When our family vacations, we typically either pay through the nose for large family suites at hotels, or we book two rooms (always hoping for adjacent rooms but rarely getting them) and deal with the inconvenience of having our family and belongings split up.

Last week, however, we stayed in a rental vacation home for the first time while vacationing with my parents and my sisters’ families in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. It was a fantastic experience and is an option that could be a lifesaver for large families like ours. Here are some of the benefits we noted:

1. COST: Where we usually spend around $200 per night for two hotel rooms or a large suite, our share of the home was only $100 per night.

2. CONVENIENCE: The convenience of having a “home base” during a trip was priceless. We could return home after activities and be able to put kids down for naps, let them play outside, have snacks or watch TV without worry about the noise level or that children’s choices of activities (napping and TV, for example) might conflict with each other. While we enjoy eating out as much as the next guy, it was wonderful to be able to eat some of our meals “in,” especially breakfast. The kitchen was stocked with dishes and appliances, and a quick trip to a grocery store ensured we had all the kitchen goods we could need. We were able to barbeque and eat big meals with the entire family for a fraction of the cost that restaurant meals exclusively would have cost us.

Being able to do laundry in the home was a huge bonus for me, and I actually got most of our clothing washed and repacked before we left, meaning that my typical post-trip mountain of laundry was reduced to a mere molehill. Can’t beat that!\

3. COMFORT: In our usual hotel room scenario, we have two rooms with two queen beds and sometimes a fold-out sofa. No matter what, we always have more than two children in a bed, and we often jimmy-rig “princess beds” for toddlers out of two arm chairs pushed together. ;) In the rental home, the adults had their own beds, and the kids were able to sleep comfortably in a “bunk room,” complete with TV, DVD player and Game Cube.

All the bedrooms had flat screen TVs and DVD players, comfy bedding and cozy places to sit. The living room was well-stocked with sofas and chairs (reclining, no less), and there were plenty of places to spread out and be alone or in smaller groups. It was truly like being at home.

4. AMENITIES: The home we rented had a hot tub, three decks, a gorgeous yard, a pool table, and was filled with games, magazines, books, DVDs and other diversions to help pass the time and keep small people from becoming bored. We didn’t spend oodles of time in the house, but for the times when we needed to be there, it was great to have so many fun things for the kids (and adults!) to do.

Although our kids are usually pretty well-behaved and tolerant on our vacations, I was amazed that we didn’t have a single major blow-up with any of the children on our trip. I truly believe that having the house for our home base was the reason for this, and that we were able to eliminate most of the stress we otherwise sometimes feel while traveling. The next time we travel, we will definitely be renting another home! We already have plans to stay in a friend’s rental in a nearby resort, and I can’t wait.

Further Reading:

Large Adoptive Families

How to Plan a Family Outing

First Vacation Fears