Are you one of these people who travel a lot for business? Maybe you just like taking trips with your family to the countryside or exploring new cities. If that sounds like you, then you are probably well familiar with the accommodation options you have when away from home. However, for many inexperienced travellers or commuters booking a hotel room or renting a short let accommodation is a dilemma they spend a lot of time and thought on. That’s why we decided to present some of the pros and cons of each options and maybe see who wins the Hotel vs Short Let battle.

Booking a Hotel Room

The Pros

Most good hotels are well equipped with a variety of facilities, from room service to a leisure centre. During your stay you don’t need to lift a finger because the housekeeping teams are usually good and do everything for you. Your bed is made daily, your towels and toiletries are replenished, your rooms is cleaned and tidied. In some cases even your food throughout the day is included. You get to meet new people and enjoy a variety of activities by yourself or as part of an entertainment programme.

The Cons

Paying for a hotel room for a longer period of time can be very expensive. And in some hotels, even a short stay is quite costly. But that’s not the biggest disadvantage. The feeling of cosiness is often absent. Despite the fact that you can lock yourself in your room, privacy in hotels is also questionable. It’s no secret that, unfortunately, in a lot of hotels food isn’t great and even if it is included in the price you paid, you may end up paying extra to get something else from outside. Probably, the most significant negative for many people is the fact that they just won’t feel at home, especially if they need to stay for longer than a week.

Short Lets

 The Pros

What you cannot have in a hotel, you can certainly have in a serviced apartment or a short let accomodation. These are properties rented out to private tenants for a short period of time ranging for a couple of night to 3 months. It’s ideal for an extended business trip (over a week or two) or a summer family holiday. The privacy and comfort are guaranteed because there is no one else in the property except for you and your friends if they came along. At the same time, a team of specially trained housekeepers visit your short let every day or as frequently as you have requested at a time that is most convenient for you. It could be during the day when you are out and about or at night when you’ve gone out partying if that’s your cup of tea. We wouldn’t say that short let properties are cheap, but they may come cheaper compared to hotels, especially if rented for a longer period of time.

The Cons

Well, of course nothing is perfect. Short lets have their disadvantages as well, but honestly, we can’t think of too many of them. It would be fair to mention that you may miss the social factor when renting a short let accommodation, especially if it is in a remote area in the countryside. But perhaps solitude is exactly what you were looking for. If not, then maybe you should consider bringing in your friends. Another disadvantage would be the fact that you would have to cook for yourself. Yes, the housework will be taken care of by the housekeeping team, but they won’t be making your breakfast, lunch and dinner. For some people, though, this is more of a positive than a negative, especially knowing that there are shops and restaurants around the property. Also, some short lets are stocked with food and drinks you could use on your first day/night of your stay.

What do you think, what is the better option to take when travelling? Would you consider booking a hotel room or a short let and what are the reasons that will outweigh either option?