The living room of a home we rented in France-so much better than a hotel room
Thinking of renting a house next time you vacation? Think it’s more expensive than a hotel? Well, depending on the house it could be, and then it’s probably totally worth it.
Renting a home can often be less expensive or similarly priced to staying in a hotel, but you get SO much more in a home. The rental process can be daunting. Where to look, how to find the right property, will it look like the photos when you get there?
Booking a home is easier than you think it is, and the result is going to be better than you imagined it to be. HomeAway has launched a site that is exclusively dedicated to luxury properties, Luxury Rentals from HomeAway.
Here are my Top 5 Reasons why you should Rent a Luxury Vacation Home for your next family trip:
1. A room of their own. The number one reason we book rental homes for vacation is so everyone gets a good night’s sleep. Even if you book multiple hotel rooms there is still doubling up. To book enough rooms for each child to have their own bed would break the bank. Hotels can be swanky, they can give you robes and slippers, but sometimes they can be too cozy.
3 boys, 2 parents, 2 beds
2. Feeding the masses. When you rent a home you get a fully appointed kitchen. I have rented homes through services that had inadequate kitchens, or worse, kitchens chock full of old food (really). The vetted properties on this list won’t disappoint. Some of the homes come with optional chef service, or you can bring your own. The one we use makes killer pancakes and doubles as a dad, driver and baggage carrier.
He never makes us breakfast at home
3. Privacy. Sometimes you just want to hit the pool naked. Or drink coffee in the living room in your bathrobe. How many times have you dashed down to the lobby of a hotel in your pajamas in search of the free coffee only to get busted and told you “need to be wearing shoes?” Oh, not you? Um, me neither.
Because sometimes you just want to skinny dip
4. A place to play. Who hasn’t let their children run loose in the hotel hallways because they are desperate for them to blow off some steam? Don’t lie. When you rent a house there’s plenty of space to play. We rented a large chalet in France one summer and could hardly get the children to go outside because it was so much fun to prank call each other room to room on the phone system.
5. Live like a local. When you stay in a hotel you never really get the essence of a destination. When you’re in a home you really feel like a local. From food shopping in the local market to meeting the neighbors, a home gives you a travel experience that a hotel is hard pressed to do. Also, you don’t get a private pool with a view like this unless you, um, own the hotel. For a little day dreaming fun you can check out HomeAway’s global map and just search the Caribbean. I die
Try putting this many groceries in your mini-bar
I’m working with HomeAway on a campaign. I’ve used their site often over the years to book homes when we travel, most often in Kiawah. I have spent countless hours trolling home photos and trying to find the best property for our stay. Imagine my joy when I found out they had launched a site featuring only luxury homes, in fact Luxury Rentals from HomeAway is the world’s largest collection of high end properties. You can already guess which ones are luxury by running the price search from high to low. However, they have partnered with the Andrew Harper team to come up with an algorithm to vet every property before it hits the luxury list. Because, as we all know, price alone does not determine luxury.
Looking to stay in a castle? They have thirteen on the list. Looking for an oceanfront stay or a ski stay? You can search the globe using those terms. Need a heli-pad? (Don’t we all?) They have those too.
Having spent hours digging through sites looking for homes that would be suitable, I think this is an extraordinary idea. Don’t think you have the budget? Many of the homes list for $500 per night.
The only downside? You need to bring your own cleaning staff. However, if you coordinate with the owner, you can often hire their cleaning service to do a mid-stay clean. Many of the homes are villas that are part of a larger management group that can also provide cleaning services.
They work for Skittles
Also-you can’t usually hit the business center in a hotel in your bikini….just saying.
Want to learn more about HomeAway’s new luxury site? Join me for a twitter party this week.
This week’s #LuxTravelChat is sponsored by HomeAway. This blog post is part of a compensated campaign. I have used their website for many years to book homes and am thrilled to recommend them and very excited about their new luxury website.
But perhaps the best reasons to rent a home are so that you have room for friends….and hamsters.
