Lodging Choices

Hotels are the Likely #1 Lodging Choice

Hotels are likely to be your first choice when looking for lodging. However, There are a number of lodging options that are available to you including, but not limited to, hotels, rentals (e.g., AirBnb, VBRO and Bed and Breakfasts), Timeshares, Hostels, Camping, etc. Following is a brief description of each option and our recommendations of when to use each alternative.

Lodging Alternatives

Hotels:

All of the major hotel companies have a variety of hotel brands. They provide a wide range of options that are aimed at different travel needs. Hilton, Marriott and IHG are the hotel chains that we are most familiar with. We will attempt to describe them in some detail; however this is not an all-inclusive list. Mariott is the largest hotel chain in the world. Its top brands are JW Marriott, Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis and at the next level they have Le Meridien, Renaissance, Westin and Gaylord. Hilton’s high-end brands are the Waldorf Astoria, LXR and Conrad. IHG’s high-end include InterContinental, Kimpton, Vignette, Indigo, Regent and Six Senses.

The Hilton and Marriott Brand hotels are considered premium, but more economical than the luxury brands. Hilton also includes Doubletree in that category and Marriott include Sheraton. IHG will place Crowne Plaza in that same category. The chains are all now offering boutique hotels as well to try to attract a different, perhaps younger clientele. Hilton has the Canopy, Tempo, Curio and Tapestry brands. Mariott has the Autograph Collection, AC Hotels, Aloft and Moxy brands. We would classify IHG Indigo in that category as well.

Each of the chains also has suites brands. For Hilton they have Embassy Suites, Homewood and Home2, Marriott has TownePlace, Residence Inn, Springhill and Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy. IHG has Atwell Suites, Staybridge Suites, and Candlewood Suites. At the base level Hilton has Hampton Inn, and Hilton Garden Inn. Marriott has Courtyard, Fairfield, and Four Points by Sheraton and IHG has Holiday Inn. You can learn more at their websites and book your stays there thru Hotels.com or thru Trivago .

Hotel Loyalty Points

All three Hotel chains have loyalty programs with different benefit levels. They are quite generous with their points based on stays, bonus programs, status in their programs, and credit card arrangements. If you want to learn more about hotel loyalty programs please see our post Hilton vs Marriott Points. We also recommend checking with the Points Guy for more information about the hotel loyalty programs (thepointsguy.com).

Rentals:

 Airbnb and VRBO are the principal services most people use these days for rentals. We have booked on VRBO, but not Airbnb. We had a good experience with VRBO, but we prefer hotel or timeshares because of the better services that are available. Bed and Breakfast lodging can also be an option. We have booked B&Bs with Booking.com.

These options are generally less costly than a hotel, however services will not be the same and it is also possible that privacy may become an issue. Nevertheless, for long term stays, rentals should certainly be a cost saver.

Timeshares:

Our favorite lodging option are timeshares. The three hotel companies previously mentioned, Hilton, Marriott and IHG all offer timeshare options. Of the three Hilton’s is the largest, as they acquired Diamond Resorts in 2021. Personally, Robin and I will go with a timeshare whenever we have the option. For more information about the Best Timeshares for Families please see our post.

Collectively, we own a number of timeshare units primarily with Hilton Grand Vacations. All of which use points and allow us to book a reservation at thousands of timeshare locations around the world. We find timeshares to be a good alternative between hotels and rentals. Timeshares are much like hotels, with a few differences. They normally are a little larger and provide either a full or partial kitchen. However, most likely with a timeshare, you will not get the daily room service that you would traditionally get in a hotel. You will get more service than in a rental. Depending on the point value used, you will probably pay a little more for a timeshare than a long or short-term rental. Please see our Vacation Budget Travel Strategies post for more information about the cost differences.

Hostels or Camping: 

Robin and Cos have little experience with these alternatives. Although, for very tight budget travelers these may be good alternatives.