It wasn’t long ago that staying at a hotel was the main option when traveling. That changed with the advent of Airbnb. While staying at an Airbnb has its perks, how does it compare to staying in a hotel?

Airbnb was founded in 2008 and presents a newer option for travel lodging. Since then the company and similar platforms have allowed travelers to find both immense comfort and insane horror stories when staying in homes and apartments around the world.

There’s no point in hiding that Airbnb does have several perks and benefits, but so do hotels. Here are some reasons why we prefer hotels to Airbnb.

EASY CHECK-IN AND CHECK-OUT

Hotels are staffed around the clock to ensure that you have someone, no matter the time of day, to greet you, get you checked in, and let you into your room. 

But this doesn’t stop after you get to your room. The manager on duty or the front desk team is always there, to answer your questions and ensure you're comfortable with your stay. We can't forget to mention hotels like Holiday Inn Grand Rapids Downtown will hold your bags after your checkout so you can still explore the city before catching your flight. 

The front desk team is also available to answer many of your questions during your stay. Looking for an Italian restaurant with a quiet, cozy atmosphere? Ask the team for help. Trying to find a nearby sightseeing spot to spend a quick hour before your flight? The team can make a good recommendation.

Contrast this with some Airbnbs that may have a lockbox for you to access at any time, but you lose the ability to have a human being to check you in, check you out, answer your questions and ensure your comfort 24 hours a day. It can sometimes be difficult to contact your Airbnb host quickly.

HOTELS WON'T CANCEL LAST MINUTE

If you’ve made a hotel reservation and held it with your credit card, you won’t have your reservation canceled at the last minute. 

It’s almost unheard of for a hotel to do this. In fact, even in the unlikely event that you arrive at your hotel and your originally reserved room is unavailable, the vast majority of hotels will work hard to make it right for you. Upgrades perks and more!

You don’t always have this with Airbnb. Most Airbnb locations are the homes and apartments of average people who either have some extra space to rent for a bit of time or who actually stay somewhere else while you stay at their place.

This means that an Airbnb owner could cancel on you at the last minute, leaving you with few to no options for a place to stay on your out-of-town visit.

LARGE ROOM BLOCKS

Have you ever held an event for several guests at an out-of-town location? Hotels are perfectly set up to help you with this. By definition, hotels have multiple rooms. It’s fundamental to how hotels serve their customers. 

Let’s say you are making arrangements for a wedding in another state. You might reserve a large number of rooms to make things easier for your wedding guests so they don’t have to make their own reservations. They can simply arrive at the hotel, inform the front desk team that they are part of your block of rooms, and check-in, quickly and easily.

By their very nature, it’s very rare for an Airbnb to provide the ability to reserve a block of rooms. You might be able to rent an apartment or perhaps a condo that has a few bedrooms, but this is not the same as providing many guests with their own room during your event. 

Renting a large house through Airbnb that can sleep 15-20 people is often a cheaper option than a hotel, but you are then limited by the number of bathrooms, and one person is always stuck fronting the entire bill. 

HOUSEKEEPING SERVICE

A hotel’s housekeeping service helps make your stay much more comfortable and carefree. Housekeeping service is something for which hotels are known, and it’s just plain rare for a hotel not to provide it for their guests. 

Every day of your stay, housekeeping will clean and tidy your room, make your bed, and provide you with fresh towels and bath and shower products. Not only does this cut down on your needing to do daily room cleaning chores yourself, but it also makes your room feel fresh every time you return after a long day of sightseeing or other activities. This service is an added luxury and ups your vacation mode to another level of care-free.

With Airbnb, you are your own housekeeping service. If you want the bedrooms, living room, or kitchen of your Airbnb to be clean and uncluttered, you’ll need to do the cleaning and uncluttering yourself. It’s extremely rare for an Airbnb owner to provide any sort of housekeeping service for their guests.

CENTRALLY LOCATED

Hotels are often found in locations that make your stay more productive, convenient, and fun. This is no accident---hotel builders strategically plan this to help you get the most from your stay.

Have you ever noticed that hotels are often found in places that provide centralized, quick, and easy access to things you are interested in? Most hotels in cities or towns are located near public transportation, attractions, venues, restaurants, shopping, and other useful and fun local features. This means you often don’t need to travel far to find great things to do.

While it’s true that Airbnbs are often found in quiet neighborhoods or suburbs, this is because Airbnbs are most often the homes and apartments of average people. These locations are often located away from many if not all of the convenience and fun attractions where hotels can be found. This means you’ll need to drive or Uber your way to attractions, which can often be many miles away.

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

One aspect of staying in a hotel chain is consistency: you know what you’re going to find there, which gives a feeling of comfort and familiarity.

Hotel chains have company standards that they work to uphold in all of their locations across the country or around the world. Many hotel companies have standards of cleanliness, amenities, food, and other features and benefits that they expect each of their locations to meet. This provides you with peace of mind and a consistent experience whether you stay in a location a few miles away or halfway across the globe.

With Airbnbs, consistency like this simply does not exist. Each Airbnb location is unique and different. While this can provide a sense of adventure, it also means a wide variety of cleanliness, upkeep, and features.

IN SUMMARY

While staying at an Airbnb has its perks, we think staying in a hotel during your travels has many advantages, just a few of which we’ve described above. If you're ready to book your hotel in Grand Rapids, MI, click here to get the perks now! Happy travels!