“Vacation rentals piling on the luxuries” plus 1 more |
| Vacation rentals piling on the luxuries Posted: 03 Jan 2011 08:07 AM PST A self-described hotel snob, Jennifer Treadwell prefers to stay at Four Seasons and similar upscale hotels when she goes on vacation, for the high level of service and luxurious amenities they provide. The idea of renting a vacation home, where she would presumably bring her own bed sheets and toilet paper, was never very appealing. Then she discovered the Cottages at Cape Kiwanda on the Oregon coast, where $500-a-night two-bedroom cottages offer flat-screen televisions, surround-sound systems, spa-style robes, iPod docks, in-room Internet access and whirlpool tubs. Guests have access to a fitness center nearby and a concierge who can book an oceanfront massage or surf lesson or recommend nearby hiking trails. "I've been staying there since they opened, and I never really thought of them as that vacation rental place," said Treadwill, a health coach from Portland, Ore. "I always assumed it was a luxurious boutique hotel." In an effort to distinguish themselves from other short-term rentals and capture a share of the $100 billion hotel market, many vacation rentals are trying to stand out by essentially posing as hotels — offering everything from regular maid service to miniature toiletries to concierges who can arrange restaurant reservations. That's good news for travelers looking for an alternative to traditional hotels, as the heightened competition creates a greater diversity of places to stay at a wider range of prices. For example, in Mexico the company Lifestyle Villas, which manages beachfront homes and condos in Los Cabos, requires homeowners who list with the agency to include certain standard perks, among them, 800-thread-count linens, two bathrobes per room, wall safes, suitcase holders, alarm clocks and L'Occitaine toiletries. Exclusive Vail Rentals, a Colorado rental company that opened last year, insists on similar consistency, providing daily maid service, Molton Brown toiletries and ski and boot delivery for guests. And ResortQuest, a large vacation rental company with nearly 10,000 properties in the United States, recently acquired by Wyndham Worldwide, is attempting to entice guests to its vacation rentals with hotel points. The outfit is offering 25,000 Wyndham Rewards points to travelers who book at least four nights at ResortQuest ski destinations by Jan. 31 for travel through April 15. The points can be redeemed for up to four free nights at a Wyndham hotel. One reason for all this extra effort is the surplus of vacation properties built during the economic boom: Unsold homes and condominiums are now being marketed as rentals, making the entire market more competitive. Even mom-and-pop outfits are stepping up the personal service, easing minimum booking requirements, offering airport transfers and including welcome baskets with basic toiletries or kitchen supplies. More space, more sophistication Vacation rentals have long appealed to families in search of more space and a kitchen, but they are gaining other converts. Gordon Reid, a frequent traveler from San Francisco, expected to miss the consistency of chain hotels when he booked a vacation rental at the urging of a friend. "I thought, 'I don't want to deal with the quirks of a regular house,"' he said. But he quickly got over those concerns after experiencing the "hotel-like amenities" of Globe Homes and Condos. In the past year, he has chosen its rental properties over hotels on several business trips, saving about $50 a day in the process. "It's a nice alternative," he said. Until recently, most vacation rentals were available only weekly — usually Saturday to Saturday. But even that has changed as rental companies have become more sophisticated about managing inventory and online bookings. Last year, 23.5 percent of vacation rental listings on Rentalo.com had no minimum-stay requirements, up from roughly 14 percent the year before. And websites like Homeaway.com and Vacationroost.com are making it easier for travelers to compare and book vacation rentals online. TripAdvisor.com has more than 250,000 reviews from vacation rental guests, and Homeaway allows guests to post reviews and evaluate the accuracy of its listings on a five-star rating system. Amid all the newfound sophistication, plenty of rentals still offer nothing more than a key under the doormat, requiring guests to tidy up after themselves and, yes, bring their own toilet paper. Ski resorts, popular Caribbean getaways and many rentals near Disney World in Orlando that compete directly with hotels tend to offer more services and amenities than markets where there are few chain hotels. You should do due diligence by contacting the property to ask what exactly is included in the price. But what vacation rentals lack in brand familiarity and uniformity, they tend to make up for in other attractive variables — say, more space, privacy or a certain sense of homeyness from drinking a beer on your own front porch. Douglas Quinby, a leisure travel analyst at the research firm PhocusWright, compares staying in a brand-name hotel chain to Starbucks, "where you know what the coffee is going to taste like when you get there." Staying at a vacation rental, he said, is akin to "stumbling upon that independent coffee joint that's different and enhances your experience." This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Pointe South in Perdido Key Joins Proven Leader Southern Resorts Vacation Rentals Posted: 04 Jan 2011 11:06 AM PST Perdido Key, Florida (Vocus/PRWEB) January 04, 2011 Southern Management Group whose businesses include Southern Resorts Vacation Rentals, Southern Coastal Residential Leasing and Southern Association Management has expanded their Northwest Florida business into the Perdido Key and Pensacola markets by acquiring a majority share of locally owned Pointe South Real Estate Sales and Rentals. This is familiar territory for two of the four owners of Southern Management Group, brothers Mike and Brad Shoults as they started Pointe South Vacation Rentals in 1995. They ran the Perdido Key operations until 2002 when they sold the branch to Susan Carleton, so they could focus on their new venture with Southern Management Group whose other owners are Kerry and Kevin Veach. "We have come full circle with this company and are excited about returning to the area. Our Northwest Florida vacation rental operations have grown and moving back into Perdido Key is a natural fit," says Mike Shoults, co-owner. "Susan and her team have done a great job operationally with Pointe South so we are gaining a solid enterprise," adds Kevin Veach, co-owner. Southern Management Group looks to grow each facet of the Perdido Key and Pensacola businesses and will continue to work closely with Susan Carleton who remains President of Pointe South and retains part ownership. "I am very excited to be partners with the owners of Southern Management Group once again as they are the very people that encouraged me and gave me my start in the property management business. Not only are they progressive business people with well laid out principles and unparalleled integrity, they understand the business, which will bring our property management, real estate sales and association management sectors to a new level. This acquisition will allow me to focus on Pointe South's business development in the Pensacola, Perdido Key and coastal Alabama markets with great comfort knowing our existing customers will continue to experience unmatched customer service," shares Susan about the merger. Pointe South's Perdido Key vacation rentals are represented on http://www.PointeSouth.com and will also be included on http://www.SouthernResorts.com in January, 2011. The Northwest Florida vacation rentals including condos, homes and cottages represented by Southern Resorts can be found in these other Florida Gulf Coast beach communities: Pensacola Beach, Navarre Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Beaches of South Walton, Panama City Beach, Mexico Beach, WindMark Beach and Port St. Joe. For more on these areas and vacation opportunities, visit SouthernResorts.com. Southern Resorts Vacation Rentals together with Southern Coastal Management (Residential Leasing) and Southern Association Management is part of the Southern Management Group owned and operated by the Shoults and Veach brothers. ### This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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