Vacation rentals (or short-term rentals) accessible through sites such as VRBO and Airbnb are increasingly popular. I will never shun a hotel-stay experience, but I’ve grown to love the vacation rental for longer stays because they give you an idea of what it’s like to actually live in the city you are visiting and they also tend to provide “unique” experiences.

The first time we stayed in a vacation rental property was in 2004 in Manhattan. It turned out to be a teeny loft cluttered with crystals and a metaphysical reference book collection that would make any yoga-loving, kale-eating New Ager swoon. The bedroom featured glow-in-the-dark star constellations on the ceiling. I LOVED it!

Since then, we’ve done one-week to month-long stays in Paris, Berlin, Prague, Rome, Florence, Boston and Panama. We’ve only had one less-than-great experience, and it was for a property that had no reviews listed (lesson learned). We’ve stayed in some stunning, stylish, fun spaces at very reasonable rates.

Quirky Owners

I won’t do short-term rentals where the owner is present, but Steve has. He had a memorable one-night stay in a major Canadian city. The owner was a pleasant, welcoming fellow who used his entire kitchen wall as a kind of white board. It displayed the heading, “Goals,” one of which was, “Don’t do drugs.” The list of personal reasons included school, art, teeth, and Mom. You generally don’t get this kind of quirkiness (or good advice) at a hotel.

Wailing Neighbours

One month-long rental in Paris was in the posh neighbourhood of Il Saint Louis. We would never have been able to afford a hotel in that area for a month. This adorable studio space was memorable for its lovely large French doors opening to a small balcony over the street, and for the burst pipe that occurred in the bathroom several days into our stay. While we waited for a call back from the owner about the trouble, we knocked on other doors in the apartment building hoping to find someone who spoke English that could possibly assist us.

Apartment rental in Paris

The neighbour directly below us (who had some English) was initially dismissive until Steve convinced her to check her bathroom ceiling for damage. Lo and behold, water was starting to leak through. Well, madam immediately flew into a full blown panic and bounced around her apartment wailing, “Je suis malade!” (I am sick). Then she picked up her phone saying something about “le feu.” My rudimentary French clicked in and I thought maybe she was calling the fire department. This seemed odd to me. What we needed was a plumber, but maybe Paris fire fighters had more expansive responsibilities than they do in Canada. Steve left me try to calm our wailing neighbour (thanks) and returned to our apartment where the emergency plumber, summoned by the apartment’s owner, finally arrived to fix the pipe.

Later that evening, our neighbour knocked on our door to apologize for her extreme reaction. We invited her in for a glass of wine and ended up having a lovely conversation.

Again, not an experience you’d have in a hotel.

So, rental vs. hotel?

  • No surprises – In a decent hotel, you generally can count on everything working and if it doesn’t, you can usually get it fixed quickly or move to a new room. Sometimes problems at a rental take some time to resolve.
  • No cleaning – One of my greatest pleasures is coming back to my hotel room after a day out to find the bed perfectly made and bathroom cleaned. You’re on your own in a rental property.
  • Cooking – A great money and health saver is being able to go to the grocery store and cook a few of your meals in your rental apartment. This is great if I’m working remotely and don’t want to take the time away to go out for breakfast and lunch.
  • Feel like a local – In a rental you are generally away from the most touristy areas and you tend to get a more authentic feel for the area. In a place we had in New York there was a doorman. I’ve always wanted a doorman!
  • Cost – Rentals are generally cheaper than a hotel, particularly for longer stays.
  • No stories – You rarely have a good story to tell about the hotel you stayed in. With a rental, well, see above.

Do you have any good vacation rental stories?

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