A Holiday Home Away From Home
Content Provided By Orbitz
Orbitz (ARA) - The holiday season is practically synonymous with family vacations. Visiting relatives you haven't seen in a year, gluttonous eating and cramming the whole crew into a hotel room with tight sleeping quarters and one bathroom. It's all par for the course, right? Well, it doesn't have to be.
Travelers are jumping on the vacation home rental bandwagon, where they're finding comfortable spaces, just-like-home amenities and a more relaxing experience - all for about what it costs to book a hotel room. In this tough economy, owners of second homes are increasingly renting out their properties for some extra cash, according to HomeAway, a collection of vacation-rental Web sites. And as the market floods, prices drop to lure renters.
A recent online search of hotels in La Jolla, Calif., a beautiful seaside community that's technically part of San Diego, revealed some hotel rooms starting around $150 a night during the holiday season. A search for vacation homes returned two bedroom, two bathroom options starting at just over $100 a night.
Not only do you get more space, you get the luxuries of home, such as a full kitchen, washer/dryer and parking, all of which are further money-savers. Plus, standard hotel rooms can be pretty boring, rarely lending insight into the destination's character. Vacation rentals are an actual person's home, albeit a second home. And some are even pet-friendly.
Here's how to find a vacation rental that suits your needs:
Where to start: Away.com, a research and travel-planning Web site, offers a comprehensive listing of vacation rentals, including houses and condos, from all over the Web. Find it at away.com/vacationrentals.
Be comfortable: If the thought of renting a vacation home "sight unseen" and directly from the owner is daunting, work with a property management company. Such companies, particularly ones with local offices, know the market well and might even be able to move you to another property if a problem arises.
Do your homework: Check out online photos and read all property reviews. If you're renting directly from an owner, reach out to them with questions and put a face to the transaction. And the golden rule: Clarify all costs and payment methods upfront. Time invested in the beginning will yield a more enjoyable experience in the end.
Whatever you decide is right for your holiday vacation, book it now. As usual, the early bird will get the worm.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
Travelers are jumping on the vacation home rental bandwagon, where they're finding comfortable spaces, just-like-home amenities and a more relaxing experience - all for about what it costs to book a hotel room. In this tough economy, owners of second homes are increasingly renting out their properties for some extra cash, according to HomeAway, a collection of vacation-rental Web sites. And as the market floods, prices drop to lure renters.
A recent online search of hotels in La Jolla, Calif., a beautiful seaside community that's technically part of San Diego, revealed some hotel rooms starting around $150 a night during the holiday season. A search for vacation homes returned two bedroom, two bathroom options starting at just over $100 a night.
Not only do you get more space, you get the luxuries of home, such as a full kitchen, washer/dryer and parking, all of which are further money-savers. Plus, standard hotel rooms can be pretty boring, rarely lending insight into the destination's character. Vacation rentals are an actual person's home, albeit a second home. And some are even pet-friendly.
Here's how to find a vacation rental that suits your needs:
Where to start: Away.com, a research and travel-planning Web site, offers a comprehensive listing of vacation rentals, including houses and condos, from all over the Web. Find it at away.com/vacationrentals.
Be comfortable: If the thought of renting a vacation home "sight unseen" and directly from the owner is daunting, work with a property management company. Such companies, particularly ones with local offices, know the market well and might even be able to move you to another property if a problem arises.
Do your homework: Check out online photos and read all property reviews. If you're renting directly from an owner, reach out to them with questions and put a face to the transaction. And the golden rule: Clarify all costs and payment methods upfront. Time invested in the beginning will yield a more enjoyable experience in the end.
Whatever you decide is right for your holiday vacation, book it now. As usual, the early bird will get the worm.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
