Hotel vs. short-term rental: What’s the better deal for Hilton Head vacationers this June?
It’s no secret that hotels and short-term rental prices fluctuate year-round, but now, with the summer months here and beach season picking up, what’s actually a better deal when deciding where to stay?
Is there even a price difference at all?
Rental properties are notorious for having hidden fees, whereas some hotels may add other small services to your bill, like parking.
Here’s what we found when comparing prices and fees for places to stay this June.
What am I paying for?
Here is a breakdown of some of the added fees you may encounter and their average price points, according to Nerdwallet, ResortFeeChecker.com, Airbnb.com and Touch Stay.
Average fees for hotels:
Parking: $40 per day
Luggage storage: $5-$15 per item/time stored
Wifi Access: $10-$20 per night
Late/Early check-in/out: $50 or higher
Resort activities: $35
Mini bar snacks: $6 or higher per item
Average fees for rental properties:
Pets: $60-$100 per-stay (service animals are free)
Cleaning: $80
Extra guest fee: $50 a day
Security deposit: $300 per stay
Cancellation fee: 25-50% of your total rental locations
With all of those potential additional charges to your wallet, booking a stay can quickly add up. So, what’s the most bang for your buck on Hilton Head this summer?
How did we check prices?
To find what the better deal was for June, we broke down hotel and rental prices for locations with availability for a five-day, four-night vacation for a group of four people on the island.
Websites used to find hotels included Booking.com and Expedia. Websites searched to find rentals included Airbnb.com and Vrbo.
The following prices reflect the current availability of locations on the island from June 21-25, ranked from cheapest to some of the highest price points.
Here is what we found:
Hotels available
Cheapest: $222 per night at the Hampton Inn Hilton Head
Middle: $297 per night at the Holiday Inn Express Hilton Head Island by IHG
Highest: $445 per night at Spark by Hilton on Hilton Head Island
Rentals available
Cheapest: $236 per night at a Full Condo on South Forest Beach at Coligny Beach
Middle: $408 per night at a Full Condo in Shipyard Beach Club at Coligny Beach
Highest: $483 per night at a Full Condo in Tennismaster Villa by Coligny Beach
Here is the total you can expect to pay when adding in the additional fees for each location, based on the fee information listed on the respective booking site:
Hotel totals
Cheapest with fees: $889 total at the Hampton Inn Hilton Head (Free parking, wifi and breakfast available)
Middle with fees: $1,229 total at the Holiday Inn Express Hilton Head Island by IHG (Free parking, wifi and breakfast available)
Highest with fees: $1,778 total at Spark by Hilton on Hilton Head Island (Free parking, wifi and breakfast available)
Rental totals
Cheapest with fees: $945 total at a Full Condo on South Forest Beach at Coligny Beach
Middle with fees: $1,633 total at a Full Condo in Shipyard Beach Club at Coligny Beach
Highest with fees: $1,933 total at a Full Condo in Tennismaster Villa by Coligny Beach Park
What’s the takeaway?
Hotel and rental prices fluctuate often, so price comparisons can help determine the best fit for your stay on Hilton Head.
While choosing a place to stay can be a hassle of its own, for the month of June, our search of available properties found that hotel locations offer more cost-effective options than rental locations, even when considering the potential added fees.
This held true across all three price points, from the cheapest to the most expensive locations available from June 21-25.
Some guests may find different price points than what’s shown here due to hotel reward programs, location discounts and other price changes.
In May, The Island Packet found that hotel options offered the cheapest price point for a five-day, four-night stay for four people.
Check back next month to see where it’s cheapest to stay.
