Hotel or Private Villa — Which is the better choice for your next vacation to Costa Rica?
Luxury villa (home) rentals are increasingly popular alternatives to luxury hotel vacations. And it has become much easier for travelers to find vacation homes to rent — directly online, using rental “by-owner” websites, through travel agents, and from personal recommendations. But do you know whether a villa or a hotel is better fit for you?
When planning your next vacation, the results of this short, easy quiz may help you decide which is your best option.
Keep a running tally of your points; at the end you’ll find recommendations based on your total quiz score below.
Quiz:
- When vacationing, do you prefer to sleep in a quiet environment, or do you prefer the sounds of activity – the background buzz of traffic and hotel sounds?
I prefer that my “home base” when traveling be relaxing, peaceful and quiet: 5 points.
This isn’t an important factor for me; I’m OK either way: 3 points.
I prefer to stay where the “action” is: 0 points. - Do you prefer special, one-of-a-kind accommodations, or do you prefer familiarity and standardization for your stay?
I would prefer unique kinds of environments: 5 points.
The style of where I stay is not an important factor: 3 points. I prefer to stay where I already know exactly what I will be getting: 0 points. - How important is privacy for you? Do you prefer not to have neighbors on the other side of a wall? Do you prefer to have your own private swimming pool?
Yes, Privacy is important to me: 5 points.
The level of privacy is somewhat important, but not a key factor in my decision: 3 points.
Having privacy where I stay doesn’t matter to me: 0 points. - Would you like to stay where there are the amenities of home — your own kitchen, deck, stereo system, larger living spaces, barbeque grill, washer/dryer, parking in the driveway, etc.?
I prefer the comforts of a “home away from home”: 5 points.
This is not an important consideration for me: 3 points.
For me, “less is more” regarding my accommodations while traveling: 0 points. - Will you be traveling with a group of friends and/or family?
Yes, there will be several of us and we prefer to be together with multiple bedrooms and bathrooms: 5 points.
We are fine with all of us sharing a bathroom: 3 points.
I will be by myself, or one other person and I will be staying together: 1 point. - Do you prefer to stay in a larger space or a smaller space?
I prefer to have more room than less: 5 points.
This is not an important consideration for me: 3 points.
I prefer a more compact living space when on vacation: 0 points. - For how many nights will you be staying in at least one location?
We prefer to really “get to know” the area, and plan to have a stay of 3 nights to a week or more: 5 points.
We will be staying not more than 2 nights: 3 points.
We will be staying single overnight(s) only: 0 points. - Would you prefer to have a restaurant, bar, spa, or casino only an elevator-ride away?
I’m fine with not having these things right where I am staying: 5 points.
This is not an important factor for me: 3 points.
Yes, I like having these things on-site: 0 points. - Is full access for disabled people necessary for your travel?
No, handicap access is not a factor for us: 5 points.
We don’t need full handicap access, but prefer most features to be on one level: 2 points.
Yes, full handicap access is necessary for our stay: 0 points. - Would you like to be able to have a private chef prepare meals for you?
Yes, that would be a real treat: 5 points.
It might be nice, but having custom prepared meals is not a very important factor: 3 points.
I am definitely not interested in chef services: 0 points.
Scoring:
1-20 points: A hotel may be a better choice for (at least part of) your trip.
21-34 points: You would probably be happy either with a hotel or a private villa.
35-50 points: Staying at a private villa may be a better choice for (at least part of) your stay.
Check out an example! Villa Mango and Casa Amigos are two beautiful “barefoot-luxury” rental villas available for your next vacation, with great privacy, lap-sized swimming pools and spectacular ocean views, nestled in the ecological, tropical rainforests on the lush south-central Pacific coast of Costa Rica.
Submitted by: Glen Love
