Hotel, Hostel, or Airbnb: Pros and Cons

Traveling can be exhausting! After the end of a long day, where will you finally get that much-needed shut-eye? Hotel, hostel, or Airbnb?

When I was growing up, lots of road trips meant we would usually stay in hotels. It also meant that we didn’t always know where we would end up at the end of the day. Since we didn’t have advance reservations, I remember my parents stopping at different hotels, trying to find one that still had a vacancy — while my sister and I hoped it would have a swimming pool.

As I got older and began to travel throughout Europe while studying abroad, I was exposed to hostels for the first time. The communal aspect — and the price tag — are hard to beat. And next, within the past couple of years, I tried Airbnb, a popular room- and home-sharing service. Though I was a little wary the first time, I’ve since used it many more times.

So, when you have a big trip coming up, which option should you choose? Let’s take a look at each.

Pros & Cons of Hotels

Pros of Hotels

Privacy: You will have an entire room and bathroom to yourself; in some hotels, you may even have a living room, dining room, and entire kitchen (complete with a full-size stove, refrigerator, and dishwasher). The room to your door has several locks and many rooms even have safety deposit boxes to secure your valuables.

Cleanliness: No matter how much water spills all over the bathroom floor (oops) or how disheveled your bedsheets are, you can be sure that when you return to your room in the afternoon or later, it will have been freshly cleaned and made up again. I’m kind of messy, so I love that.

Services: Many hotels offer a complimentary breakfast in the morning, and some offer a snack or happy hour in the evenings. Other amenities can include free parking, shuttles to/from airports, dry cleaning service, laundry, and grocery shopping. There’s also always someone on call at the front desk if you need anything.

Find your next hotel stay.

Cons of Hotels

Price: Obviously not all hotels are super expensive, but if you’re looking for an experience that includes many of the pros from above, you can probably expect to pay at least $100/night, before taxes and fees. Depending on where you are and what time of year, you can expect price to vary — but it’s probably going to vary in an upward fashion.

Location: You’ll want to have your transportation in mind when choosing a hotel. Usually, it’s very, very expensive to stay downtown, so to find somewhere in your price range you may have to stay further away from your destination. Keep this in mind when planning.

Pros & Cons of Hostels

Pros of Hostels

Price: This is the number one reason I started staying in hostels. It can be as cheap as $5-$15 per night. Seriously!

Location: Many people who stay in hostels are backpackers or long-term travelers who do not have cars. For this reason, I’ve noticed that many hostels are in very publicly-accessible places — and this often means they are closer to downtown areas.

Community: I started staying in hostels for the price, but I’ve continued to stay in them because of the community. Where else do you get to stay up late, talking to your bunkmates from Indonesia and Germany? Or become instant friends on a free walking tour with a pharmacist from Chile? Almost all of the hostels I’ve stayed at have had activities for travelers to get to know each other and the city’s culture. Find your new favorite at Hostelworld.com.

Cons of Hostels

Privacy: If you like your privacy, hostels may not be for you. Some do have private rooms, but most are dormitory style — I think the largest room I’ve ever stayed in had 8 or 12 bunks. You may have to wait a while for a bathroom or shower.

Noise: The hostel crowd generally skews younger, so be prepared for some noise. They’ll be loud in the common areas while they’re getting ready, and while you may get some sleep after they go out, you’ll probably wake up again when they stumble in during the early hours of the morning. Be prepared for this to happen several times throughout the night. And even if you don’t have partiers in your room — at least one person will snore.

Pros & Cons of Airbnbs/VRBOs

Pros of Airbnbs/VRBOs

Experience: This one is hard to sum up in a single word, but I’ll explain. When you stay in an Airbnb or VRBO, you’re essentially moving into someone else’s house/apartment during your stay. It’s not a hotel or a hostel. It’s a home. You get to live like a local for whatever period of time you’re there.

Community: You’re in their home — so your hosts may even treat you like family. While some hosts are very hands-off, others are very involved. When I stayed in Toronto, I spent the entire weekend with my hosts; by the time I left, they’d become my friends and I felt like I’d known them for years. They totally made my Toronto experience.

Price: You can find Airbnbs and VRBOs for super cheap (a place to pitch a tent or sleep on a couch), or very expensive (an entire penthouse in downtown Paris). It’s up to you and your budget!

Cons of Airbnbs/VRBOs

Privacy: This depends on the type of place you booked, but you may be sharing some or all of your amenities with your hosts, or even other guests. As much as I loved the place in Toronto, my “room” was actually a small den with no real door. Some travelers may not feel comfortable with this.

Unpredictability: At the end of the day, you’re staying in a stranger’s home. You don’t know what they will be like or if you’re going to be in a safe situation. Though incidents are rare, they do happen, so it’s important to take precautions — such as traveling with friends, or forwarding your reservation to a family member if you’re alone.

 

When I was younger and traveling/living in Europe, hostels were usually the right choice, especially traveling alone. And I’d book Airbnbs or VRBOs when I had someone to split it with. But lately, I’ve leaned more toward hotels since I have a travel credit card that gives me a $50 yearly credit and makes it easy to redeem points for free stays.

Where will you stay on your next trip?

-Cathy

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Originally Published on May 16, 2017.