Choosing your accommodations is a big part of planning a vacation. There are many types of places to stay. Two of the most popular are traditional resorts and vacation rentals which are growing in popularity. Resorts are large, usually company owned hotels. Vacation rentals are usually individually owned and can be houses, apartments or condos. The difference between the two are distinct, but they do have some similarities. When choosing which is best for you it might be easier to compare the two.

Vacation resorts take you from a crowd to an individual place. You are renting a home, basically. You do not have to worry about noisy neighbors or being interrupted by service workers. You have the freedom and ability to cook for yourself and even have a little private party of you wish. Vacation rentals can be very affordable. When you consider having to rent a couple rooms for your family verses only one rental house you can see why you can save money. They also do not have the staff expenses. Although, some vacation rentals do offer outside services that may add a little extra to your bill, but allow you to keep aspects of a hotel. For example, they might provide you with a chef to cook your evening meals or a maid to tidy up for you. Vacation rentals also tend to have more space than you would get in a traditional hotel room. You have greater privacy also. Vacation rentals can be found almost anywhere you want to vacation and prices come to fit in all budgets.

Resorts are the idea of luxury while vacationing. You have someone to take care of everything you hate to do at home, from cleaning to cooking. You can get a range of services for a range of prices with resorts. If you are looking for a vacation package you can usually get the resort included. This allows you to know exactly how much you will spend and have everything taken care of in one attempt. Resorts offer many extra services besides basic housekeeping and cooking. Some resorts have dance instructors and nannies on staff, to give two examples. You can spend the day busy with resort sponsored activities or just lounge around relaxing. You get top of the line service and never ending fun when staying at a resort.

Vacation rentals and resorts offer two different kinds of vacation experiences. Choosing between them is a matter of your personal preference. You need to decide how you want to spend your vacation. If you want privacy and the comforts of home then choose a vacation rental. If you want to be pampered and enjoy lots of activities then choose a resort. The type of vacation you have could really be influenced by where you stay, so be sure to explore each option before deciding.