House rental or hotel? (Port Isabel, South Padre Island: rentals, condos, houses)

[Texan1010]

I'm currently planning to vacation in South Padre Island, and I was wondering if anyone has had experiences with house rentals over hotel stays. The gist that I got is that house rentals tend to offer more amenities such as an extra bathroom or an extra room accompanied by kitchen/ living room.

If you've stayed in a House before, do they tend to be well maintained? Is there anything you should request before arriving? Or is the hassle too much and is a hotel a more economical option?

[biscuitmom]

We've stayed in dozens of vacation rentals - houses and condos - throughout the US since 2007. Never had a bad experience. Most of the time, it's more economical and the process is no more complicated than reserving and checking into a hotel.
For us, not having maids come in to do daily cleaning is a huge plus. We can nap or spread out our things and not have to worry about vacating the place while they clean. I've never stayed in a rental that didn't provide ample linens, dishes, and other supplies. For stays longer than a few days, we usually buy toilet paper and paper towels even if the owner has stocked plenty. Most provide dw detergent and clothes detergent but I bring my own pods just in case.

We use VRBO and Homeaway and ALWAYS read the reviews. If a rental has no or few reviews, or if there are no reviews within the past year, we skip over it. I like to see at least 8-10 reviews, mostly recent. At the bottom of the listings, there's usually a link for the owner/agent's other listings and I check those too for positive/negative reviews.

Things we check for: wifi, parking availability, washer/dryer, air conditioning, amount (if any) of cleaning fee. If a long stay, we like cable tv too. If the rental listing doesn't show those, we ask the owner/agent. I also check the photos to see if there are bed and table lamps and comfortable-appearing chairs.

[Texan1010]

Thanks for the feedback. :P

[TXNGL]

Originally Posted by Texan1010

I'm currently planning to vacation in South Padre Island, and I was wondering if anyone has had experiences with house rentals over hotel stays. The gist that I got is that house rentals tend to offer more amenities such as an extra bathroom or an extra room accompanied by kitchen/ living room.

If you've stayed in a House before, do they tend to be well maintained? Is there anything you should request before arriving? Or is the hassle too much and is a hotel a more economical option?

I've done both in SPI and it really depends on what you want from your vacation. House or condo rental is great for a family or group. You can hit the Walmart in Port Isabel and eat some meals in, which is a money saver. You have more room. I think a house or condo tends to be more economical in the long run.

Having said that if you really want to relax, not worry about meals, have daily maid service, etc...then a hotel is a better, but more expensive, option.