With Spring Break and Summer fast approaching I thought I’d
share some tips when using a vacation rental.
I have stayed at hotels, and travel resorts and time shares like Trend
West but I have to admit I was a little nervous when we first rented a vacation
rental from someone I did not know.
In staying at a hotel or larger travel resort, there is
on-site staff, which you can contact if you have a problem of any kind. There are benefits to staying at hotels, you
have maid service, room service, fresh towels daily if you like, usually
breakfast available that you don’t have to prepare.
I have to say though now staying a number of times using
sites such as Flip Key, Airbnb, and others I have had a pleasant
experience. I frequently discuss with my friends one of
the greatest benefits of using a vacation home is the space, especially with a
family. Even if you have a large suite
at a hotel, you usually don’t have two living spaces, a backyard, multiple
bedrooms and bathrooms, your own private pool etc. I especially appreciate this space for longer
trips.
If our family is going away for a weekend or a couple of
days I prefer to stay at a hotel, but if we are going away for a week or
longer, the extra space comes in handy.
Having a full kitchen for meals is very helpful and budget friendly with
a family. I have four boys so I
appreciate the extra space for them to play and not be so quiet with a private
residence rather than a hotel, with neighbors’ right next door.
That being said, if you are single or maybe a few friends traveling
don’t rule out vacation rentals and think they are only for families. In my research, there are many
apartment/condo type vacation rentals available and also smaller homes that can
work for you.
We stayed at a vacation rental recently when we went to
Disneyland, it was less expensive than a hotel stay at Embassy Suites, which we
were planning on. It was a two-story, 6 bedroom home with a beautiful swimming pool, hot tub and splash pad in the backyard,
it had a full kitchen, and it was right around the corner from Disneyland. We did not even use it for lunches and
dinners the days we were at Disneyland and California Adventure, but again we
stayed days before we went to the parks and days after, which was nice to be
able to BBQ at the home and have the pool all to ourselves. Our boys shared a room often but it was nice
that if they wanted to they could each have their own room. We were able to watch the nightly firework
show right out our bedroom window each night, it worked out great.
When booking your vacation rental keep these things in mind:
- Location – Know if you want to be right on the beach, or if you don’t mind traveling a little bit to the beach or amusement attraction you are visiting. You will usually pay more to be near the water or city attraction; but consider where you will spend most of your time; it might be worth the extra cost.
- Use a Verified Site – I strongly recommend using a popular site that has some kind of guarantee behind your stay. With the many scams I hear about it is better to use a site that is verified rather than losing money to a scam artist. You want to get a deal but with an authentic property. I have used Flip Key, Air & B and Vacasa. Do your research! Do they have a website? Do they have reviews from other vacation goers? Many owners will list their name, or social media profile, check out their Facebook page. Are there recent pictures or just the staged photos for the listing.
- What is Included – Find out what’s included before you book. If you have a maintenance issue, is someone available to contact that will be nearby. What is the bedding, towel situation? Does it come with pots & pans? What dishes, utensils are available? Is there a washing machine and dryer? I have found in my stays that everything has been there, I have always brought my own laundry soap and dish detergent, bathroom shampoo, etc. but I have found at each of my stays sample versions of these products were available, but that is something to confirm ahead of time.
- Timing – Know that just like a hotel if you book a trip during peak season or around holidays or special events you are going to pay more. Research when the peak season is for the city you are visiting, if possible travel off-season you will save money and have less traffic and tourists around. Find out what the weather will be like when you travel, so you can plan accordingly.
- Contract – Read the fine print, are there cleaning fees, a deposit, and is it refundable? What is the check-in time and check-out time? Sometimes these times are negotiable if it is not rented the day before your stay and if someone is not checking in the day you are leaving. Are there any other fees for linens or other items?
I am going to link the sites we have used because I think
they were great and if you are like me a little hesitant about trying vacation
rentals, I appreciate knowing a real family who has actually used a
service.
I was not compensated in any way for this post, these are
all my opinions through experience with these sites.
Flip Key: https://www.flipkey.com/
Vacasa Rentals: https://www.vacasa.com/
AirBnB: https://www.airbnb.com/
Thank you for reading if you’ve enjoyed the content you’ve read above please share with your friends.
Pictures from a couple of our stays:
3 Story Cabin that had 4 bedrooms, two bathrooms, an air hockey table, Wii and other amenities for our kids, we loved it. My parents actually stayed with us on this trip, it was great.
The house near Disneyland we stayed at that was fully decorated with Disney characters. There was a Mickey themed Room and matching bathroom, A Nemo Room and Bathroom, A Cars Room and matching bathroom, a Frozen Room, a Lego Room and a master bedroom with a dalmatians decorated bathroom. There was a swimming pool with slide, splash pad and hot tub.
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