You may be asking yourself- what’s this all about? Why are so many people talking about vacation rentals? The good and the bad, you may have heard it all, but what are they really? To simplify, a Vacation Rental is any furnished home/condo/apartment/mansion that is rented on a temporary basis to a traveling party as an alternative to a hotel.

VR’s have so much potential and once you stay in one it can be VERY hard to go back to a typical hotel! Take it from me, it basically kills me inside when I spend the same amount on a hotel room as I would spend for a whole house! Often you can find places that have their own pool and/or hot tub, waaay more space than the average 300 sq foot hotel room and almost always they include a kitchen and living room. In addition, VR’s usually (and should always) include a local host or contact that you can be in touch with at any time with questions or for assistance. 

One of my favorite parts of renting a vacation home is that everyone can enjoy one shared space together without the headache of meeting in a hotel lounge/bar or being separated into rooms throughout the hotel. Everyone can enjoy company and then head to their rooms at the end of the night. AND come back together in the morning in pajamas to enjoy their coffee! Now THAT’s what I call vacation-mode.

Add all this up and you’ll be joining the millions of people who are opening up to a new way to travel!

Example of a beautiful Sonoma Coast Vacation Rental 

Through the first years of my career we called the homes we rented “Villas”. This is a beautiful term that evokes luxury, pure relaxation and even, dare I say it, power. Because, aside from timeshares, Craigslist and independent listings, it was hard for the Average Joe to find and rent a stand-alone home for a vacation. The thought of renting your own place seemed daunting and expensive and full of scams and mystery to most people. So hotels it was, easy to find, book and for the most part, you knew what you were getting.

But soon something shifted in our industry. With the introduction of websites such as VRBO, Homeaway and Air BnB, vacation rentals have become commonplace, easy to find, well priced and not (quite) so scary. Even so, there is still a lot confusion, horror stories you can read on the internet and LOTS of questions.

So that is where I come in. I hope to shed some light on this growing industry and fantastic way to travel. From couples to families of 20+ people, vacation rentals are the new go-to vacation option and I am here to guide you through the nuances of this growing and expanding part of the travel world!