SHOULD I CHOOSE AIRBNB vs HOTEL FOR TRAVEL TO THE CARIBBEAN?

16 Nov SHOULD I CHOOSE AIRBNB vs HOTEL FOR TRAVEL TO THE CARIBBEAN?

It’s a commonly asked question, ‘should I choose AirBnB vs Hotel for travel to the Caribbean?’

There is currently a dizzying mix of property options, features and amenities each seeming to want to cater to a range of competing desires. So it is without question that it would help to understand the factors which could make this decision easier.

Allow me to sort through the pros and cons of AirBnB vs Hotel. At the end I hope that you will be able to make the best choice possible.

SHOULD I CHOOSE AIRBNB VS HOTEL FOR TRAVEL TO THE CARIBBEAN?

It really depends upon the type of traveller you are. If you prefer convenience, reliability, standardization, greater security, a wide range of on-property amenities and concierge type services then a hotel is likely to be your best bet. Alternatively, AirBnB offers you more, bang for buck, unique locations, greater privacy, in many cases more property, gives you a chance to live like a local and do activities on your own schedule,

With travelling becoming the new Nirvana, the wanderlust souls are always on the lookout for places that are exotic as well as those that satiates their senses. And if the accommodation is convenient, it makes all the difference on the road too. Even if the plan is to spend only a few sleeping hours in a hotel room or rental home, if it’s unappealing, it has the power to ruin an otherwise lovely plan.

Nowadays, the choices are huge, and it becomes quite a daunting task to choose between a traditional hotel room or a rental property through Airbnb or alike. With its vast listing from luxurious villas to mere guestrooms, the choices that Airbnb offers are lucrative too, nevertheless.

It’s Really Up To You

The onus is on the traveller as to whether she wants a fluffy bedroom with turndown services, or breakfast in bed, or a private apartment with DIY meal amenities and a home all to herself!

No debates here, guessing which is the better of the two AirBnB vs hotel; But with its pros and cons, it is completely the choice of the traveler as to what suits his/her budget, standard of living, etc. With Airbnb storming the marketplace with its wide arrays of studio apartments, houseboats, castles, igloos and even treehouses to choose from, as travellers we often tend to look out for the oddest accommodation and plan a trip surrounding it.

With winter around the corner and travelling making a comeback, post the pandemic crisis, nearly everyone wants to soak in the sunshine and tropical destinations that the Caribbean has to offer. Azure sky, turquoise water of the calm sea,perfect golden streaks of the melting sun, this tropical paradise has it all. And the added bonus is, without adjusting your budget you could stay at an Airbnb within your means.

Major destinations like St Thomas, Grand Cayman, Curacao, Jamaica, Bahamas, San Juan all have a wide range of incredible and affordable Airbnb accommodations to choose from; chic villas to vibrant cottages including pools, balconies and even private beaches. To make sure you have an amazing and comfortable holiday in the Caribbean’ must-visit places, here is a listing of the pros and cons of staying in an Airbnb vs hotel stay.

The perks of staying in an Airbnb in the Caribbean

Budget

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Pick an AirBnB vs Hotel, it’s mostly a win-win situation for the visitors though. As the Caribbean is more than just staying inside your rentals. If travelling on a budget is your priority, Airbnb is your call. It tends to save you a good amount of cash when compared to a 280$/ night cost of a 5-Star downtown hotel. And with its added perks, Airbnb in the Caribbean is getting far and wide recognition along with creating beautiful and memorable travel experiences.

When you get to save that extra bucks, it doesn’t get better than that! While traveling with family or in groups in addition to affordable prices, you get the bonus of a bonhomie atmosphere, new local friends and discovering out-of-the-box places and adventures together.

Nestled in a fishing community in Montego Bay, Villa Maria of Jamaica for example, is an amazing choice. It has a huge sleeping arrangement and full house kitchen amenities. This makes it a great find for families and groups wanting to spend time together. The best catch is the opulent pool and the playground area. Then add that to the several private balconies facing the sea.

Off The Beaten Path

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Imagine yourself in the farthest reaches of the world. Lazing under the stars, hearing the Atlantic roar, or feeling the cool ocean breezes caressing your soul. All without being time-bound to finish off or order your meal. No need to call room services or be accountable to the reception desk.

It’s all about idling in the comfort of a home away from home. Take it at your own sweet pace. Enjoy the transition to a different culture. No time for any traces of any business class footprints constantly nagging your priorities.

The Chato Relaxo is one of the most wonderful retreats of Haiti with an overlook of the northwestern coastline. The secluded area surrounded by the lush greenery of the tropics boasts a private pool, beach and great outdoor activity amenities. This stone cottage is the perfect Airbnb rental for couples and solo travellers looking for a vacation in tropical surroundings.

Live Life Like A Local

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While in an Airbnb, you experience life like a local and not a tourist. Most of the rentals include brochures and coupons for nearby attractions, restaurants and salons too, to use as per your convenience.

You could stroll to the local market. There pick some of the freshest vegetables and seafood straight from the morning catches. Then cook yourself the most exquisite lunch you ever had on a vacation.

Not to worry about the heavy price on the menu while eating out and getting a thrifty meal in return. This DIY meal prep option that AirBnB kitchen’s rentals offer, will be lighter on your pocket. What could be better than the freshest stock and oozing with the local charm. Eat your stomach’s fill, and you are good to go for the day.

As you interact more with the locals or even sometimes the host, you will acquire more knowledge on the local cuisine. This is an understated part of your travel experiences. You could cook it up in your fully set up apartment kitchen. Or if the host is kind enough you could even get a decent offer of a sumptuous dinner with local drinks on the side and cultural exchange of thoughts. Compare it with the high-end exponential hotel mini-bar marks, you will surely raise a toast to “being local” !! Well, the high-end hotels or even motels won’t be able to shower you with a penny of these gastronomic adventures. So if you are a food enthusiast, isn’t that an experience in itself?

Do It On Your Own Time

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Airbnb rentals mostly offer a decked-out kitchen, decent well maintained bathroom with washing machines and dryer and balconies with sea facing views you could die for. At a fairly budget price, what more could you ask for.

From impeccably designed villas with infinity pools, studios for solo accommodations, to even tree houses you will be simply spoilt for choice. Imagine an oceanfront villa in St. Andrews Grenada. Or at Nassau, Bahamas where you get a private pool with the most stunning view. They really are the showstoppers of your holiday with incredible laid-back vibes. These stunning beauties will hardly make you move from there as possibilities for fun in these accommodations are endless. Even guaranteed is a direct access to the private beaches lining them. Enjoy at your own slow pace without wondering much about the tight schedule that a high-end hotel offers.

Best Views

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Caribbean islands, nature’s treasure trove, is incomplete without its mountains. What better Airbnb rental than Firefly Villa, Tobago. In their Treetop perch you get a view of the Caibbean sea like no other. While cooking and relaxing, enjoy the spectacular view of the mountains after exploring nature’s wilderness.

There is no dearth of villa rentals while in the Caribbean. Complete with an outdoor pool that guarantees ultimate relaxation, the outdoor area also assures stunning views.

Here in Airbnb apartments, nature combines with high-end luxury to make for a rejuvenating vacation. Take for example the private bungalow on the north coast of St. Lucia The Lodge, surrounded by tropical vegetation and offering a 180-degree view of the Pitons and spectacular ocean line. How good is that?

With proper research work, you could also get rentals nearby airports or the main city area. Like The Treehouse of North Eleuthera, Bahamas. This luxury rental is not only 10 mins drive from the airport it also serves as the perfect location for recreational activities like spearfishing, lobster catching, fly fishing, diving and even collecting conch. This brings you closer to nature.

Talking about treehouses, The Talking Treehouse (TT) in Foster Hall, Barbados, has an open floor plan that brings the outside into this beautiful two-bedroom cottage. It comes complete with gorgeous wooden floors. And it is adorned with hammocks with impressive sea views at all times. Did I mention the kitchenette to cook up a tropical dish of your choice? TT is located far away from the madding crowd. And with its local rustic feel, it’s the perfect place to embrace the Atlantic breeze and relax and recharge.

The downside of Airbnb vs Hotel

Getting into the Property

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You and a bunch of your friends are on Spring Break and have been travelling all day to get to your Caribbean villa only to find that the code to the lockbox with the keys seems incorrect. You try to contact the host and no one is picking up. Worse it’s Carnival weekend and there is nowhere else to stay. That’s a nightmarish start to any vacay and one which would make AirBnB lose the AirBnB vs Hotel fight..

This would not typically happen in a hotel. You arrive, there is someone always at the front desk and you check-in. No nonsense! AirBnB guests have sometimes complained about hosts arriving very late with keys or ghosting them entirely.

Abrupt Cancellation and Recourse

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Host Cancels

If you are like me I like to plan in advance to take advantage of greater accommodation availability and the best rates. With Airbnb however, a host can cancel on you at any time, even at the last moment. While AirBnB will penalize the host in these instances, this can totally mess up your plans and put you in a very difficult position to restart your booking process. To minimize this risk look for accommodation offered by Super Hosts and always check the reviews.

Guest Cancels

AirBnB advises guests in their Guest Refund Policy that they can cancel 14 days in advance for a full refund. You would need to read the Refund Policy well as the amount of refund and your ability to access it will vary the closer to check-in and advising AirBnB that there is an issue.

Under other conditions, refunds are applied. For example if upon check in requested amenities are not operational or the full accommodation that was advertised as private is actually shared with the host or other guests.

Lack Of On-Site Activities

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Caribbean hotels typically offer guests dining options that can be substantially enhanced with an all-inclusive package. These is also spa, entertainment, games and housekeeping, The convenience of having these hotel amenities on property beats out AirBnB in this instance.

Do It Yourself

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Cooking up one’s own meal and washing laundry during a vacation might not go down well with those holiday goers who feel like the precious time should be spent on trying new things, like exploring the Caribbean more or even lazing yourself on the sun-kissed beaches rather than cooking and cleaning bed and bath; in short, doing the same stuff one does at home.

After a severe bout of jet lag, you donot want to wash clothes or cook food but instead, dial for reception and get your job done. “Living life like a local” might sound like a glorified statement. But when it’s put practically in front of you in a foreign place, it might become a bane at the end of the day. Particularly when all you only want is chilling with a pina colada in the hotel pool. People wanting to explore this once-in-a-lifetime visit to the Caribbean, would surely not want to waste time on laundry sorting and cleansing or even cooking up to three meals a day.

Front Desk Help

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During your AirBnB stay invariably a number of concerns or questions that require attention or a response can arise. Take for instance when

• There is no water, power or internet connection
• You want somewhere to store your bags safely after checkout before you catch your plane/ boat.
• You would like a recommendation on where to get some good local entertainment
• There Is an urgent need to go to a pharmacy for uncommon form of medication

In a hotel, these queries are all answered easily by the Front Desk assistants. At an AirBnB rental, you will be left completely on your own to resolve these types of issues.

Pick Up and Drop Off

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Hotels can arrange for a pick and drop car. If you ask for it your most important problem for the trip is solved by just a dial. Drop your keys at the reception desk before your outings and you come back to a fresh smelling clean bedroom to retire your tired feet; there’s nothing more you could ask for.

While for apartment rentals in the Caribbean, at times it might become quite taxing to find the direction of the rental or hostel/ villa if it’s stashed away in some obscure serene place (which you would definitely chose while vacationing in this island nation ) with your only source of information being the host. If the network sucks you are doomed on a foreign island right on the very first day and this snatches all the joy from the trip even before it begins.

Security

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While hotels are legally required to assure you secure accommodations, safety becomes the biggest concern while renting an Airbnb in any island nation, where essentially you trust a local fellow blindly to give you a safe environment. And if the place is quite far away from the main town, the risk of potential danger stays. In a hotel, you don’t have to worry about uninvited persons soliciting God alone knows what or people appearing at your front door.

Final Thoughts

End of it all, it’s all about reviews, trusting your gut feeling and also the locals, while renting accommodation in the Caribbean. No matter which island you choose to spend your travel days in, your options on pricing, locations, and property will open up once you start doing your research on the places and the rentals. While staying up in Airbnb rentals, try to get the best of both worlds, a world of expertly designed high-end luxury vibes that comes at affordable prices too. What more do we want at the end of the day?

Please leave me your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below on who you think wins out between AirBnB and hotels.

If you enjoyed this article you may also enjoy My Bucketlist of 10 Caribbean All-Inclusive Resorts