8 Times It Is Better to Opt for a Hotel

Let's face it - hotels are where you can actually switch on your vacation mode. Right from room service, to not worrying about chores and cleaning up the house (or someone else's house) and having a bed that's made for you everyday plus clean towels that (magically) appear stacked up in the bathroom!

A lot of groups are tempted to book whole apartments with vacation homes or short term rentals when they travel as a big group because:

1. they only think about rooms when they think hotels and not suites where they can stay together.
2. they think hotel suites are too expensive or are for the ultra-wealthy.
3. they don't realize they can book suites and also reserve rooms that connect to these suites.

What if you could stay at a 5 star hotel in Las Vegas with your group of 8 in the same apartment for just around $80 a night (the 2 bedroom Bella Suite)? Except, it won't be an apartment - it would be a much nicer suite. You can do that, thanks to connecting rooms. When you think hotels, don't just think about hotel websites directly. A lot of third party websites offer good deals on hotels that you can make use of. And also save. You can book a suite that can easily sleep your group of 4 -10 members, or sometimes even more by making sure you also book rooms that connect to your suite. You can do this by booking and then calling up the hotel. Or you could use a third party website like the one above that helps you book connecting rooms online.

For most parents, when travelling with kids, safety is the first priority. Staying in a stranger's house is not exactly the best policy in safety standards and that is the main concern when it comes to vacation rentals. Besides, anyone would want their family and kids to be comfortable while on vacation! With a reputed hotel, safety is guaranteed.

A lot of people who opt for entire home or apartments on vacation rentals are family travelers. They like to stay together when on a trip instead of in different hotel rooms (that might be on different floors). But that can be done just fine with hotel suites - it's really like a mini home (without the chores).

Most families want to spend time together while on vacation during the day - eating, hiking or when they are bonding over activities. But a lot of them also want time to themselves (especially the parents). You don't get a lot of days off and during that well-deserved vacation, it is only understandable that you want your own space. Which is why one or two bedroom suites are a great idea. Always book a suite that has a separation between the living area and bedroom like a wall or a sliding door so that you can watch TV or relax after the kids have gone to bed. And at a nice hotel you also have the option of using a pool, fitness center, a spa (most of which are accessible when you book a suite).

It's easy to get perks from hotels - starting with a personal concierge who will take care of everything you will need (from dinner reservations to surprise bottles of champagne and wine), to quality bath amenities, hair dryers and bottles of water that you don't have to carry around (who else is a fan of Double Tree's warm cookies?). Book a hotel that has an in-house spa so you can take some time off but don't have to be far away from the family. Or look for a hotel that has a kid-friendly pool.

Book a suite and then make use of that personal concierge. Hotel concierge's make things so much easier because they take the load off of planning and researching. You really don't need to fret over the little things and let someone else do that for you. Whether it is a dinner reservation, or recommendations for an event or even arranging tickets for it - they can get a lot done.

This needs no explanation. WiFi is hard to come by when you're on the road - and you sure will need it when traveling with the whole family (especially families with teens who have to keep up with their social media lifestyles). And it will cost you way too much when the whole family is using that data - from keeping up with Instagram hashtags to answering emergency business emails. That hotel complimentary WiFi is a pretty sweet deal during times like this!

All said and done, do try and find out if a suite might be the right option for you (even if costs a little bit extra). Try websites like Suiteness to see if you can find suites with connecting rooms for your whole group so you don't have to book multiple rooms. Don't just dismiss suites thinking they are too expensive (especially if you're going to Vegas!)