What’s in a name?

By: J. David Chapman/July 9, 2020

We own and operate short-term rentals primarily through internet sites Airbnb and Vrbo. We use themes to make staying at our properties an experience for guests. In order to adequately market the properties and set expectations for guests, we try to describe it in the name. We just started remodeling/reconstruction of our latest STR and began discussions on naming the property.

We use terms such as bungalow, villa, cottage, lodge, town house, and condo to describe to guests what to expect. So, what do these names mean and what’s the difference? The difference in the terms has to do with size, function, and historic influence. You can also broadly divide them into two types – single independent residences on a plot of land or multiple residences on a plot.

Bungalows, villas, lodges, and cottages are independent residences. Town houses are houses that abut other houses by shared walls and are generally higher in density. A condo is an abbreviation of condominium. Condominiums are basically multiple residences on a single plot of land (in many countries, same as an apartment).

The term “bungalow” is derived from India; “Bungalo” for houses built in Bengal style. This style was adopted by the British for building their summer retreats during the colonial rule, then carried to Europe and the USA, where it become popular during the arts and crafts movement.

Villas were upper-class country estates built by Romans. They were designed to be self-sufficient and were surrounded by buildings like outbuildings, gardens, storage warehouses, and farmlands.

The term “cottage” was used in England (and probably derived from French and German language) to mean farmer’s homes. They were quaint, modest, cozy and practical homes in rural areas. Today, they are used to mean vacation homes built near bodies of water or in forest areas and urban homes built in traditional cottage style with a rustic feel.

Lodges were originally meant to be dwelling units for temporary occupation during the hunting or skiing season. Normally they were small houses at the gates of a park or in the grounds of a large house for occupation by a caretaker, gardener, or gatekeeper. The term had its origins in “Loge” or a porch. Today, the term is used more for resort hotels, especially with a rustic feel.

J. David Chapman is an associate professor of finance and real estate at the University of Central Oklahoma (jchapman7@uco.edu).