The main difference is that you can check your retainers from your inn room. Crafters can't craft in their inn room.

I'm more bothered by the mass crowding in coil areas. Teleported for Odin in North Shroud once and half my party got stuck on the loading screen because of the crowd in Fallgourd Float, when I finally spawned there, I was surrounded by people with red dots, and Odin was dead.