Martha’s Vineyard for $1,900 less than a hotel, while renting a home on the Cape would save $900 over a hotel. You can rest assure that you are getting the best prices, wherever you end up.

The TripAdvisor Calculator is a great resource for anyone looking to plan or budget a vacation. But don’t take our word for it, spend a couple minutes with it and see how much you can save.

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