There are things about a hotel stay that I love. There is nothing quite like being catered to by a great concierge or coming back to a freshly cleaned room after a day at the beach and knowing that the sand that your kids are tracking into the room will be taken care of by someone else.
But if you’re planning on being away for an extended period of time there’s another option you might want to try.
Apartment rentals are gaining in popularity and one of the groups jumping on the bandwagon the fastest? Families.
We were asked to test out a Roomorama rental while staying in Bondi Beach in Australia. Here’s what we learned and why you might want to consider it for your next trip:
1. Cost – Depending on whether you’re looking for a simple apartment, a standalone home or something you’ll be bragging about for years to come, choosing an apartment rental can save you a lot of money, particularly if you’re a larger family (read as +3), that might have to consider more than one room if you’d booked into a hotel. There are a variety of options and price points meaning you can have a little more control on how quickly you blow your budget.
2. Space: We’ve been on the road for just over 100 days. Most of our time in hotels have been with four of us in one room. Trust me, personal space, and the lack of it, can become an issue when you’re traveling for more than a weekend. Apartment rentals offer the possibility of not having to leave the room to stretch your arms.
Space, glorious space!
3. Kitchens: A big part of a vacation for me is the fact that I don’t have to make dinner, but if you’re traveling for an extended period of time with kids, you’ll be grateful for the options that mean you don’t have to watch them eat another chicken nuggets and french fries kids’ menu meal in a restaurant. The ability to warm up leftovers, whip up mugs of hot chocolate or even make a pot of pasta will increase your popularity tenfold.
Just two ears of corn right? Wrong! Fresh vegetables that aren’t coated in fried crumbs! A rarity in kid’s meals.
4. Neighbourhoods – This was a big one for me. Staying at our apartment in Woolloomoolo meant that we could wander to the local pub, chat with locals at the community centre, rent a movie to watch and feel a little less like tourists in the city.
Wooloomoolo Apartment made us feel comfortable
5. Freedom to be YOUR family – Sometimes a hotel stay puts me into uber-mom mode. The apartment we chose felt like a home which meant even I relaxed a little. We watched a movie, popped corn, did laundry, chatted with the families down the hall and genuinely chilled out. And that my friends, can’t be overrated.
Heather Greenwood Davis is the Globetrotting Mama. After years of
traveling with and without the kids she’s gearing up for a one year
round the world trip where they’ll be together 24/7. Read all about it
at www.globetrottingmama.com
traveling with and without the kids she’s gearing up for a one year
round the world trip where they’ll be together 24/7. Read all about it
at www.globetrottingmama.com
Im glad more and more people and looking to rent apartments, great post. As a mom myself, it’s true that in an apartment I do feel more relaxed. The kids have a bigger space to run around too so they’re not constantly asking me what we’re going to do next and can occupy themselves with the space. I love cooking so I usually prepare a few meals during my trips with my family. Helps save us some money too! Thanks for this post (although now I will spend hours looking at where to go next on Roomorama 😛 )
That’s good advice, lady!