B&B/Hotel travel vs RV

[georgelesley]

First a bit of context. We have owned nearly all types of RV’s and have RV’ed for well over 20 years. Last year we sold our class A MH and have not bought another RV. We just returned from a 9000 mile road trip with our car traveling thru the Midwest and Rockies staying in B&B’s and hotels.

B&B’s suit our style much better than hotels. However, for quick one night stands, hotels are usually cheaper and are generally a better option for just a place to sleep.

B&B’s usually have a cleaning fee added and sometimes a “service fee”, which hotels do not so staying in a B&B for only one night is more expensive, but if the added fees are spread over several days the benefits of the B&B such as being able to prepare your own meals, often having separate TV’s showers, etc, tend to even the costs out

Both options especially multi day stays in B&B’s require reservations usually well in advance, thus locking you into a hard schedule, whereas hotels are often more flexible and have more liberal cancellation policies.

Contacting the owner/managers of B&B’s is not always as easy as a hotel for maintenance issues. We found some truly excellent, some never responded.

Since B&B’s are individually owned usually, the quality of furnishing and utensils is a crap shoot, some just like or even better than home, some pretty run down. With chain hotels at least the quality is usually more consistent with a particular chain anyway.

We did buy a picnic sized portable refrigerator that we put in the back seat of the car and plugged into 12V. That really made a difference in having the basics available to prepare basic meals.

Bottom line: for one night stands, hotel are usually the best option, like them or not.

For multiple night stays in one place, we much prefer the B&B style.

Cost wise, hotels may be cheaper, but when you factor in meal preparation in a B&B, over several days the costs even out, although some hotels offer some options there as well especially breakfast. We did note that since Covid came along, the hotels with breakfast are fewer and breakfast is often much simpler and less than it used to be, so beware.

One thing we really missed about the RV style of travel was the option of boondocking and the ability to change our plans on short notice. Another was the interaction you can have with fellow RV’ers at a campground. Staying in a B&B or hotel you don’t talk to other people much.

We are also looking into staying at campgrounds that have cabins for rent but have not really found a site that has a good listing of such.

So is another RV in our future? Maybe a small travel trailer we could pull behind our SUV. TBD.

[twogypsies]

To us, there's no comparison between B&Bs/hotels vs a RV. RV wins every time.

[Old-Biscuit]

I do not even look/compare costs of one over the other

RV ---We sleep in OUR Bed using OUR Linens, OUR bedspreads, OUR pillows and walk around bare foot on OUR Carpet/flooring

RV WINS .......period!

[puttin]

Those 2 posts up above! ^^^

[Skip426]

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

RV ---We sleep in OUR Bed using OUR Linens, OUR bedspreads, OUR pillows and walk around bare foot on OUR Carpet/flooring

Easy to contact the owner , discussions with the clean up crew can get testy .

[Cumminsfan]

I did the motel/hotel BNB thing for 10 years when the wife and I were riding MC's. Packing close in and out every stop got old. Crammed in a little room with a window or if lucky a patio/balcony where you could here your neighbors every sound got old.

There is some simplicity to road tripping in a car in that you don't have any setup time with connections or hitches and stuff. No worries about break downs with the RV/TT/5er.

Being in your own rolling hotel and parked in a spot where you can drag out a lawn chair and relax is way more appealing to us.

[TheCatsRV]

You're confusing a real/traditional B&B (as in Bed & Breakfast) with the very short-term rental accommodation facilitated by that heinous outfit called AirBnB and its ilk. A traditional B&B (at least in Norh America, which my wife and I still enjoy, will leave out the Europe for now) usually has a host (who usually lives in the house, or at least on the property, and some Airbnb properties feature this) and provides all the services and at least provides some sort of prepared breakfast. Most B&Bs do not provide any kitchen facilities maybe perhaps a kettle or hot beverage preparation facilities.

[bentjm]

Add in traveling with four legged friends and the answer is clear.

[Isaac-1]

As I see it this all comes down to how important it is to have your own bed, toilet, shower, kitchen, dishes, food, ...

[Dutch Star Don]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

To us, there's no comparison between B&Bs/hotels vs a RV. RV wins every time.

Same for us, RV travel was NEVER the cheapest form of travel....it's a luxury. When we can no longer afford or physically able to do so, we'll do something else.

[TonyDi]

Same for us. We like having all our stuff to keep us happy. Dragging a suitcase in and out gets old after a while. Sometimes I even question the cleanliness of some hotels. The smell usually gives them away.

[Max Headroom]

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

I do not even look/compare costs of one over the other

RV ---We sleep in OUR Bed using OUR Linens, OUR bedspreads, OUR pillows and walk around bare foot on OUR Carpet/flooring

RV WINS .......period!

^^^^^^^^ This is the answer.

I'll throw in all the time wasted checking in, checking out, packing the car, unpacking the car and hauling it up to the room, just to haul it all back down to the car.

Speaking of checking in, it seems to be getting later and later. Used to be that around 1pm was normal, then 2pm, and now we're seeing 3pm and even later check ins. Then you have to check out at Noon, some even 11am. Next thing you know, they'll be renting them by the hour.


Finding a place that takes pets, another hassle, and another expense.

The RV just bypasses all this.

[Wellibe]

We've got a 4,000+ mile trip planned for the Rockies later this summer. The heart of the trip will be 8 nights of boondocking at two locations in some wild National Forest lands. I checked the nearest Air BnB's to those two locations. Those 8 nights would cost us over $3,000 (and one of the two places is a 5th wheel parked on somebody's property - over 500 bucks for 4 nights there). And that's not counting all the hotel nights for the trip out and back.

I think I'll stick with my cramped little teardrop.

[klspahr]

No surprise that RVs win considering the forum we’re on, I say the same too. BUT, I would love to see the actual dollar comparison between one year of B&B/Hotel/Restaurant travel compared to the same year done in an RV. We most likely travel cheaper than some RVers since we stay in state parks and cook almost every meal while we watch everyone in the campground going out for supper. When you add loan interest, rig maintenance/repair etc, I think the numbers might surprise us. Even if it was more to travel by RV it wouldn’t change my lifestyle, something’s are more important than $$.

BUT I’D STILL LOVE TO SEE AN ACCURATE COMPARISON!!