We want to start off this article by declaring our condolences if you or any of your loved ones have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic that is sweeping the globe at this point time. We are living in unprecedented times and with the increasing global population being forced to go on lockdown we just wanted to wish all our patrons the best in these troubling times.

We have a multitude of initiatives in place to help those that have been affected by this pandemic but here at Luxury Castle Hire we also want to keep our loyal castle enthusiasts entertained and informed with the background surrounding castles and their relevant place within the industry of accommodation hire.

In this article, we are going to discuss the pros and cons of hiring either a castle or a hotel. We will be discussing all related factors to their operations with some you may already recognise and others you may not be aware of.


Hotels

Pros

City Break

If you’re visiting a city you’ve never been to before and need accommodation for the period that you’re there, hotels can provide a reliable and convenient form of lodging. With most hotels being within walking distance from their city’s most popular attractions it makes life much easier for their tourists. After visiting the colosseum in Rome or walking through the Champs Elysees in Paris one can easily walk straight back to their hotel and continue the same course of activity for the duration of their holiday.

This is also beneficial because if you’re city wandering and get lost, simply mentioning the hotel you’re staying at to locals will help you in getting back to your hotel in no time at all.

Meeting Facilities

Whether you’re visiting a new place for business or personal reasons a hotel can be a great meeting location. If you’re looking to host an impromptu business meeting, most hotels provide this facility although this may come at a cost. But being able to have a meeting then go back up to your room once it is finished is the epitome of convenience.

If you’re looking to meet up with family or long-time friends that live in the destination you’re visiting, a hotel is a central location to unite and go about your activities.

Additional Amenities

Staying in a popular hotel doesn’t always just mean getting a room and breakfast in the morning. It can also mean having access to a gym, pool or spa. This can be viewed as being fundamental to especially those that are looking to stay fit whilst on vacation or those looking to unwind from long business meetings.

These additional amenities can also act as adept middle grounds for those looking to network and meet new people.

Loyalty Schemes with Chain Branded Hotels

Staying at the same hotel brand repeatedly can be of great benefit to the patron. Being a loyal customer can equate to having one free or heavily discounted stay for a chosen vacation.

When budgeting for a holiday and knowing that your hotel fare will be considerably cheaper than anticipated can be of great benefit.

In addition, where this can help is if you’re visiting continents such as Africa, Asia or the Middle East. Continents like this may not have overtly Western branded hotels but instead have hidden partnerships with Western branded hotels, allowing this cumulative loyalty to still be used.

Great View

The hotels within the great world cities can provide stunning scenery for those staying at their lodgings at night. Overlooking the night lights of an urban landscape like London, Paris or Singapore can enhance the memorability of one’s visit.

The few other ways to truly enjoy this splendour are possibly staying at a local’s house or walking around enjoying the nightlife at the surface level.

Hotel Cons

Generic

With chain hotels there are no surprises, your stay will be like what it was the 10 previous times you stayed at the hotel in question. This familiarity can be considered a good thing for some they may want to be seeing the same concierge at the desk, stay in an identical room, have the same breakfast. Not to also mention that staff at these establishments tend to treat all guests the same, regardless of the quirks or eccentricities they may have.

A one size fits all policy saves time but is not always the best course of action in providing a memorable experience for customers.

Group Bookings

Staying in a hotel and travelling with a group can sometimes be difficult with a chain hotel. Depending upon availability within the hotel and existing bookings attempts to keep a group together on one floor- for example- can prove futile. This is not always the best-case scenario for company trips that are done to build morale or encourage the exchange of new ideas or large family vacations where people are looking to catch up with one another.

And even if hotels can accommodate such requests noise and complaints of mass gatherings from individuals not associated with these groups can arise. This can create discord within the hotel that can much be avoided.

Long Stay and Cost

A contributing factor to the rise of Airbnb from 2009-2011 is the ability to provide cheaper accommodation in comparison to the hotels that were dominant within the market at the time.

Staying in a hotel for two to three days may not cost an arm and a leg. However, when looking to stay for an extended period factoring in the costs of meals, snacks and beverages along with the hotel booking cost can result in rather high expenditures for your stay.

Food

As briefly mentioned in the previous point, food and what to eat are large parts of a vacation. If you’re in a hotel that provides breakfast with your stay, this is advantageous, however you will still have lunch and dinner where you will have to either purchase from the hotel or go out to find in the city you’re in.

For a day or two this may be okay but as mentioned before this can be expensive and become monotonous. At some point, you may want to be able to cook your own meals to save money and have a hand in the food that you’re eating. Most hotels do not provide the capabilities for their guests to do such activities.

Wi-Fi

In the modern day, reliable and fast Wi-Fi has almost become a fundamental necessity. Hotels are notorious for having slow Wi-Fi, limiting one’s ability to share photos of their trip to their loved ones or send multiple documents to your colleagues from the business meeting you just attended.

People speculate the reasons as to why it is so slow maybe due to hotels not looking to invest in the appropriate hardware or software to improve its quality or it just not being a priority. Whatever the reason for its poor quality this, in turn most likely contributes to Wi-Fi security also being a major problem with hotels. It is such an issue that hackers look to use hotel Wi-Fi to steal people’s personal data.


Castle Hire

Pros

Customisation

Hiring a Castle is a unique experience in and of itself and as such the requirements differ greatly between each customer. Some customers may look to hire out a part of a castle for a week for a certain event, whereas others may look to hire out only a bedroom and a common area. There is not a one size fits all policy and each customer is priced accordingly.

Great Historical Significance

Staying in a certain castle bedroom overnight may have certain historical significance that few other lodgings have.

For instance, the Mingary Castle in Scotland- that is available for hire on the LCH website- was a stronghold for King James IV during attempted sieges. It was also a fortress for other illustrious dignitaries in the 16th and 17th century.

This may not be of great interest to everyone, however, if you’re like us you’ll be intrigued to know which King or Earl lived where you are staying. What were their hobbies? Did they travel a lot? How many wars has this castle seen? How many people were wedded at this castle in the 16th century? These are all questions we can answer about the castle you stay in when you take out a booking with us.

Group Bookings

When looking to book a group of people doing this through castle hire is straightforward. All that is required is informing the staff what is the event in question you are looking to hire for and for how long. Upon doing so recommendations will be given as to how much of the castle you should hire out.

If the event is particularly large whole castle hire is available. This allows for greater mingling between guests as all necessary activities and amenities are held on-site. This is particularly advantageous for company retreats or large family gatherings.

Hiring out a castle in totality dispels worries patrons may have with regards to inconveniencing other guests or causing noise disturbances.

Food

Due to the customisable nature of those looking to hire a castle you can decide whether you would like to be self-catered or for the castle to provide catering options for you. Or maybe have a choice of both, as the adage saying goes- variety is the spice of life.

With the emerging food movements sweeping the globe this is slowly becoming a much-needed pre-requisite for all establishments that are providing any sort of catering.

Loyalty Schemes

Like hotels, when you have continued custom with a certain chain for a period of time this opens the door to a whole host of benefits for the patron. The same is the case when booking through the same castle hire company.

This can be advantageous especially if you have booked continuously and then look to book a wedding or a large group event the savings one can accumulate with loyalty, can greatly reduce the costs associated with the bookings made.

Castle Hire Cons

City Locations

There are castles that are available for hire in big city locations such as the Luna Hotel Baglioni in Venice or the Grand London House in the heart of the capital of the UK. Both are available for hire through the luxury castle hire website. However, at this current time, there are more chain based hotel options in big cities whilst castles are certainly dominant with regards to more remote locations for lodging.

Unorthodox

If you’re someone that prefers the status quo and the common way of doing things, castles may not be your cup of tea. With hotels, you receive the generic options for lodging and the generic level of service, this is not the case with Luxury Castle Hire. We attempt to understand the idiosyncrasies of each customer so that we can exceed the lodging expectations.

Initial Shock

After sleeping one night in one of our castles and you may wake up, look around and be initially shocked at the grandiose of the room you’re in. This happens a lot to our patrons but once you get adjusted and stay a few more nights you will get accustomed to the beauty of your surroundings.

In totality, hiring a castle can provide the same, if not more benefits to those looking to use their facilities. If you’re looking to have a company retreat with a whole host of meetings a castle can meet this need if you’re looking to have a memorable wedding with Instagram worthy photos a castle can meet this need. On top of this, there is the historical significance of staying at one of our castles, with some dating back to the 16th century and even earlier.

Ultimately it all depends on your preference but we- of course- highly recommend booking a castle through Luxury Castle Hire.

If you agree/disagree with any of the observations we make please be sure to let us know on social media tagging #LuxuryCastleHire in your response.

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