[paxys]

The big difference for me is that Airbnbs have kitchens. Any trip more than 1-2 days in length is greatly improved when I can buy basic groceries and cook rather than have to eat every single meal at a restaurant. Because of that the overall cost works out to be cheaper as well.

[aaronharnly]

Traveling with small kids, having a kitchen makes the difference between being able to actually feed the family vs scraping together insane combinations of whatever sliver of restaurant meals the kids can eat and packaged food.

[jairuhme]

That's a fair point. But for me, thats more friction. Now when I get to my destination, I also have to go grocery shopping and then spend even more time cooking and cleaning the dishes after. Personally, if I am going somewhere new, I'd prefer to spend a bit more money to not do all of the the tiring things I have to do at home so I can spend that time actually exploring. I will add, I don't have kids and can see how my viewpoint may change when they do come into the picture

[dvzk]

There are extended stay hotels with stovetops and ovens (and outdoor grills) with low-grade used (ugh!) cookware included. It's usually not much more expensive than regular midtier hotels: possibly cheaper, if you can negotiate a longer term stay.