Having just travelled around Europe for a month staying in different forms of accommodation raised the question – what is the best type of accommodation on holidays? To me it comes down to apartments V hotels though am sure there are some other options eg tent in a paddock! We stayed 80% apartments and 20 % hotels and think that is the right mix
We always use http://www.vrbo.com as first port of call when looking for an apartment – basically “vacation rental by owner” – and have not been disappointed yet either in Europe this year or US last year. For example this year in Rome we stayed at 150878 and it was great. You can see everything that is provided and can also see previous comments from people who have stayed there. An apartment has the advantages of
1. room to unpack a bag properly
2. better equipped kitchen to save some money on meals etc especially breakfast
3. more comfortable seating arrangements to relax after a long day touring
4. and most importantly laundry facilities. This is very useful when not in one city for long. Dirty clothes tend to accumulate quickly
Disadvantages? – sound can be a problem as we found in France ; hotels tend be better soundproofed especially from people above and luckily if on a high floor no road noise. Of course there is no servicing so you may need to wash towels etc as well
Hotels have the big advantage of a bit of pampering – which you pay for. If you plan on eating out a lot and only staying in place a couple of days then hotels are best option as you invariably get a better nights sleep and simply have less to worry about. About 3 nights would be my absolute max for staying in one hotel during an extended holiday. Simple things like having a doorman or a concierge makes life very easy at times. A night in a hotel before a long flight is a good idea as it is invariably easier to ensure your transport to airport and you tend to get that good nights sleep.
On our recent holiday we stayed in a hotel in Prague (3 nights) and Vienna (1 night) followed by apartments in Rome (7), Florence(4) and Paris(6) and then a relaxing 3 night hotel stay in Dubai before flying home. The hotel in Dubai was 5 star which didnt hurt – except the wallet:). Perfect mix.
flashman181 