Five fab reasons to go for a vacation rental in Costa Rica, rather than a hotel or resort.

There are a number of great reasons to opt for a Costa Rica vacation rental rather than a hotel, and with so many options these days, who not do it? When you rent a car for your Costa Rica travels, it makes it so much easier to go for this option too. 

Here are 5 good reasons to book a vacation rental instead of booking a hotel. 

Save Money

While Costa Rica vacation rental owners and managers are required to charge the standard 13% VAT (sales tax) on temporary rental contracts (under 30 days), they do not charge the standard 10% service fees on top of that, which most hotels and restaurants in Costa Rica charge. That can mean big savings right there. 

But, in addition to that, vacation home renters can save on restaurant and bar bills, mini bar fees, room service charges,  and any of the other little extras that one always seems to incur when staying at a traditional hotel or resort.  

Get an entire home for the price of a room

Isn’t it nice to spread out and enjoy the space of the living room, kitchen, dining area, and even outdoor spaces, in addition to your room (or rooms in the case of a larger vacation rental designed to host bigger groups)? With a Costa Rica vacation rental, you and the gang can spread out and enjoy private time in your room or family and group time in the common areas, all within the space of your own home away from home.  

Privacy and seclusion

Renting a vacation home means getting an entire space to yourself; no need to bump into other guests in the hallway or schelp down to the communal dining room for that buffet breakfast that the hotel or resort has to offer. 

Feel like hanging in your jammies all day long, no matter where you are on the property? Go for it! 

Hungry in the middle of the night? You can wander into the kitchen for a midnight snack. 

Want to go skinny dipping with your significant other? No worries; you’ve got the pool all to yourself!

You get the picture; in your own home away from home, you’ll have the entire place to yourself to boogie all night long in the living room, wander around as dressed or undressed as you please, listen to your own music or enjoy the peace and quiet of a poolside sans reggaeton (or whatever other music the hotel staff deems every vacationer’s dream), and just generally do your own thing without the scrutiny of others. 

Flexible check-in and check-out times

With vacation rentals, most of the time you can just show up and let yourself in with a door code or key. Occasionally there are property managers who like to meet you at the door, let you in and show you around, but the majority are self access in my experience. Often times too, with vacation rentals, you can negotiate late or early arrival and departure times, so long as your host doesn’t have other guests coming or going right after or before you.  Arriving late late at night? No worries– there are no front gate guards or front desks to deal with; you just drive up to your vacation digs in your rental car and let yourself in!  

Get off the beaten path

One of the biggest advantages of staying in a vacation rental is being able to choose a home that is more secluded, away from the busier more touristy areas of any of the most popular beach towns, lakes or rain and cloud forests of Costa Rica. Of course, having a rental car goes right along with that! With a rental car and a secluded vacation home, you can come and go as you please (no worries about getting around, calling taxis or Ubers, etc.) and enjoy your quiet space or head for crowded bars and beaches when you feel like getting social. 

Renting a car in Costa Rica comes with its advantages; one of the biggest being the flexibility of staying in a vacation rental rather than a hotel or resort. Book your rental car today and start planning your Costa Rica vacation. With your own rental car and your own rental place, you can have a great home base and really explore the country.