smart travel tips, vacation rentals news


Average Cost of Staying in a Hotel vs a Vacation Rental


Jun 16

Posted: under Destinations and Places, Lodging and Hotel News.
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Miami hotel costs, Miami vacation rental costs

More and more travelers are monitoring their expenses. Those who still allow themselves to enjoy holidays would like to save as much money as possible. One thing you can do to significantly reduce your vacation’s total cost is to make the right choice between a hotel and a vacation rental. Consider more than just the unit price per night. For example, you may find some Miami vacation rentals for the same price as a Miami hotel room. Consider, though, that Miami vacation rental costs offer more space than Miami hotel costs. Miami vacation rental costs also include a fully-equipped kitchen where you can prepare your own meals instead of eating out for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Miami Beach has many delicious restaurants but most do not meet budget standards. Consider whether or not your Miami hotel costs or Miami vacation rental costs includes a parking lot where you may leave your car for free. Otherwise you will have to pay a garage fee, valet fee or days worth of parking meters. Some Miami hotel costs include free internet access while others may charge an average rate of $10 for internet. See below for a detailed comparison between Miami hotel costs and Miami vacation rental costs.

miamibeach

Miami Vacation rental
Room Price: $117 per night
Parking: Free Parking (option)
Internet: Free
Dining: $9 per day (based on $45 of groceries for 5 days)

Historic Miami Hotel
Room Price: $200 per night
Parking: $15 a day
Internet: Some are free or an average price of $10
Dining: $37 (per person, per day)

Based on a 5-day vacation for 5 people:

Miami vacation rental:
Room Price: $585
Parking: $0
Internet: $0
Dining: $45
Total: $630

Historic Miami Hotel
Room Price: $2,000 (2 rooms for 5 people)
Parking: $75
Internet: $50
Dining: $925
Total: $3,550

Comments (0)

Comparing Vacation Rentals and Hotels in Miami Beach


Jun 16

Posted: under Destinations and Places, Lodging and Hotel News.
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Historic Miami Beach hotels, Miami Beach vacation rentals

We based our comparison of Miami Beach vacation rentals and hotels in Miami Beach on units of the same price. Your typical small South Beach hotel is normally located on Collins Avenue or on Ocean Drive. Collins and Ocean Drive are the busiest streets in Miami Beach. They are not the most tranquil by definition, specifically during the weekend when traffic tends to get heavy. Historic Miami Beach hotels are mostly 2-story buildings with small lobbies and an average of 20 to 30 rooms. Each of the historic Miami Beach hotels stands against the next, blocking views and are sometimes a bit suffocating, especially with such small rooms. The average room in the historic Miami Beach hotels is around 150 square feet. The advantage is that historic Miami Beach hotels are right in the middle of the action and half a block from the beach. Small historic Miami Beach hotels do not usually provide any amenities, restaurants, pools or beach chairs.

letoile

We analyzed a 1 bedroom Miami Beach vacation rentals apartment in the L’ Etoile building. L’ Etoile is a 4-unit Miami Beach vacation rentals building surrounded by tropical landscaping and located on a quiet street. It was originally a villa but is now fully updated and offers parking as well as a wonderful pool. L’ Etoile is within 2 minutes walking distance from Lincoln Road and 6 minutes to the beach. Miamihabitat.com, the management company, will lend you bicycles to facilitate getting around the Art Deco District. The 500 square foot Miami Beach vacation rentals apartment is fully equipped and furnished with everything you need including a full kitchen and a convertible sofa in the living room to accommodate 2 extra people.
You can stay in a hotel or an apartment for the same price. We know both kinds very well and we believe that Miami Beach vacation rentals bring superior value. Analyzing the reviews of historic Miami Beach hotels on the new Travelpost website, we see we are not the only ones. People are rather unhappy with historic Miami Beach hotels and rate them an average of 2.04 out of 5 (see report).

Hotel
Front desk
TV
Wi-Fi
Daily cleaning
No pool
No Kitchen
No Parking
Paid phone
Small space
Non-rehabilitated bathrooms

Vacation Apartment
Property manager
TV
Wi-Fi
Daily cleaning on demand
Pool
Kitchen
Parking
Free local phone
New bathrooms
Bikes provided free
Concierge service included

Comments (0)

How Budget South Beach Hotels Fare with Consumers


Jun 16

Posted: under Destinations and Places, Lodging and Hotel News, Restaurants News.
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

South Beach hotels, South Beach hotel reviews

Traveler reviews and forums are among the latest trends in tourism websites. Consumers want to voice their opinion and other consumers like to get unbiased opinions on accommodations. Forums and travel websites are where past visitors can exert their power. Nowadays, travelers don’t trust travel agents or hotel websites anymore. Tourists want to read other travelers’ comments and other unbiased travel tips to prepare for their trip in Paris, Hawaii, Anguilla or Miami. Vacationers read and write testimonials on everything from restaurants in New York to Flamenco shows in Barcelona or Miami Beach vacation rentals. We analyzed South Beach hotel reviews and ratings posted on the new Travelpost.com website which provides in-depth information and reviews by people that actually stayed in the South Beach hotels. We only selected South Beach hotels we considered budget hotels (from $80 per night to $200 a night). This website calculates a grade from 0 to 5 (worst to best) for each of the South Beach hotels. The analysis of 2 dozen South Beach hotels provides a surprising result of South Beach hotel reviews. Their South Beach hotel reviews state that travelers are mostly dissatisfied with Miami Beach hotels with an average rate of 2 out of 5. Reviews on other websites for vacation rentals shows that vacationers have a better experience when they stay in holiday rentals.

travelpostlogo2

Analysis conducted June 10, 2009

Hotels

Henrossa: $50-$100 - 1.3 Rating by Travelpost.com
Princess Ann: $89-$140 - 1.9 Rating by Travelpost.com
San Juan: $80-$193 - 3.2 Rating by Travelpost.com
Altantic: $89-$199 - 0.5 Rating by Travelpost.com
Tropics: $92-$115 - 3 Rating by Travelpost.com
Starlite: $90-$162 - 1.6 Rating by Travelpost.com
Boulevard: $100-$202 - 1.6 Rating by Travelpost.com
Kent: $105-$272 - 2.9 Rating by Travelpost.com
Claremont: $102-$344 - 1.6 Rating by Travelpost.com
Maxime: $104-$215 - 1 Rating by Travelpost.com
Cavalier: $106-$295 - 3.3 Rating by Travelpost.com
Viscaya: $112-$126 - 2.5 Rating by Travelpost.com
Days Inn: $114-$216 - 2.2 Rating by Travelpost.com
Beach Comber: $115-$195 - 2.3 Rating by Travelpost.com
Haddon: $117-$338 - 1.9 Rating by Travelpost.com
President: $119-$223 - 2.7 Rating by Travelpost.com
Island House: $119-$250 - 1.9 Rating by Travelpost.com
Royal: $125-$339 - 0.5 Rating by Travelpost.com
Colony: $126-$299 - 2.6 Rating by Travelpost.com
Geneva: $128-$235 - 0.5 Rating by Travelpost.com
Greenview: $127-$229 - 2.5 Rating by Travelpost.com
Dorchester: $128-$258 - 1.8 Rating by Travelpost.com
Shelly hotel: $130-$288 - 2.2 Rating by Travelpost.com
South Beach hotel: $132-$275 - 3.5 Rating by Travelpost.com

Average Rating 2.041666667

Comments (0)