Vacation rentals vs. hotels: Which choice provides the best vacation experience?
May 31, 2009

When you are looking into booking your next vacation, much of the process is fixated around prices of the hotels and their nightly rates, not to mention how much all of the attractions will cost you and your family. We are all on a budget these days, so it helps to find great deals when you decide to take a beach vacation . If you choose to stay at a hotel, the nightly rates can be extravagant when they really do not have much in the room to compensate for their prices. In most cases, you just have the basic bed, television, nightstand, dresser and small closet and of course the bathroom which may be equipped with a hair dryer if you are lucky. Breakfast, lunch and dinner is appropriately spent at either the hotel restaurant where you will indeed spend even more money, or even out in area restaurants within close proximity to the hotel you are staying in. And if you want to spend even a bit more cash, you can stay in a fancy hotel where you can request room service and have your meals ordered in. This is costly, and it adds up fast. When you want to take a family beach vacation in Orange Beach, Alabama or Gulf Shores, it helps to know where to stay.

We suggest that you go with a beach front condo rental or similar because not only are the views spectacular, but the living spaces are just as lovely. These condo rentals have much more space available for your family to relax and enjoy and not feel like you are tripping all over each other and your luggage.

Additionally, there are kitchens in condo rentals. One of the best ways to save money during your vacations is by not spending money on every snack and meal at restaurants or on fast food. You can stock up the refrigerator with snacks and other foods and enjoy meals together at the condo as a family. And let’s face it, kids get the munchies often, so having these foods on hand while at the rental makes for a more enjoyable day. You won’t need to worry about coffee makers, blenders or even toasters because our Gulf Shores vacation rentals and Orange Beach, Alabama beach rentals are all stocked with these necessities. We even make sure all the dishes and silverware are at your fingertips, so planning a nice meal together as a family can be spent in the intimate surroundings of your condo rental. Even more enjoyable is that these rentals come complete with a dishwasher and washer-dryer! Just be sure to make a grocery store trip once you have settled in to stock up on your necessities during your stay because the food, laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent is not included. Also, if you plan on grilling outside, there are plenty of grilling facilities for your family to utilize since grills and even portable grills are not allowed inside the facilities.

Unless you are booked into some fancy five star hotel, you will never find such conveniences available to you and your family. And if you do, the cost is so overwhelming and very unlikely that you will enjoy yourself after worrying about the cost of your beach vacation . Let us assist you in picking out the perfect location based on who is coming along on your trip and whether their will be children coming along.

Make sure to check out Pleasure Island Condos for our packing lists that way when staying at our condo rentals you will be certain that you haven’t forgotten anything that will hinder your good time while vacationing together.

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2009
 Later school start
  a boost to Alabama economy
 10 Great New Getaways
  in Alabama
 Helen Keller statute
 Golfing on the Gulf Coast
 Fall is perfect time for
  an Alabama adventure
 Beach reports strong
  July tourism numbers
 Lucy Buffett to emcee
  tourism awards banquet
 Gulf State Park announces
  Geocaching activities
 New Pier at
  Gulf State Park opens
 Grand opening
  and ribbon cutting of the new
  Gulf State Park Pier
 Lucy Buffett
  makes appearance
  on the “TODAY” show
 Gulf State Park pier
  opens July 23
 Accuweather.com predicts
  drop in Gulf hurricanes
  for 2009
 Alabama deep sea fishing
  has one of the 10 greatest
  fishing tournaments
 Gulfront condo reservations
 Alabama Gulf Coast trail
  named National Recreation
  Trail for 2009
 Lee Sentell interviewed on
  tourism growth in Alabama
 Tips for planning
  your next beach getaway
 Vacation rentals vs. hotels:
  Which choice provides
  the best vacation experience?
 Alabama beaches
  expecting strong summer
 Five things to do on vacation
  in Orange Beach, Alabama
 Alabama's new
  Gulf State Park Pier
 Governor Riley signs
  Gulf State Park Hotel Bill
 Gulf State Park Resort
  alive in the legislature
 Comparison in tourism growth
 Travel Insurance
  available for Swine Flu
 Travel Guard extends free
  assistance responding
  to Myrtle Beach fire
 Alabama Tourism
  up 3 percent in 2008
 LuLu’s recognized
  for Green Initiatives
 Price Guarantee available
 Grammy award Sugarland
  coming to Orange Beach, Al
 Orange Beach & Gulf Shores
  spring condo rentals
 Pleasure Island
  vacation rentals
 Blue Angels air shows
 A perfect paradise retreat
 Alabama Governor
  signs film bill
 Gulf Shores Pier
  expected to open in May
 Feds: Gulf Shores
  owes from Hurricane Ivan
 Miss Gulf Shores High School
 Spring Break condo rentals
  Orange Beach & Gulf Shores
 The Wall Street Journal:
  Touring the Civil Rights Trail
 Snowbird rentals
  beach front condos available

2008
 Healthy vacation recipes
 Alabama Gulf Coast vacations
 Autumn on the
  Alabama Gulf Coast
 National Shrimp Festival
 Hurricane Gustav update
 Hurricane Gustav
 Gulf Shores Condos
 Tourism carries its weight
 Find cheap airfares online
 Construction begins
  on Gulf State Park pier
 Publix Super Market
  coming to Orange Beach
 Things to look for in
  Orange Beach condo deals
 Pictures of Gulf Shores
 Gulf Shores
  computer repair
 Perdido Key
  attractions for everyone
 Perdido Key rentals
 Orange Beach hotels
 Romance in Orange Beach
 Gulf Shores condos
 Sandy Key Perdido:
  attractions off the sand
 I'm in the news
 Perdido Key
  for the whole family