You’re heading to the Smoky Mountains. Should you stay in a hotel or choose a rental cabin? Take a look at five reasons why cabins beat hotels as the ideal place to vacation.

In a hotel, you share walls and halls. You’ll hear elevator doors clunking, ice machines crunching, and room doors slamming. A cabin is your oasis, away from other folks’ noise. And if your family board game gets loud, or you want to crank up the volume on movie night, you can enjoy yourself without worrying about bothering other guests.

A hotel gives you a room and maybe a small sitting area. Your cabin gives you room after lovely room of space. Unpack and feel truly “settled in” at your vacation home. No living out of a suitcase!

You won’t be stumbling over each other to get ready in the bathroom, or telling the kids they have to give up the TV so you can watch your show. Retreat to the bedroom to recharge while the kids have a blast learning to play pool and your honey drinks coffee on the deck. You’ve got space to get away from each other now and space to gather later.

A cabin features extras you won’t find in a hotel. Use the kitchen day or night to eat on your schedule, not restaurants’ schedules. Soak in your hot tub, available 24/7. Bask by the fireplace, or head to the outdoor fire pit to make s’mores.

Plenty of cabins feature pool tables, air hockey, foosball, arcade games, movie rooms, and access to nearby swimming pools. Some cabins boast private indoor pools! Lounge on your deck and take in a view of mountains or woods, instead of looking at a parking lot through a window you’re not allowed to open.

Compared to a hotel, a cabin is an excellent value, especially if you share the cost with family and friends. Access to a kitchen saves dough, too. You don’t have to eat out for every meal, and you can pack picnics. Cabins come in all sizes, from one-bedroom gems to giant cabins sleeping two dozen, so you’ve got options at all sizes and prices.

Some hotels allow pets, but is there really space for Fido or Fluffy? At a pet-friendly cabin, your furry family member gets room to roam and you can take walks with ease--just step outside! Colonial Properties manages more than a dozen cabins where pets are welcome.

Private, fun, cost-effective, roomy--a cabin rental trumps a hotel any day. Reserve your Smokies cabin now.