VRBO VS Hotel

Belle60

I know our traveling days are winding down but DH wants to go see his father in Florida. All his family live in Florida. I think it will be ok because we have family all around. The only change is his father is now in assisted living so we can no longer stay in his house when visiting. DH was very familiar with the house. We have visited often over the years and always stayed there. So now, we have to stay in either a hotel or VRBO/AIRBNB type property. I am thinking a small condo would be preferable to a single hotel room. Just wondering what others have experienced in similar situations.

JDancer

What stage is your LO?

I suggest bringing a bed alarm so you'll know if/when he gets out of bed.

debriesea

My DH is late stage 4. Traveling and a no schedule life has always been a part of our lives. We are almost done with a 2 month road trip to visit family and friends, staying in hotels at the beginning and then in homes. He has acclimated fine in both situations so far. In 2 days we start our trek home with 3-4 hotel stays. I have a motion sensor for the hotel doors in case he tries to leave in the night when he won’t have any trackers on him. When dressed, I can track him on his phone and have tiles on his phone, in his wallet and one he wears on his pants. When we get home I’ll be getting the shoe soles that have tiles in them. He has not shown any signs of wondering yet.
I don’t know if this helps in your situation.

Timmyd

I traveled with DW throughout stage 4 and stage 5. We stayed in both hotels and VRBO type properties. If you have a lot of experience with airbnb/VRBO type properties I think you generally get a better experience if you get the right one. If you get the wrong one, it can be a nightmare. Hotels are generally a more predictable experience. If you are new to airbnb/VRBO, this may not be the right time to experiment. It can take some practice to learn how to interpret reviews and photos so that you end up with the experience you expect.

Michele P

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/75484/vrbo-vs-hotel

if you are traveling out of state to an unfamiliar house or hotel room, I highly suggest that you put a gps tracker on him. Your local police or sheriffs department will supply you with a gps tracking watch under Project Lifesaver. They can track a person anywhere in the U. S.

Belle60

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/267226#Comment_267226

Thanks. I have a GPS tracker watch that he wears while awake. Can you tell me more about the motion sensor you have the doors while traveling?

Belle60

He is late stage 5. He has not started wandering yet but a bed alarm might be a good idea

Belle60

Thanks. We have done both before. I just thought a hotel would be more confining but I like hotels. Free breakfast😂

Chammer

A hotel may be better in that there will only be one way in and one way out. A VRBO may have several entry/exit points to monitor.

WIGO23

This type of door alarm has worked well for us while traveling.

debriesea

This is the alarm that I got. I needed it for home also so I knew if he left the bedroom at night. At home I’ll set it up in the kitchen at bedtime. It has a remote so that I can disarm it before I might set it off. Other motion sensors I found did not have a way to disarm it without setting it off first. I didn’t do a lot of research on different types though.
i have not used it yet. Wednesday night will be my first time trying it. We will be in a hotel. The downside is that it only beeps twice and does not repeat. It does has 3 volume levels, one being very loud.

Belle60

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/267310#Comment_267310

Thank you!

Belle60

Thank you!

WIGO23

Most welcome! Forewarned, it is very loud—no way you could sleep through it!☺️

MasterEdwards

I booked a spot at a hotel near melbourne central once, and it made the whole trip way smoother since everything was right on the doorstep. The mix of comfy rooms, easy transport, and good food downstairs saved me so much hassle, especially after long days out. If you want something practical but still nice, that setup worked really well for me.

debriesea

i agree that the door stop is the best for traveling. While I intended to use the motion sensor at home during the night so I knew if he got up and was getting into things, it did not work in the hotels. All 3 hotels we stayed in on our return trip had the bathroom next to the front door. At the beginning of our trip they were at the other end.

mroberts8

I use both. The advantage of a good rental is more comfort / resources and a kitchen. The disadvantage is more confusion on my DW part at the layout of an unfamiliar place, fixtures, sounds. A decent hotel room (perhaps with a sitting area) is much easier for her to navigate, but then meals etc. are more effort.

Belle60

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/269022#Comment_269022

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/269022#Comment_269022

Yea both seem have advantages. Great thing about this disease is you don't know how your loved one while respond until you are there! Then it is just "oh ok I won't do that again" Or that's new!😔

rplourde50

I lean towards hotel rooms because they’re small and your LO can find their way around. Use the bolt safety lock so it is hard to open without you hearing it.

Dusty217

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/269045#Comment_269045

and more doors to worry about in a VRBO.