Villa or Hotel? Choose what’s right for you!

Renting a villa for a week or more can be a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the comforts of home while you are away from home and offer experiences no hotel can match. And while stays in villas can be great values for groups, they may also include additional work and unexpected expenses that hotels take care of for you. To help you make the best decision, below are a few considerations you should take into account before you choose to book a villa.

1. Are you willing to put in a little extra effort and money?

A stay in a private home without full-time help can mean investing more time in cooking and cleaning than you imagined. Even with a part-time housekeeper, you usually need to wash dishes, do laundry, and possibly take the garbage to the trash can. Plus, at many villas you will have to buy not only groceries but many other normal household supplies such as dish detergent, paper towels, soap, shampoo, toiletries, sponges, toilet paper and trash bags. You may even be asked to leave your temporary residence “broom clean,” meaning stripping the beds and removing all food from the refrigerator.

2. Are you willing to live like a local?

Many European villas, for instance, have no air-conditioning, no window screens, no high-speed Internet access, no heated pool, no dryer and a limited supply of water.

3. How long do you plan on staying?

Most villas require you to stay for at least one week, usually Saturday to Saturday. This does not mean that you have to stay for the whole seven days, but you do have to pay for them.

4. What do you require of your accommodations?

Do you need a bathroom for each bedroom or a kid friendly residence? Standard amenities in the United States, such as a barbecue, dryer or cable television are not always standard in other countries.

5. How do you plan on spending most of your time?

If you plan to do a lot of sightseeing or visiting many other areas, you may require a location near a railway or other transportation. If you plan on spending most your time in the villa, are there activities on-site to fill your time and nearby places you would like to visit?

6. How much staff do you want?

Household chores, grocery shopping, cooking and learning how to handle foreign appliances and an unfamiliar phone system can, and more than likely will, take up much of your vacation time. Plus, having a native staff that knows the area, language and culture can offer an added sense of security and a chance to really experience local culture.