Vacation Rentals Blog

January 30, 2008. The media has been beating the bad news drum on the economy lately, but as any observer knows, there's always a silver lining in someone else's raincloud. In the case of the weak dollar, any vacation rental that accepts the dollar may be a winner.

The Conference Board's most recent consumer survey, for example, found the number of Americans who intend to take a vacation within six months has hardly taken a hit. The percentage went from 46.4 one year ago to 45.8 percent this year.

Many experts also speculate those travelers will stay in North America, because the dollar won't go as far in Europe or Australia as it will in California or New York.

The weak dollar could also draw more visitors from foreign countries, a demographic that has declined slightly since the September 11 attacks. Softening prices in the residential real estate market has also been drawing foreign investors eager to snap up a deal.

Likewise, American exports have been favored by the weak dollar, as our products now become less expensive for other countries to purchase.

Posted by VRO at 01:37 AM | Permalink

January 25, 2008. One great thing about luxury vacation rentals is that they tend to be more low-key environments, making them less of a target for thieves and criminals. Nonetheless, whenever you are traveling, it helps to be aware and practice a few precautions. Kevin Coffee, a public speaker known as the "Scholar of Thievery," has a lot of great articles about this subject on his website.

"Tips for Carrying Money and Documents while Traveling"

Wallets and purses are out! Hidden money carriers are in! Coffee reviews the different types (neck/shoulder pouch, waist type, hidden pocket wallet, leg type, belts, etc.) and discusses their pros and cons. Belts, for example, don't work well for women who wear dresses. Leg types can come undone during hectic, last-minute runs through airports.

"Credit Card Tips"

What if someone steals your husband's credit card? Do you have a card from the same account? If so, make sure your individual card has a different credit card number. When you report one card stolen, both cards will become inactive if they have the same number.

Also, remember to notify your credit card companies when you are about to travel. Some companies will decline charges when a card is suddenly used several times in one day in a location far from your home.

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January 24, 2008. The New York Times' "Adventure Guide to Mexico" reminds us there's more to our southern neighbor than great beaches.

Off the Yucatan Peninsula, for example, the snorkeling provides spectacular opportunities to have an experience straight out of Jacques Cousteau or Wild Kingdom. These waters are home to the whale shark, the world's biggest fish. They can most easily be found congregating around Isla Holbox from June through September, when seasonal plankton blooms create a smorgasbord for the gentle giants. The Yum Balam Biosphere Reserve protects the coastal mangrove areas, which provide ideal whale shark habitat.

If you'd cas. The NY Times evokes John Steinbeck's novel "The Sea of Cortez," in which the write notes how the area is "ferocious with life." Does that mean even the worst of us anglers will catch a big one? Well, the area has been called rather be in a boat catching fish, rather than swimming with them, try deep-sea fishing off Cabo san Lucas, the marlin capital of the world, with 50,000 trophy fish of various kinds pulled from these waters each year.

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January 23, 2008. The venerable magazine Travel + Leisure has a series of articles in this month's issue in its "User's Guide to Renting Villas." The articles range from "how-to" to "where-to," with an emphasis on luxury.

Such a large endorsement from such an esteemed publication shows the value and quality available in today's vacation rental market. Villas have increasingly become a way to have a more authentic experience wherever one travels, and they often come with many extra amenities.

Here are the magazine's "Seven Steps to Rental Success":

1. Know what to expect

2. Travel with like-minded friends

3. Book early… or last minute

4. Call upon the experts – Like VacationRental.org
5. Ask the obvious questions

6. Get everything in writing

7. Buy travel insurance

Note item number five: Ask the obvious questions. The great thing about VacationRental.org is that we already do this for you. Our listings detail all of the features and amenities, as well as information on the area and links to websites with additional photos.

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January 22, 2008. Everyone who skis or snowboards dreams of a luxury vacation rental near the slopes. For those who don't, however, the prospect of a ski vacation may sound dreary. Fortunately, ski areas and mountain towns have wised to this situation, and many now provide plenty of fun things to do for everyone.

Sherman's Travel detailed the options in its article, "Top 10 Ski Vacations for Non-Skiers." While one party cuts turns on the slopes, another could be ice skating, shopping, taking yoga or getting a massage. At the end of the day, everyone can regroup for a night on the town.

Taos, New Mexico – Some folks come here just for the art scene, which rivals any other small mountain town. There's also the "A-list" restaurants that specialize in Southwest cuisine and the Taos Pueblos, an American Indian town that has been occupied for at least 1,000 years.

Sun Valley, Idaho – Catch a film at the Sun Valley Opera House, and then pay your respects at the grave of Ernest Hemingway. Also an art gallery town, this one specializes in Western and Modern. To work up an appetite for the local saloons, go snowshoeing.

Stowe, Vermont – "Featuring half-a-dozen wellness centers and spas… yoga and Pilates centers… and the warm whirlpools at Spruce Peak and Mount Mansfield." Add Ben and Jerry's and the Vermont Teddy Bear Company.

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January 18, 2008. One key to a great trip is good planning. Another is a luxury vacation rental. So says Budget Travel magazine, in an article reprinted this weekend in the Washington Post.

"Think outside the hotel-room box," the article advocates. "Renting a house, condo or apartment -- or swapping homes -- may be better, especially for groups. The Internet has made locating such non-hotel options a million times easier."

VacationRental.org is a great place to locate those options, in our opinion.

The article also had something important to say about online research: "Don't rely on any single source; look for consensus."

This can be especially important in the age of user-generated sites and sponsored articles. One person's bad review might not mean much, for example. Customers aren't always right, but if they fell slighted, it's easy for them to distort the truth online. Look at several reviews, and use good judgment to decide where the truth lies.

On the other end of the spectrum, watch for articles that may actually be placed by the companies being written about. These articles may have merit, but you'll want to check several sources to get the whole picture.

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January 17, 2008. Have you ever noticed, during your travels, that the best neighborhoods always have a good coffee shop? There's nothing better than finding one near your luxury vacation rental, waking assured that fine espresso or fresh-ground beans are available every morning.

Forbes Traveler went so far as to pick "America's Hottest Coffee Houses." They're all to be found in bustling cities, where the pace of life no doubt requires a little caffeination. These same cities are also great vacation destinations.

Zoka Coffee Roaster and Tea Co., Seattle – A story can't be written about coffee without mentioning Seattle, home of Starbuck's. The Emerald City has far more to offer than today's fast-food equivalent of a java purveyor. Zoka stands out among them with its small-batch roasting.

Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Portland – The other major city of the Pacific Northwest also deserves a mention. Stumptown's claim to fame lies in its "direct trade" with farmers, which cuts out the middleman and helps sustain small, independent farmers.

Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea, Inc., Chicago – Intelligentsia also helped pioneer the "direct trade" movement, finding rare beans to delight the taste buds. And you have to admit, the name is pretty cool.

Posted by VRO at 01:47 AM | Permalink

January 16, 2008. The Austin American-Statesman brought up a good point in a recent article entitled "Spring for a Break": Now is the time to be thinking about spring break plans.

Whether you are a student or faculty member, or just someone who likes to travel in the spring, there isn't much time to waste.

In Texas, for example, public schools and universities share a common spring break week, March 10-14, placing extra demand on popular getaways such as Galveston.

"A condo is a good bet for a family or for six or eight single breakers looking to share costs. The kitchen's handy, and large complexes can have lively pool scenes for socializing."

Or, the article states, consider a large house.

"A beach house with several rooms is perfect for a big, happy group in which everybody gets along (and that part's crucial)."

Florida's beaches will enjoy a sustained peak from March through April. Of course, for some people, that might mean adjusting dates to avoid the crowds.

If you're looking for something different, try Lake Havasu City in Arizona. Sitting on a namesake lake, the picturesque desert village has become especially popular with students from the Southwestern states. When visitors get tired of sunbathing and beach volleyball, they can stroll the English Village's shops and galleries or rent a jet ski for some adrenalin-packed fun.

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January 15, 2008. The New York Times Travel section had a couple of good articles on skiing this weekend. One reflected upon the family ski trip, and the other espoused the value of some overlooked resorts in Empire State.

Amy Virshup, deputy editor on the Culture desk, wrote the "The Family Ski Challenge" after a winter trip to Colorado. She captured the joy of seeing your children embrace a sport you love, and offered some tips for parents who might follow in her ski tracks. Among her biggest recommendations: slopeside lodging. Driving to the slopes every morning just adds one more logistical hurdle a family can do without.

The feature "New York's Overlooked Ski Resorts" begins with this question:

"Do you know which state has the most ski areas?"

The answer is New York, with 44 resorts. The article describes how many of the state's residents drive right past these gems on their way to other New England States. It also asserts the quality of the state's ski areas, citing a Ski magazine that named to New York ski areas among the Top Five of the East. Finally, the writer counters a few myths regarding accessibility and amenities.

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January 11, 2008. Travel buffs who aren't relaxing somewhere in a luxury vacation rental will probably head to the movie theaters this weekend to see "The Bucket List," which opens today (January 11) in theaters across the nation.

The film features two terminally ill men, played by Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, who decide together to do everything they ever wanted to do before they "kick the bucket." They charter a private jet and trot across the globe to exotic locales such as France, Egypt and India.

While the Average Joe may not have the resources to hop in a private jet for a whirlwind tour, we can all aspire to see the world over the course of our lives. Perhaps we can start today by writing our own "life list" of places we want to see and things we want to do.

If you're interested in learning more about the places featured in the film, check out an article that appeared in the Los Angeles Times, "Follow Nicholson and Freeman in 'The Bucket List.'"

The skydiving scene, for example, was filmed in California. Now there's a location we can all feasibly visit. Of course, not everyone aspires to go skydiving.

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January 10, 2008. This is the time of the year when the media looks forward and tries to predict what the big stories will be. The San Jose Mercury News gave it a go with the article "2008: Where We'll Go, and What We'll Do When We Get There".

Southeast Asia and China, host of the 2008 Summer Olympics, top the list of hottest travel destinations. With the dollar low against some foreign currencies, however, many travelers will stay in their own hemisphere. The article also identified three trends closer to home:

"Babymoons" – The nickname "DINKs" describes couples who enjoy a Double Income with No Kids. Now, more and more couples are going for one last hurrah before baby makes three. With a bun in the oven and the impending expenses of parenthood, however, these trips will often be kept short and low-key. A romantic cabin and spa weekend in New York's Hudson Valley, for example, would qualify.

Singles travel – The 95.7 million unmarried citizens of America represent a major marketing demographic, and one in 10 of them already hit the road alone, according to research. Off-season trips to the Dominican Republic and other budget-conscious adventures to exotic locales are always popular.

Local travel – Travelers who once overlooked their own backyards are increasingly rethinking their need to go far away for a good time.

Posted by VRO at 01:48 AM | Permalink

January 9, 2008. In the near future, U.S. travelers headed by land or sea to luxury vacation rentals in some countries may use a special passport card embedded with a computer chip in lieu of a traditional passport.

That has some privacy advocates worried.

This would be an exception to a new rule requiring American travelers returning from the Caribbean, Canada and Mexico to provide a passport upon reentry to the country. The exception would not apply to air travelers.

According to an article in the Chicago Sun-Times, the State Department gave the new initiative the green light last week. It's ostensibly an effort to appease critics of the new U.S. passport rule, officially called the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The passport requirement that originally took place in January 2007 caused such a backlog at passport offices across the nation that it was temporarily lifted, and is currently the subject of legislation in Congress.

Now, critics are saying the computer chip alternative is a violation of privacy rights because the cards can be read from 20 feet away. This raises fears of identity theft, some say.

The State Department says the cards will not contain biographical information that could be used by thieves.

Posted by VRO at 01:49 AM | Permalink

Travel Tips from National Geographic

January 8, 2008. When it comes to traveling, the folks at National Geographic probably know what they're doing. From luxury vacation rentals to grass huts, they have seen it all. National Geographic Travel recently published an article called "51 Ways to Cut Vacation Costs."

Let's look at some of their advice.

Ground transportation – Take New York City, for example. A cab from JFK to Manhattan costs $40. A subway ride to Penn Station costs less than $2, and from there, one can take a cab to their accommodations for around $5. The lesson: Inquire about the local shuttle and public transportation opportunities.

National Parks passes – Most major national parks, such as Yosemite, charge around $20 per entrance fee. Two to three national park visits in one year, therefore, will pay for a $50 National Parks annual pass.

Pay by credit card – To skip the currency conversion fee, simply pay by credit card. Bonus: Earn frequent flyer miles.

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January 4, 2008. When most people arrive at their luxury vacation rental, the last thing on their mind is their resolution – probably already long forgotten – to get in shape. It doesn't have to be that way. In fact, vacations present numerous opportunities to get the kind of exercise that many people can't fit into their everyday lives.

First of all, many vacation destinations offer plenty of walking opportunities, from hiking trails to pedestrian friendly shopping districts. Let's say you're staying in Hawaii, for example. Why not go for a walk on the beach every morning and evening?

Second, remember that vacations should be a time to relax and recharge. That means you don't have to spend every minute of every hour of every day rushing around like a turbo-charged, sight-seeing maniac. Attend a yoga or pilates class at the local studio, or schedule an appointment with a personal trainer at the local gym. You might pick up something to improve your routine back home.

MSNBC.com reprinted a Tripso column this week aimed at traveling business people, but many of the tips could be relevant for the casual traveler. One of the best ideas: Pack your own equipment. If you bring your gym clothes, running shoes or yoga mat, you're more likely to break a sweat on vacation.

Posted by VRO at 10:54 AM | Permalink

January 3, 2008. Ever since VacationRental.org unveiled its Green Certified Vacation Rental program, we've been noticing more and more news about the greening of the travel industry. While we have yet to see another certification program for environmentally friendly luxury vacation rentals, the New York Times just published an article called "Pleasure Without Guilt: Green Hotels with Comfort."

The article cites several examples of green hotels in destinations such as Napa Valley and San Francisco.

The possibilities for the environmentally friendly travel options seem limitless. Boeing's new Dreamliner cuts fuel use by using carbon-fiber throughout parts of the airplane, thus making it lighter. Car rental agencies now offer fuel-efficient vehicles. Many restaurants have begun attracting travelers from near and far by using local and organic ingredients.

As the New York Times article states, none of these eco-conscious ideas sacrifice comfort. The Dreamliner is a two-aisle plan, hybrids are now available in full-sized sedans and SUVs, and local/organic restaurants have been getting rave reviews in the foodie media.

In many cases, the solutions are also improving bottom lines. High fuel prices are hammering consumers and airline companies alike, for example. Something as simple as a compact fluorescent light, which uses less energy than a traditional incandescent light bulb, can also reduce pollution and decrease the utility bills.

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