From everyone having their own room, to multiple bathrooms, to a kitchen for reducing costs or helping with special diet, there are many benefits of a vacation rental. Vacation rentals can also be close to attractions, offer unique experiences, and add a sense of home away from home. Special Needs SheBuysTravel Kathy has been renting vacation rentals with her family for years and she shares her reasons they love them.
Many great properties like this townhouse in the heart of Belfast are located near attractions. Photo: Kathy Penney, Special Needs SheBuysTravel
Discover the Benefits of a Vacation Rental For Families
The first time we rented a vacation home was a few summers ago. We wanted to do a last minute beach getaway and, as can happen when you travel last minute, the hotels I found were either booked or overpriced. Instead, I checked one of the big vacation rental sites and we found a perfect beach house for a great price. We had a wonderful experience with the beach house, the owner and the rental site. After seeing the benefits of a vacation rental, we usually choose these accommodations when traveling. Here are some of the reasons we choose vacation rentals so often.
Amenities
One of the benefits of a vacation rental is that it can come with amenities like private pools or access to beautiful shared residence pools or clubhouses. A few even provide golf carts for using in neighborhoods or at the beach.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and buy, SheBuysTravel may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you.
The infinity pool at The Hollows, Austin, TX has beautiful views of the Texas Hill Country. Photo: Kathy Penney, Special Needs SheBuysTravel
Last Fourth of July, we rented a villa in a community in the Texas Hill Country called The Hollows. It came with access to a beautiful infinity pool for residents only with sweeping views of the Hill Country. There was an acoustic artist performing poolside that weekend.
Vacation rentals like this one in the Texas Hill Country can offer larger balconies for outdoor living. Photo: Kathy Penney, Special Needs SheBuysTravel
The rental also had access to a clubhouse that offered organized activities like crafts for the kids and karaoke. Perhaps my favorite amenity (and one we would not have gotten in a hotel) was the 400 square foot balcony with two seating areas, an outdoor kitchen and breathtaking views of the hill and the lake.
Room for All
Hotels can be beautiful and comfortable, but one thing they rarely offer is much space. This is one of the benefits of a vacation rental and why we book one whenever we find a property that’s a fit. A few times per year, we travel with my sister and her family and my mom. With a vacation rental, we can all be in the same space for late night chatting or lingering over breakfast we’ve cooked together.
Renting a beach house is a great way for multiple families to vacation together. Photo: Kathy Penney, Special Needs SheBuysTravel
Even when we travel by ourselves, it’s nice to have separate bedrooms, more than one bathroom, and a larger living space to relax in. The space of vacation rentals also offers room for the kids to play without being on top of my husband and I and also without disturbing neighbors. After a busy day my special needs son likes to have quiet time to decompress and more so than a hotel room, vacation rentals offer him the space to do that.
One of the benefits of a vacation rental is the kitchen or grill space. We use the kitchen to reduce overall trip costs when we can. We buy easy breakfasts, like cereal or toasts and bacon. If we know we will be in the rental for any lunches, we pick up things to make sandwiches. We also have cooked dinners or grilled in rentals, but one thing I’ve learned is to shop on the day we plan cooking.
Many vacation rentals offer beautiful updated kitchen, like this one in a 200 year old cottage. Photo: Kathy Penney, Special Needs, SheBuysTravel
On previous trips, we have done a big shop at the beginning of the trip planning to cook dinners. Then we are too tired or are sight seeing and don’t make it make to cook and are left figuring out what to do with food at the end of a trip so as not to waste it. So now we do shopping on a daily basis, buying just what we need.
Another benefit of the kitchens in rentals is if you have a special needs child or a child with food allergies it is much easier to make sure they are sticking to their food routines.
Special Needs Friendly
We have found one of the benefits of a vacation rental is how much easier it makes travel for us as a special needs family. In a vacation rental, my special needs son can find a quiet room to decompress after a long day.
Vacation rentals can make travel easier for special needs families. Photo: Kathy Penney, Special Needs SheBuysTravel
The kitchens in vacation rentals let us prepare his favorite foods which keeps him happy. We can also bring the foods on outings which lets us be more flexible in restaurant choices. In vacation rentals we also don’t have to constantly tell our ADHD son to sit down, be still, and stay quiet. This is the case in a hotel where we don’t want to disturb others. We still stay in hotels when we travel and are fortunate we can make it work. However, I do find vacation rentals a better fit for us as a special needs family.
Green Space to Play
After a long day of sightseeing and being in the car, one of the benefits of vacation rentals, depending on the one you choose, is going home to burn off some energy outside. We try to book vacation rentals that either have a yard or green space or are near a park.
Historic Windsor Townhome in Belfast is listed as a vacation rental. Photo: Kathy Penney, Special Needs SheBuysTravel
Being able to run and play is good for all kids, but it especially helps my ADHD kid expend energy and get sensory input. The townhouse we rented in Belfast this summer had a beautiful side garden.
If the vacation rental does not have a yard or green space, check for nearby parks for kids to burn some energy. Photo: Kathy, Penney, Special Needs, SheBuysTravel
We were fortunate to have good summer weather. Each day we looked forward to coming home and grilling and the kids would play tag or kick the ball outside. It was made even nicer by the long summer days in Northern Ireland. The cottage we rented outside Edinburgh had fields for literally miles. It was such a great experience for my kids to truly be in nature and see the untouched beauty of Scotland. The little flat we rented in Carrickfergus did not have a green space but it was just steps from a local park. When we are sightseeing and the kids get restless, we remind them we can get some playtime when we return to our vacation home.
Looking to get away from it all? Many vacation rentals have glorious views like this one outside of Edinburgh Scotland. Photo: Kathy Penney, Special Needs, Traveling Mom
Unique Properties
Want to stay in a castle? How about a teepee? Or a houseboat? Check the listings on vacation rental websites and you will find just that. One of the benefits of a vacation rental is being able to give your family the experience of staying somewhere unique. A unique property adds to the vacation memories and can also fulfill dreams. Our whole family had always wanted to stay in a teepee. For my son’s sixth birthday that’s just what we did. The grown ups loved it as much as the kids.
This teepee in the Texas Hill Country offers beautiful views and a unique place to stay. Photo: Kathy Penney, Special Needs SheBuysTravel
In Scotland we stayed in a 200 year old caretakers’ cottage in the middle of a farm. The home had been lovingly restored and had modern amenities while keeping much of the historic charm. The property was just as much a treasure as the cottage. It’s not every day we can wake up to rolling hills, green fields, misty mornings, and nothing but us and wildlife for miles and miles. Consider the adventure of a unique property when choosing a vacation rental.
The cottage looks 200 years old on the outside but the inside is fully renovated while keeping its historic charm. Photo: Kathy Penney, Special Needs SheBuysTravel
As you’re planning your next trip, check the listings for vacation rentals in the area. My final take is rent from one of the reputable vacation rental sites, read the reviews on the property, and do a price comparison of similar properties and hotels in the area. There are so many benefits of a vacation rental, including those I listed here, and they often can be in the same price range or even less than the cost of a hotel. Book a vacation rental and enjoy a home away from home.
A vacation rental steps from the beach makes a vacation so much better. Photo: Kathy, Penney, Special Needs SheBuysTravel
It’s amazing how vacation rentals usually have private pools and other amenities that you and your friends could enjoy. My friend plans to throw a surprise party for his best friend after passing his language proficiency exam. I’ll probably pitch this idea to them so they could try it out someday.
I loved how you mentioned that it can come with different amenities! My husband and I have been thinking about going on a trip with our 2 kids in a couple of weeks. We’ll have to look into finding a vacation rental for us to stay in during our trip!
I want to find a nice place to stay for a vacation I’m planning, but I’m not sure how to choose. It make sense that I would want to get a good vacation rental! That seems like a great way to ensure that I have a comfortable place to stay for the trip.
You made a good point the the amenities are also important to check out first when choosing a vacation beach house rental. My husband and I are thinking about going on a family vacation soon because it’s been years since we went on one. I’m sure our kids would love to have a change of scenery after being stuck in online classes for so long.
As you mentioned, vacation houses come with amenities that hotels don’t. We are vacationing near a beach this summer, but it would also be nice to have a pool on the days we don’t want to hit the beach. I will have to keep this is mind as we continue to plan the summer.
My family and I want to go on vacation and we want to spend more on fun than on the place we’ll stay. I like how you mention in a vacation rental you can use the kitchen to reduce overall trip costs. Thank you for the information. I’ll book a lodge for our vacation. yep
I love the idea of getting a vacation rental because it has a enough space for everyone and how everyone can be in the same space together. I want to go on vacation this summer so I’ve been looking between getting a hotel or vacation rental for my whole family. I feel like a vacation rental would give you that home feeling without actually being at home so it sounds a lot more fun.
It’s great you mentioned that rental vacation homes are large enough for big families, and have amenities, like kitchens for one to use. My wife has been telling me about how she wants to get away from the world for a weekend. We’ll be sure to look into our options for vacation rentals with good kitchens that can help us with this.
I like the idea that staying in a vacation rental gives you a unique experience that is part of the trip in itself instead of just being a place to sleep. My wife and I want to take our sons on a trip this summer before they start going to school. Finding a place that they can run around and explore would probably make the trip much more relaxing and fun for everybody.
I liked what you said about how vacation rentals allow space for children to play without disturbing neighbors and being cramped. My brother and I are planning a family vacation for next summer and are looking into accommodations right now. I will be sure to recommend we look for a good luxury vacation rental in the area we will be visiting so that we have enough space for everyone and have room to decompress.
It’s true that most hotels don’t offer much space and those who do tend to be very expensive. For a family of five like mine that wants to go on the mountains on the holidays, most of the hotels that have a large enough space for us all have all been booked. I think I’ll try to rent a log cabin for us instead so that we can make sure that we can enjoy a good view and have enough room for all of us to stay in.
I like that you mentioned that one of the advantages of staying in a rental vacation home is that they are large enough to allow for big groups of people to relax in. My family wants to have a family reunion soon, and as far as I know, there is a good number of people who are planning on attending. It seems like it would be a good idea to find a vacation rental that has plenty of room for my family.
Our whole family loves nature and we are planning to go on a travel vacation next month. I like that you mentioned that vacation lodging also comes with amenities such as private pools and access to beautiful shared residence pools even for a short term stay. I’ll also look for some alternatives so that we have options on what will work well for us. Cheers!
It makes sense that you would want to rent a vacation home because there will be a kitchen and serving areas. My brother wants to take his family hiking in the woods. I’ll recommend him a vacant home instead of a hotel.
My friends and I are planning to go on vacation this year. Thanks for saying that vacation rental services offer amenities like private pools that we may get to access at any time we want. I think I’ll look for some options that we can use and decide which ones are best for us.
My family and I want to go on vacation and we want to spend more on fun than on the place we’ll stay. I like how you mention in a vacation rental you can use the kitchen to reduce overall trip costs. Thank you for the information. I’ll book a lodge for our vacation.
My husband and I are planning a vacation for our family and we are trying to decide where we want to stay so I am glad that I found this article. It makes a lot of sense that staying at a vacation rental has a lot of benefits because it includes amenities like a full kitchen. This will save us money on food and allow us to cook food that we know our kids will like.
I liked that you said that one reason to use a vacation rental is that there are a kitchen and serving area. I would imagine that this would allow you to cook as you normally would if you were at home. In would be sure to consider using a vacation rental for my trip so that I could use a full kitchen and serving area for my family.
Thanks for explaining why it could be good to go to a vacation rental. It’s nice to know that going to a rental means you can make sure a child is sticking to their food routines. This actually also seems helpful for others who may have a set diet they want to maintain while on vacation.
Last week, I was looking for accommodation located on the downtown of the destination my family will go to that will help with reducing costs. It’s great that you mentioned that vacation rentals have many amenities that hotels cannot provide. Since we are a family of nine, we really need a room for all the people that will come along to the summer getaway so I’ll consider it.
I like how you said that a vacation rental is nice because kids can burn off some energy outside after a day of sightseeing. My wife and I have been trying to think about how to best go about our upcoming summer vacation. We’ll have to look into getting a lake vacation home or something like that with lots of space.
Thanks for elaborating on the benefits of using a vacation rental for your family vacation. To me, the biggest benefit is that you get to use a kitchen and can cook your own food rather than constantly eating out. In my opinion, using vacation rentals is always the way to go when you are on a trip.
It was really nice how you said that by renting vacation homes, you were able to save money on the overall trip costs because of the idea that you have a kitchen that you can use to cook. That’s actually a good thing to know because my family was planning to take a vacation trip to Hawaii next month. We’re actually on a tight budget right now, and the only reason why we were stilling planning to go out on a trip was that it was already planned six months ago. At least, seeing this article helped me figure out how we can save. Thank you!
I like how you said that you should look for vacation homes on the listings when you are planning to go on your next trip. My family always likes to go on a big trip around Christmas time. It would be amazing if we could find a vacation rental that could fit everybody in it so we could just have a long vacation of nonstop fun with the family.
My family and I have been thinking about taking a vacation. Thanks for explaining the benefits of vacation rentals. I didn’t even think about how much money a kitchen could save like you explained. Plus, my wife likes cooking so that’s another bonus. We’ll have to take that into account while booking our vacation.
Zachary Tomlinson says
It’s amazing how vacation rentals usually have private pools and other amenities that you and your friends could enjoy. My friend plans to throw a surprise party for his best friend after passing his language proficiency exam. I’ll probably pitch this idea to them so they could try it out someday.
Kate Hansen says
I loved how you mentioned that it can come with different amenities! My husband and I have been thinking about going on a trip with our 2 kids in a couple of weeks. We’ll have to look into finding a vacation rental for us to stay in during our trip!
Braden Bills says
I want to find a nice place to stay for a vacation I’m planning, but I’m not sure how to choose. It make sense that I would want to get a good vacation rental! That seems like a great way to ensure that I have a comfortable place to stay for the trip.
Alice Carroll says
You made a good point the the amenities are also important to check out first when choosing a vacation beach house rental. My husband and I are thinking about going on a family vacation soon because it’s been years since we went on one. I’m sure our kids would love to have a change of scenery after being stuck in online classes for so long.
Shaylee Packer says
As you mentioned, vacation houses come with amenities that hotels don’t. We are vacationing near a beach this summer, but it would also be nice to have a pool on the days we don’t want to hit the beach. I will have to keep this is mind as we continue to plan the summer.
Ben Sherman says
My family and I want to go on vacation and we want to spend more on fun than on the place we’ll stay. I like how you mention in a vacation rental you can use the kitchen to reduce overall trip costs. Thank you for the information. I’ll book a lodge for our vacation. yep
David Norriss says
I love the idea of getting a vacation rental because it has a enough space for everyone and how everyone can be in the same space together. I want to go on vacation this summer so I’ve been looking between getting a hotel or vacation rental for my whole family. I feel like a vacation rental would give you that home feeling without actually being at home so it sounds a lot more fun.
Ron Booker says
It’s great you mentioned that rental vacation homes are large enough for big families, and have amenities, like kitchens for one to use. My wife has been telling me about how she wants to get away from the world for a weekend. We’ll be sure to look into our options for vacation rentals with good kitchens that can help us with this.
Oscar Morrison says
I like the idea that staying in a vacation rental gives you a unique experience that is part of the trip in itself instead of just being a place to sleep. My wife and I want to take our sons on a trip this summer before they start going to school. Finding a place that they can run around and explore would probably make the trip much more relaxing and fun for everybody.
Brad Erwin says
I liked what you said about how vacation rentals allow space for children to play without disturbing neighbors and being cramped. My brother and I are planning a family vacation for next summer and are looking into accommodations right now. I will be sure to recommend we look for a good luxury vacation rental in the area we will be visiting so that we have enough space for everyone and have room to decompress.
Angela Waterford says
It’s true that most hotels don’t offer much space and those who do tend to be very expensive. For a family of five like mine that wants to go on the mountains on the holidays, most of the hotels that have a large enough space for us all have all been booked. I think I’ll try to rent a log cabin for us instead so that we can make sure that we can enjoy a good view and have enough room for all of us to stay in.
Henry Killingsworth says
I like that you mentioned that one of the advantages of staying in a rental vacation home is that they are large enough to allow for big groups of people to relax in. My family wants to have a family reunion soon, and as far as I know, there is a good number of people who are planning on attending. It seems like it would be a good idea to find a vacation rental that has plenty of room for my family.
Tammie Houston says
Our whole family loves nature and we are planning to go on a travel vacation next month. I like that you mentioned that vacation lodging also comes with amenities such as private pools and access to beautiful shared residence pools even for a short term stay. I’ll also look for some alternatives so that we have options on what will work well for us. Cheers!
Eli Richardson says
It makes sense that you would want to rent a vacation home because there will be a kitchen and serving areas. My brother wants to take his family hiking in the woods. I’ll recommend him a vacant home instead of a hotel.
Angela Waterford says
My friends and I are planning to go on vacation this year. Thanks for saying that vacation rental services offer amenities like private pools that we may get to access at any time we want. I think I’ll look for some options that we can use and decide which ones are best for us.
Jay Jorgenson says
My family and I want to go on vacation and we want to spend more on fun than on the place we’ll stay. I like how you mention in a vacation rental you can use the kitchen to reduce overall trip costs. Thank you for the information. I’ll book a lodge for our vacation.
Rosie Beckett says
My husband and I are planning a vacation for our family and we are trying to decide where we want to stay so I am glad that I found this article. It makes a lot of sense that staying at a vacation rental has a lot of benefits because it includes amenities like a full kitchen. This will save us money on food and allow us to cook food that we know our kids will like.
Ashley Johnson says
I liked that you said that one reason to use a vacation rental is that there are a kitchen and serving area. I would imagine that this would allow you to cook as you normally would if you were at home. In would be sure to consider using a vacation rental for my trip so that I could use a full kitchen and serving area for my family.
Taylor Bishop says
Thanks for explaining why it could be good to go to a vacation rental. It’s nice to know that going to a rental means you can make sure a child is sticking to their food routines. This actually also seems helpful for others who may have a set diet they want to maintain while on vacation.
Sariah Meagle says
Last week, I was looking for accommodation located on the downtown of the destination my family will go to that will help with reducing costs. It’s great that you mentioned that vacation rentals have many amenities that hotels cannot provide. Since we are a family of nine, we really need a room for all the people that will come along to the summer getaway so I’ll consider it.
Thomas Westgren says
I like how you said that a vacation rental is nice because kids can burn off some energy outside after a day of sightseeing. My wife and I have been trying to think about how to best go about our upcoming summer vacation. We’ll have to look into getting a lake vacation home or something like that with lots of space.
Hector Uba says
Thanks for elaborating on the benefits of using a vacation rental for your family vacation. To me, the biggest benefit is that you get to use a kitchen and can cook your own food rather than constantly eating out. In my opinion, using vacation rentals is always the way to go when you are on a trip.
Persephone de Vito says
It was really nice how you said that by renting vacation homes, you were able to save money on the overall trip costs because of the idea that you have a kitchen that you can use to cook. That’s actually a good thing to know because my family was planning to take a vacation trip to Hawaii next month. We’re actually on a tight budget right now, and the only reason why we were stilling planning to go out on a trip was that it was already planned six months ago. At least, seeing this article helped me figure out how we can save. Thank you!
Kylie Dotts says
I like how you said that you should look for vacation homes on the listings when you are planning to go on your next trip. My family always likes to go on a big trip around Christmas time. It would be amazing if we could find a vacation rental that could fit everybody in it so we could just have a long vacation of nonstop fun with the family.
Finn Stewart says
My family and I have been thinking about taking a vacation. Thanks for explaining the benefits of vacation rentals. I didn’t even think about how much money a kitchen could save like you explained. Plus, my wife likes cooking so that’s another bonus. We’ll have to take that into account while booking our vacation.