There are numerous reasons to exchange homes for a vacation or holiday. Rather than bumping into each other in a room, most travelers would rather have the use of a full home and all its conveniences. There is also the opportunity to enjoy a home cooked meal in a warm family setting, not to mention the cost of savings on restaurant meals. Often exchangers will introduce their exchange partner to friends, plan out trips, reveal all the little locale secrets that a tourist would never know and other invaluable tips that are not found in a hotel or package tour. This is not possible in separate hotel rooms.
Hotel rooms are meant for sleeping, homes are for living in.
There is also the privacy of a home and its open space which cannot be found in a small hotel room. But staying in, and affording, a hotel room for 2 or 3 nights usually is a big turnoff. To many people, it doesn't make sense to spend a good deal of money for a night's sleep. Home exchanging offers anyone the opportunity to visit nearby places and relax in an inviting atmosphere, while saving money. Quite often the exchangers become and remain friends, corresponding with each other regularly.