Five Questions About Last Minute Lodging Bookings

Reading this piece about how much the booking window (how far in advance a guest confirms the booking) for hotels has continued to decrease raised more questions than I realized I had... "A recent Priceline survey showed that 60 percent of customers with mobile web access booked their stays within 20 miles of their lodging. Of those travelers, more than a third confirmed bookings just one mile from their hotel." according to: Fighting the Incredible Shrinking Booking Window | ehotelier.com News Archives.

1. Is this nuts or what?

2. Or do people just not really care where they stay?

3. Or has the traveling public bought all the press about "last minute deals" during the last 3 years of recession?

4. Or is it because we CAN book last minute as the author suggests?

5. What happens when the economy recovers and there is no room at the inn? Will the quality of service at lodging establishments decrease because management cannot plan staffing adequately?

Bonus Question: When do vacation rental managers get an automated RevPar based pricing model in their property management systems based on mathematical modeling, not our guts? Escapia has a clumsy tool, but it's far from the norm.

10 Questions to Ask Before Booking Your Vacation Rental

10 Questions to Consider Before Renting Vacation Accommodations Direct from an Owner or Property Manager:

1. Where exactly is your vacation rental cabin, condo, or cottage located? Can I see a map and or have the address? You want to ask details about location, not generalities.
2. Look at all the photos online and then ask (if it isn't clear) When was this rental last renovated or updated? With this question you are trying to find out if the owner has taken good care of their property. Renovations are not as important as a continual investment.
3. What are all the fees associated with this vacation rental? Be sure that you know how much you'll be paying for cleaning, tax, security deposit and anything else. Agencies often add on booking fees. Also find out when payments are due and what the refund policy is.  Purchase trip insurance if need be.
4. Do you have an online guest book for your vacation rental (these may be on their website, on TripAdvisor/FlipKey/HomeAway/VRBO - check them all)? Or Do you have any references I can call or email?
5. Do you have a list of furnishings and amenities in the vacation rental? This will help you plan what you need to bring.
6. Do you clean or have the place cleaned between guests, or is this something the guests do? What kind of departure cleaning is expected? How do you ensure your place is clean?
7. Does the rental include parking passes, private beach passes, private country club membership? Or any other pass you might need.
8. Do you accept PayPal or Credit Cards? These payment methods offer the guest more security if after all your research, the place is fraudulent. Keep in mind that it is up to you, the guest, to make sure your vacation rental by owner or via a property manager is what you expect. Individual owners cannot offer refunds just because you don't like the weather, decor, or the area. Property managers may not be able to move you to an alternative property.
9. What time can I arrive and what time will I need to depart? What should I bring when I check in?
10. Last but not least: make sure that you and the owner or property manager complete a clear contract and/or that you read the terms and conditions when you make the reservation online. It is in everyone's best interest to have a record of expectations and the contract.

Meeting Guests' Expectations for Vacation Rentals

I hear potential vacation rental guests worry about the same thing over and over again: confidence that the property will be as advertised. The truth is whether they know it or not, guests worry if the property will be as they expected.  I've found that the only time the typical vacation rental guest is unhappy is when the property they rented turns out that it's not what they thought they rented.

Guest expectations are comprised of many factors, only some of which are under the vacation rental owner or manager's control. For example: everyone expects a sunny day when they visit the Palm Springs area, but guess what? It  occasionally rains in the winter, and when it does...it really rains. You can't control the weather, but the more information you give guests, the more you can control their expectations, and in turn be a honest AND successful vacation rental owner or manager.

Check out this video our our Palm Desert golf condo from this summer to see what anyone can do with a camera and a computer:


With a 1 minute video, you've shown them what they'll see when they first arrive, where they'll sit outside, what kind of BBQ they'll have, what their views will be, and where they'll be able to have fun (including the size of the pool - there are 46 at Palm Valley Country Club).

I'm Lost or Not?

I arrived in Portland Maine sometime after 11:30 PM which is about 12 hours after I left my home in San Diego. My Maine camp is just 45 miles north of Portland, so I set off in the rental car happy to be "home." Alas, there were some obstacles to overcome, minor for me, but major had I been a first time guest to Maine.

It's drizzly and the roads are wet. This instantly makes signs harder to read. First stop: toll plaza: $1 please. Thank goodness for the crumpled up $1s in my purse. Who carries cash anymore? Next stop taking 295 which seems confusing, and another $1 toll.

I had forgotten there are two seasons in this part of the country: winter and construction. As usual there is plenty of road work and signage to distract anyone on this dark night. The lane markers and the lack thereof add to the discomfort. Mind you,I know where I'm going,but it's been 2 years. I'm driving a rental car and still figuring out the windshield wipers and trying to remember I'm heading north with the water on the right instead of south. By the time I get to exit 31 for Topsham I'm Doubting my memory. The local landmarks are reassuring and I'm feeling good. Until the first detour sign for Rte 1 north. I followed the signs faithfully and end up by Bowdoin, fortunately I knew the way from there because the signs disapparated.

By this time it's well after 1 in the morning and the rest of the winding lightless drive seems so much longer than I remember. When I arrive at the end my signs are illegible and the camp as dark as night. I would be very discouraged if I were a first time guest to this vacation rental. All I could feel was "I'm in the middle of nowhere and it's damp & dark. I wonder how our guests ever get there!

Vacation Rental Surveys: Why They Need to be Resurrected from the Dead.

I just read a short article by a respected vacation rental management colleague, Michael McFadden, entitled: Do you have a good guest survey? His work is always thought provoking as he caters to the luxury end of the vacation rental market and getting things just right is his business, but his article left me thinking...not about what I want to know from a guest survey (which is the focus of the article), but what information I'm getting from collecting online guest reviews and how does this information serve my goal of providing a BETTER vacation rental experience? This was an "aha" moment, because surveys and reviews aren't the same, and I've been trying to kill two (or three) birds with one stone since the rise in popularity of online vacation rental reviews.

What does an vacation rental owner or manager want to know from a guest:

• Why did you choose to stay with us; was your reservation and arrival made easy; were you comfortable; was the place clean; does anything need repair or replacement; do we need to supply something we didn't; can we book your next stay now; will you give us a quotable testimonial?

What a guest wants to be assured of when they read an online review:

• Is this vacation rental for real; will it meet my family's needs and expectations of a place to stay; will I be able to reach someone if there is a problem; is it clean; will I get my deposit back without hassle; is the rental safe; is the vacation rental a good value; is the place the same as in the pictures and description; will we enjoy our vacation?

Back in 1999 when I first started with a vacation rental cottage in Maine, my collection of information from guests after arrival came in 3 forms:

1. A quick phone call to check in on the guest during their stay (satisfied guest's need for being able to reach someone);
2. A paper and pen guest book left at the property year after year, which I checked at the end of each season (satisfied my need for a quotable testimonial);
3. A paper survey mailed with a SASE (satisfied all of my other needs regarding guest feedback).

With those three methods, I had the perfect trifecta of information:

1. Fix any problems the guest was having and answer property or area questions;
2. A collection of guest thoughts, activities, emotions, while enjoying our property for use in marketing;
3. Comprehensive information for our own needs regarding why they booked with us, what maintenance we needed, what they enjoyed most, and even what they wished we could improve or provide.

For years, my system seemed perfect. Happy guests. Happy owners. Continually improving property and service. Over 90% of our paper surveys were returned, our guest books filled up, and our phone calls were more like welcomes than anything else. That said, it still took a leap of faith for guests and make the initial booking. 

Over the last 12 years things have changed just a little: 

• guests can now do extensive research and even book online;
• scams are easier to carry out with the anonymity of the web;
• guest reviews are easily collected and shared online via a multitude of sites and social networks, whether the owner or manager asks for them or not;
• guests expect to see reviews from other guests online before they make their decisions;
• guests new to vacation rentals are expecting stays to be more hotel like than "old school" guests.

I embraced the world of online reviews. Before TripAdvisor was in the vacation rental marketplace,  the big four online vacation rental marketplaces (now owned by HomeAway) supplied a free place for owners to manage calendars and reviews online. We at first entered reviews from our guest books (which of course were all glowing), and later provided the link to leave a review directly to guests. Then a few years ago, FlipKey (who's majority shareholder is TripAdvisor), began offering an easy and free system to collect guest reviews and publish them online. Included in this was a little whisper that yes, TripAdvisor would start carrying these reviews soon. "SIGN ME UP"...without abandon, I was all in. Confident from years of good reviews, with a business platform based on being "Better" (company is BETTER Vacation Rentals after all), and knowing from lodging industry research that quantity of reviews was even more important than quality of reviews, I was happy to quit using paper surveys and guest books. I had already switched to in room questionnaires instead of mailed surveys in an attempt to catch maintenance needs, and the phone call had become intermittent as I grew Better Vacation Rentals from 1 rental, to 3 rentals (by owner), and then to about 25 rentals and a full blown management company. 

What I didn't count on was that fewer people would respond to my requests for online surveys (I'd like to know why) and that the surveys would not have the same feel as the in rental guest books. Instead, electronic surveys intended for review publishing seem to elicit less personal and more functional responses, including a list of even the tiniest maintenance issues.  My first response was to take it all personally and begin to believe that the company was failing in critical areas like cleaning and maintenance.  After today's epiphany, though, I know this isn't the case.  We began failing in communication with guests. My zeal for collecting guest reviews for the number of stars and number of reviews (as a marketing tool to satisfy potential guests) left out what I needed for information and what current and former guests needed as a feedback mechanism, while satisfying the needs of only future guests.

Current (in house) guests need a forum to tell you that a lightbulb is out or that the drain ran slowly. To many guests on vacation, these small things don't warrant a call to management or owner during their stay, but when asked in an online survey about cleanliness, maintenance, service...the guest has found an easy forum. A guest review becomes a performance survey and small things end up looking bigger than they are.  If a minor issue is cared for properly, instead it's either skipped in a review or turned into a "moment of truth" story. In addition, a third party online review provides a certain level of anonymity and lack of personal relationship that tends to pull out gripes rather than praises. How often do YOU leave glowing reviews vs less than glowing reviews. How many times have you told friends of bad service vs good service? My point exactly...

We're getting it all wrong. Online guest reviews are great. I'll keep collecting them. They are an invaluable source of information for potential guests to vacation rentals and hotels alike. Never, not once, have I personally experience, nor know anyone personally whose experience has been lower than the expectations set by TripAdvisor reviews. However, online guest reviews are NOT enough for the vacation rental industry. We still need guest satisfaction surveys that are used as a feedback mechanism for owners or management, and we still need to touch base with vacation rental guests during their stays to enhance the quality of the stay and let the guests know we are available to them for even the littlest things.

I've stayed in dozens of vacation rentals myself. Some great, some less so. NOT ONE ever called or emailed during my stay, and NOT ONE ever left or mailed a survey for me to complete. Several have asked me to leave reviews (with an easy link) on the vacation rental management site or on a review site like TripAdvisor, HomeAway, or VRBO. I think there is still a lot of room for BETTER achieved via satisfaction surveys and not just reviews. What about you?

When Did Cottages and Camps Become Vacation Rentals?

Midcoast Maine Camp

When the internet was born.

It never ceases to amaze me how few people consider a vacation rental when planning trips. I think they are just uncomfortable with the whole "vacation rental" term. Time to get back to our roots?

You see I grew up in an area with a cottage or camp culture: New England. Although my family never stayed or went anywhere but my grandmother's in Ohio, I was fortunate enough to be the guest of friends' families at Martha's Vineyard, Salisbury Beach, a Maine lake, a ski house in North Conway, and to be friends with the "summer people" from Revere MA who inhabited our own Millville Lake in NH. These weren't the summer places of wealthy people like the Bush's of Kennebunkport nor the glitzy places in todays' ads with granite counters. They were the type of vacation rentals where you didn't flush and shower at the same time. There were three things these camps and cottages had in common with each other and with modern vacation rentals: location, location, location.

Camps and cottages were by nature places to get away from everyday life in cities so they were located on lakes, beaches, and mountains. Whereas historic hotels like the Stanley, Hotel Del, and Wentworth by the Sea are becoming rarer and rarer; waterfront, slope-side, and lake front homes are becoming more available as people with second homes turn to renting out their places.

When I first had a family I had no idea how to find a vacation rental. I knew about Bed & Breakfast's, but with 2 little kids, we weren't very welcome. We couldn't afford waterfront hotels for four and we got tired of trying to lie still in a hotel room while the kids fell asleep (my husband always fell asleep first and bedtime was 7:30). Glossy specialty magazines like Down East and on location real estate offices were the primary sources for securing rentals. Some rental weeks were "passed down" generation to generation.

What's really changed is the ability to find these jewels via the internet and middle class affluence. When my family and I bought a "camp" on the midcoast of Maine in 1999 we put an ad in DownEast magazine and the WantAdvertiser and were full all summer and fall. Within just a few years I was building my own website and advertising on A-1 Vacations and Cyberrentals (predecessors to HomeAway). Now they're celebrating their second SuperBowl ad. No longer do families have to rely on knowing someone in a vacation area to beg a borrowed cottage; they can search online and get TripAdvisor reviews from the comfort of a mobile phone.

Why share this? Because I think it's time folks start thinking about todays' vacation rentals as camps and cottages again. We don't need to be compared to hotels because the cottage (condo, camp, villa, vacation rental) experience is unique. Find a location that can't be beat, hop on your favorite vacation rental site or do a search for " vacation rental," pack up the car and be on your way.

Cottage ON Champagne Pond HI

Here are my family's cottage rentals from our holiday stay in HI: Big Island Champagne Pond Cottage and eclectic Oahu Spare Room with Tropical Outdoor Shower. Were they perfect? Yes and No, but we sure had fun.

6 Tips For Keeping Pet Friendly Vacation Rentals Friendly

Saturday we welcome our first furry friend to our first set of pet friendly vacation rentals at the beach. We're looking for input from guests, owners, and managers of pet friendly vacation rentals, hotels, bed and breakfasts to find out what makes lodging pet friendly, and how do you keep it human friendly for those guests who don't bring their pets?

I've stayed in just one pet friendly vacation rental in the last several years at South Lake Tahoe. There were water and food bowls, a dog bone, and a leash. We plan on providing the same plus bags.

Tell us here about your pet friendly needs, experiences, and tips for keeping pet friendly rentals human friendly.

Our Tips for a Good Pet Friendly Lodging Experience:
1. Provide bowls for water and food.
2. Provide a leash.
3. Treat the animal with a treat upon arrival.
4. Pay the cleaner a bit extra when the guest brings pets, and let them know ahead of time that a pet was there.
5. Supply bags for guests to clean up after the pets.
6. Supply a list of dog friendly places in the area (maybe restaurants with outdoor seating, a local dog park, local vet, local pet supply store.

8 Tips to a Great Beach Rental this Year

Some great tips on getting the right beach rental over on our Oceanside CA and San Diego area blog.

The Benefits of a Vacation Home-Cooked Meal

The Benefits of a Vacation Home-Cooked Meal
Traveling doesn't have to mean ruining dedicated diets or budgets

Budgeting for food expenditures during travel to any destination can be almost as difficult as forecasting the week's weather. When staying at a traditional hotel, the challenge is multiplied as travelers face the added expense of dining out for breakfast, lunch and dinner. While the majority of quality hotels do not offer full kitchens, professionally managed vacation rentals allow guests to enjoy their favorite (and often healthier) meals and snacks, as each property provides a full kitchen stocked with clean utensils, pots, pans, plates and ample cabinet/refrigerator space for food storage.

"For my family, including grandkids, the best part of staying in a vacation rental was having breakfast in our jammies," explains Kathy Ogden, a traveler from Clovis, Calif., who stayed with Monterey Bay Property Management. "We loved the freedom to have meals at our leisure and have home-cooked meals instead of dining out."

Often costing less than a single hotel room, vacation rentals afford travelers an accommodations lifestyle unlike any other, providing considerably more space (both for living and dining), amenities, guest services and privacy than other, more traditional lodging options. For answers to common questions, along with additional tips and tools for choosing a rental that fits travelers' needs and budgets, visit Discover Vacation Homes.


Dining on a Dime

The average daily cost for lunch at a full-service restaurant for a family of four is approximately $40.00; dinner prices can jump as much as $6/person totaling $64/day. As the majority of traditional hotels do not offer in-room kitchens or adequate amounts of pantry space, many families are forced to dine out for all three meals per day. Access to a full kitchen adds up to major savings throughout trips of any duration - For example, enjoying cereal for breakfast or sandwiches for lunch, rather than a full-scale restaurant meal, can save enough for additional activities, a nice night out, or more!


Sticking to a Healthy Living Meal Plan

While on vacation, travelers can easily consume more than 4,000 calories a day, translating into an average 5-pound weight gain for a one-week trip. With an in-home kitchen, vacation rental guests are no longer slaves to fast food or other high fat dining options, but are now back in control of their personal menu, allowing them to cook their food, shop for healthy snacks and accurately monitor their caloric intake.

BETTER Vacation Rentals is a member of Discover Vacation Homes and the Vacation Rental Managers Association. We are dedicated to providing professional property management with the pride of ownership associated with "rent by owner" properties. All of our vacation rentals offer fully appointed kitchens. Most have microwaves, full refrigerators, ranges, ample cook and serve ware, and food storage. Many have disposals, dishwashers, full pantries, ice makers, and full gourmet appointments including slab granite counters. We provide all of our guests with common starter supplies like coffee, salt, sugar, oil, and spices, making our vacation rentals and even greater "kitchen value." Perhaps more importantly, our owners and staff choose vacation rentals for their own travel plans for the convenience and cost savings associated with having breakfast, packable lunches, and snacks available at our fingertips!

About Discover Vacation Homes

Discover Vacation Homes is the trusted public voice and an expert resource on behalf of the professionally managed vacation rental industry. As the awareness initiative of the long-standing Vacation Rental Managers Association (VRMA), it represents approximately 150,000 rental homes, condos and villas from more than 500 of the most well established vacation rental management companies in North America and the Caribbean. Often costing less than a single hotel room, vacation rentals afford travelers an accommodations lifestyle unlike any other, providing considerably more space, amenities, guest services, and privacy than other lodging options.

Much of the content in this article was supplied by Discover Vacation Homes, with their permission.

Why we no longer accept PayPal!

Personally, we were early adopters of PayPal since it made trade on eBay so easy and "secure," so when as soon as we could, we offered PayPal to our vacation rental guests as a payment option. We've always tried to make payment as easy, secure, and convenient as it could be for both us and our guests. For years PayPal seemed like a good answer...
They even backed me, the purchaser, when I received goods "significantly not as described" and the vendor lied and said I'd used the towels, that I returned immediately. Then in June of this year everything changed regarding our experiences with PayPal.

We had a guest who gave us a credit card number, and out of confusion, also paid via the same credit card via PayPal. Not being a regular PayPal customer, nor having spoken with us yet to realize we would reverse the credit card charge right away, she put in a reversal with her credit card company for the PayPal charge. That was the first week of June. We quickly worked out the proper payment with this guest, and she removed her charge back, all within 24 hours. Funny, she still hasn't received her money back from her credit card company via PayPal...for weeks PayPal told her we had the money...now they tell her the credit card company hasn't resolved the charge back. The credit card company, with whom she has a trusted relationship tell her it's PayPal, and now PayPal won't tell her anything because we are their customer and not her...So the poor woman is still out over $1000 and we can't help her, since we didn't get the money.

But wait, there's more...shortly after this charge back occurred, PayPal issued us a form letter that said they had reviewed our account and would NOW BE KEEPING A ROLLING RESERVE OF 20% OF ALL PAYMENTS for 60 DAYS! Mind you, we've had an account with NO chargebacks for many years...WE appealed, and they refused, twice now, to stop. So every payment a guest makes, they hold 20% of the revenue, yet we have to pay the owners without the revenue even in our account yet!

But wait, there's more...we have a PayPal credit card for the business, and one time we paid it twice in the same month...When asked for a credit to our account, we were told NO "we'll issue a check within 60 days."

Basically, PayPal is using our money, and floating it. While it may not be illegal, we won't stand for it anymore.

Unfortunately, we all lose. For the lack of this convenient payment option, PayPal, we apologize, but we are voting with our dollars and will not allow PayPal to stomp on us (or our customers) any more.

#paypalfail

Travel Alert Mexico - Oceanside CA Vacation Rental to Provide Special Lodging Packages to Anyone Canceling Mexico Plans Between Now and 5/14/09

Due to the current Travel Alert and fears of Swine Flu associated with travel to Mexico, BETTER Vacation Rentals announces today, 4/28/09, that to anyone holding airline tickets or hotel reservations dated 4/27/09 or earlier for travel to anywhere in Mexico from 4/28-5/14/09, we will offer the following specials in Oceanside CA for stays from 4/29-5/14/09. Proof of Mexican travel plans will be required.
Stay 3 nights, get one free.
Stay 5 nights, get two free.
Stay 7 nights, get three free.

Call 1-800-277-2734 or www.BETTERvacationrentals.com for your reservation and mention our "Mexican Relief Packages"


The current Travel Alert is copied below. Please check the latest at the state department.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs

This information is current as of today, Tue Apr 28 2009 16:51:44 GMT-0600 (Mountain Daylight Time).

MEXICO

April 28, 2009

The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens of the health risks of travel to Mexico at this time due to an outbreak of H1N1 influenza(“swine flu).” The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on April 27 issued a notice recommending that American citizens avoid all nonessential travel to Mexico at this time. CDC’s notice also suggests precautions that travelers and U.S. citizen residents in Mexico can take to reduce their risk of infection while in Mexico, provides recommendations for those who must travel to an area where cases of H1N1 influenza have been reported, and recommends measures travelers should take following their return from an area that has reported cases of H1N1 influenza. The complete CDC notice can be found at the following link: http://www.cdc.gov/travel/ . Please check this site frequently for updates. This Travel Alert replaces the Travel Alert dated April 27, 2009 and provides updated information on closings of schools and commercial venues in Mexico and U.S. consular operations throughout Mexico. This Travel Alert will be reviewed and updated as necessary, and is valid until further notice.

The World Health Organization (WHO), the Global Alert and Response Network (GOARN), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have sent experts to Mexico to work with health authorities.

The Government of Mexico has announced that as a precautionary measure, all schools throughout Mexico from kindergarten through university level will remain closed until May 6. All government-sponsored events involving large crowds have also been canceled, and museums and most tourist attractions are closed. During an April 28 press conference, the Mayor of Mexico City announced that all establishments where large numbers of the public gather will be closed, including restaurants, bars, discos, night clubs, movie theaters, gyms, and convention centers. The Archdiocese of Mexico City has also closed Catholic churches for services.

Effective April 28, all nonimmigrant visa operations at all consular posts in Mexico will be suspended until May 6. American citizen services are restricted to passports and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad and emergency services. Please refer to Embassy Mexico’s web page at http://mexico.usembassy.gov/eng/main.html for the latest information on closings and service reductions. Immigrant visa appointments in Ciudad Juarez will be cancelled for the week of May 4th. Further information on rescheduling visa appointments is available on Ciudad Juarez’s web page at http://ciudadjuarez.usconsulate.gov/ .


The U.S. Embassy reminds U.S. citizens in Mexico that most cases of influenza are not H1N1 influenza. Any specific questions or concerns about flu or other illnesses should be directed to a medical professional. Mexico City medical authorities are urging people to avoid hospitals and clinics unless they have a medical emergency, since hospitals can be centers of infection; instead, those with health concerns are encouraged to stay home and call their physicians to avoid potential exposure. Although the U.S. Embassy cannot give medical advice or provide medical services to the public, a list of hospitals and doctors can be found on our website at the following links: http://mexico.usembassy.gov/sacs_medical_info.html (Spanish) http://mexico.usembassy.gov/eng/eacs_medical_info.html (English)

More Competition in the Vacation Rental Marketplace. Good for Guests or Not?

According the the National Association of REALTORS latest Investment and Second Home Buyers Survey (March 30, 2009), 27% of second home buyers now plan to offer these homes for rental. In 2005 this figure was only 14%. That's good news for people who want to stay in vacation rentals for their next getaway. Or is it?

What's Good About More Second Homes in the Vacation Rental Market for Guests:
-more selection for the guest
-more supply usually means lower rents due to increased competition


What's Bad About More Second Homes in the Vacation Rental Market for Guests:
-lower rents mean less money for the home owner to invest in amenities, maintenance, and cleaning
-when rents do not cover ownership expenses, more vacation homes in foreclosure; will it be the one you rented?
-less experienced owners doing vacation rentals by owners may mean a poorly managed vacation rental experience


Like any travel accommodation choice it comes down to doing your homework. There are some tools for the traveler now that can make doing homework easier.
1. Find a trusted source of vacation rentals. How?
a. This can mean using the same management company or owner year after year, and asking them for referrals when you go somewhere new (many experienced owners travel themselves and are active in online groups so they may "know" more people than you realize."
b. Use a service that specializes in vacation rental homes and let them do the leg work for you. Specialists are popping up all over the place and with online connectivity, it's easy to find them. I personally like the business model of Beach Vacation Rental Scout because I met the owner through Twitter and she actually stayed in one of my rentals before publishing her profile on BETTER Vacation Rentals and actually stays in the rentals she recommends. The owner is a professional freelance hotel reviewer so she knows her stuff.
c. Vacation Rental Managers Association "VRMA" - members of this association represent just a fraction of professional vacation rental managers so you will typically find that they are specialists and committed professionals. Get ready for their launch of Discover Vacation Homes shortly which will make it easy for guests to search for professionally managed rentals.

2. Read Real Guest Reviews. There are a plethora of web sites out there where anyone can list a vacation home for rent. Not all homes, owners, or managers are created equal, though most are honest and have good intentions. See what other guests have to say. My favorite site for these reviews is also my first stop for any travel choice I make: TripAdvisor. Through a recent partnership with FlipKey, TA has brought vacation rental reviews to the masses and they are working with both property managers and individual homeowners. Hint: search first for the location in TripAdvisor, then on the tab "Vacation Rentals." FlipKey verifies that the guests actually stayed...so no fake reviews. If you cannot find the home you are looking at on TA you will probably be able to find reviews on the owner or managers' listing sites as well as all of the major portals for rent by owners. Personally, I'd ask the owner or manager why they aren't on Trip Advisor - it shows a dedication and a no fear approach to guest reviews. For a sample look at my Oceanside CA beach condo reviews.

More vacation rentals - good or bad for consumers? Generally good. Just do your homework.

What Happens if You Leave Something Behind at a Vacation Rental?

What happens if you leave something behind at a vacation rental where you've just stayed?

We all know it happens. You've checked everything twice; you've done a walk through of that great condo or vacation home that you have to leave; everything is in the rental car or the SUV or minivan; off you go to the airport or home.

Then the pit in your stomach hits. Maybe it's 30 miles down the road and it's too close to your flight time to turn back. Maybe it's when you are unpacking your bags and you realize the phone charger isn't there. Maybe it's on Monday morning when your teen sheepishly admits he left all his clothes in the drawer...but it happens to everyone sometime...you left something behind.

This should be a Frequently Asked Question by guests to property managers or owners when booking a stay (or even to hotels if you still squeeze into those): what do you do if we leave something behind?

The answer should be: we box it up and mail it to you of course!
The answer should not be: no one ever leaves anything behind (someone is taking the loot and keeping it for themselves).
The answer should not be: we put it in a lost and found box and will mail it out if you notice it's missing and ask us too.
The answer should not be: we mail it back to you after you send us a check (or we charge your credit card) for shipping.

What is our answer at BETTER Vacation Rentals:
1. If we already found the item: we'll have it in the mail to you tomorrow (or the next business day if it isn't already).
2. If we didn't find the item: we ask where you think it may be and we will send someone in as soon as the current guest departs.
3. In the case that the item is urgent (a medical device or cell phone for example) we will contact the current guest and retrieve the item for you and express it to you.
4. We don't charge for this lost and found service within reason. Since 1999, there is only once that we have charged, and that is for something that had to be sent to Mexico City.


Now for some fun! Here's a list of some of the items found (but not always claimed):
-phone chargers, camera chargers, chargers of all kinds (always plugged into the wall)
-DVDs
-cameras
-sleep apnea equipment
-lingerie (clean and dirty)
-full drawer of clothes
-travel alarm
-travel flashlight
-family reunion photo
-clothing (usually hanging on the back of a bathroom door or in a closet)
-game boy
-socks under beds
-medications left in medicine cabinets
-personal sundries/full sundry bags
-sweatshirt with all of the grandchild's hand prints
-CD's
-wallet full of cash and credit cards

So with your next trip, ask your host: What happens if I leave something behind? Their answer will be very telling of the type of operation they run...

Love - It's in the Towel Origami!

Who needs the Four Seasons anyway?

We've had the great fortune to work with Sue Strandberg of The Final Touch in Oceanside CA. She came to us this fall just when we were in search of a sort of quality control and detail person for our vacation rentals at the beach in Oceanside. Sue's attention to detail was just the missing piece we were looking for to help make the promise of a "BETTER" Vacation Rental come to life. What do you think? Has she done it? Enjoy these photos of some towel origami (she taught herself from a YouTube Video) that she leaves for our guests in Oceanside CA. You won't get this at the local hotels or motels - and certainly not in our price range!

Call 1-800-277-2734 or go to BETTER Vacation Rentals for reservations to make your next holiday memorable.

Obama's Choice for Lodging? Vacation Rentals of Course!

According to the Associated Press, President Elect Obama has stayed in Oahu vacation rentals at least twice in 2008 while staying on the island with his family. Oahu is where Obama grew up, and it makes sense he'd bring his family back there on vacation. Who wouldn't? What many people don't realize, is that he doesn't have an estate, and the US government doesn't have on there. Often President's will stay on local military installations, but for a family...is that really a vacation? It's hard enough with all the needed security for them. I don't envy them as a family, but I am happy for them that they could stay in this beautiful estate. It's far higher priced than we could afford (and unless I'm terribly naive that the Obamas could afford until recently), it's a great option for them. To see more about the house take a look: Oahu Vacation Rental for Obama family Christmas 2008

To see a bit more about his stay and the history of the home (notice how the media focuses on the fact it's a $9mm house, but not on the rent for his stay) at APNews from The Associated Press: "Obamas rent beach home in low-key Hawaii town

Later news posts have Obama working every day but Christmas, working out at the local Marine Base gym, having a power outage (generators on site for him), and dealing with paparazzi.

Vacation Rentals as Corporate Housing, Medical Housing, Military Housing-Why Not?

I've always called the condos and homes that I rent out "vacation rentals," but that may really be a misnomer. Today, in our "off season" (though in Southern California the term is relative when you are from Nebraska), out of 9 guests in our beach condos, not one of them is here on vacation, at least not officially:

-We've got 2 Marines recently home from Iraq acclimating to life back in the States - one looking for work, and one looking at Camp Pendleton
-One young Marine family getting to know each other again after deployment to Iraq
-One family who was awaiting and is now helping their child to recover from heart surgery at nearby Sharp Medical Center
-One couple who work locally, but haven't found permanent housing yet and find it nicer and more affordable to live at the beach than to buy in North San Diego County
-A new teacher at Oceanside High School who didn't have time to find an apartment when she got hired and who didn't know the area well enough to know where to live
-A medical device engineer who is just transferred from Chicago who is waiting until the school year is out to move his family, but wants room for them to come visit him
-Just two vacationers: - one from the drive in market, and one family from Italy

Now, in the summer, our short term rentals are generally too expensive for those who need to spend a month or more because of our proximity to the beach. They are still a great value for those who would normally stay in a hotel and have more than two people though.

What makes an off season vacation rental such a perfect match for interim housing solutions? Space, amenities, location, and price. For example a one bedroom one bath condo at the beach rents for $1500-$2000/mo ($50-70/night) and provides 760 square feet of space, cable TV, beach location, less than 1 mile to the 5 Freeway and the train (Amtrak, Metrolink, Coaster, Sprinter), usually high speed wireless internet, a full kitchen and ocean or garden views. Top that off with free underground parking, fitness facilities, pools, spas, and beach side - why would anyone stay in a hotel? Truth be told...with the exception of June-August - vacation rentals are the perfect answer to corporate housing. See what some owners are doing and why at:

Some owners rent out homes as corporate housing - USATODAY.com: "As the housing slump drags on, homeowners unable to sell their properties are taking an unusual approach. Instead of taking in long-term renters, many are offering unsold properties as fully furnished rentals for corporate housing.

Since these leases are typically short term, homeowners can easily put their property back on the market should buying activity increase.

Companies benefit because renting private homes can be cheaper and more desirable than traditional corporate housing options."

Setting Expectations and Truth in Renting

I had the opportunity today to have a lengthy discussion with an property manager at North Coast Village in Oceanside, CA today while waiting for a refrigerator delivery (one of the thrills of owning a vacation rental). We were discussing demand, pricing, advertising, honesty, and disclosure. Demand for 2 bedroom units is strong in all categories as there is a product and price for every person and every budget. Some guests want their units to be top of the line in all aspects, and some are happy to just be staying in a property that has great amenities and sits on the sand. The key to guest satisfaction, we both agree, is setting guest expectations.

Calling a noisy unit quiet is a mistake as is touting a dated unit as luxury. Not everyone wants to pay for a full ocean view and plasma TV, but everyone wants to get what they EXPECT. I'll never forget those guests who expected something that I didn't provide in a property: an icemaker, air conditioning, a TV in the bedroom? Did I somehow lead them to believe these were at the rental? Or did I just not mention the lack of these amenities? I'll also never forget the photos the hotel in Nice France that lead me to believe they were on the water, but were in fact across a busy street. The truth is, most property managers, marketers, and owners try very hard to be truthfull, but finding out the guest's expectations as well as setting those expectations is the key to success in vacation rentals!

Vacation Rentals for Profit Seminar - February 2007

Joe Godar from www.ivacationonline.com has launches his vacation rental education series with "Vacation Rentals for Profit" in Cincinnati, OH as well as his new book.

See the press release on Vacation Rentals for Profit.

If you are thinking about renting out your own vacation home or considering using a property managment firm, and live in the Cincinnati area, it looks like a worthwhile seminar.