How to Best Book a Vacation Rental
In comparison to a hotel stay, booking a private residence can seem daunting. Even considering the vast differences between large hotel franchises and boutique properties, there seem to be few common denominators between them and a rental property. However, with your travel advisor by your side, it's not a process you have to navigate alone. When it comes to increased privacy, accessibility, and amenities, you'll quickly discover that many private rentals can smoothly go toe-to-toe with the crowd's favorite resort.
Easy as a Hotel
Contrary to popular belief, rental properties can be just as easy to book as a hotel. Having a travel advisor by your side is key to making the process as low-stress as possible. Just as choosing the perfect hotel, we have local partners to help us find the property that best suits your needs, aid in crafting itineraries around your desired schedule, and be a point of contact throughout your stay.
While resorts typically have a "one size fits all" approach to attracting guests, choosing a private residence to rent can be a highly customizable, and honestly highly enjoyable experience. You can tell us how much space you need, a location, a list of must-have amenities, and even a specific décor, and working with our team on the ground, we can come up with a list of possibilities for you to choose. During the age of COVID, we can also limit your search to properties that only abide by the highest cleanliness standards.
Affordable
With the recent trend towards more extended vacations, renting a private residence might be better for your wallet in the long run. While costs of rentals and hotel rooms always depend on location, availability, season, amenities, etc., dollar for dollar, a vacation rental is usually more affordable. With greater flexibility to choose the length of your stay, location, and amenities, you typically get what you pay for—in the best way possible.
Resorts offer guests a full buffet of amenities to cover all their bases, but you can pick and choose precisely what will be available with a private residence. If you’re an avid cook, having access to a full kitchen and local shopping is another way to keep costs down. With 2020 popularizing pod travel, rental properties can be a more affordable option for groups, making your vacation dreams a reality without breaking the bank.
Renting 101
First-time renters often share the same concern—how does one best prepare for a stay in a private residence? The single best thing you can do to prepare is to ask questions. Those questions will, of course, vary from destination to destination and booking to booking, but we compiled a shortlist below to get you started:
What is the transportation situation? Will I need a car?
Is there parking, and if so, how much is it?
Is there a grocery store nearby?
Is it noisy?
Are there reliable instructions for the use of amenities?
Do the neighbors know the home is being rented?
Who do I contact if something breaks?
Is there anything on the property I can’t use?
What is the property’s COVID policy, and what does the cleaning fee cover?
Will the owners be visiting during my stay?
Is there staff on the property? If so, what are their duties, and how do they expect to be tipped?
Does the owner require a deposit?
While this list alone may seem daunting, it’s important to remember that the more information you know about a rental property upfront, the less likely you’ll be in for any unpleasant surprises later on. As your travel advisor, it’s our job to work with our local partners and owners to nail down the details for you.
Private residences are a way of exploring a new (or much beloved) destination while feeling a little bit less like a tourist.