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W: We continue now with something to think about as you plan your summer vacation. When it comes to lodging, hotels are the first, and often the only option considered by most people. But now a growing group of travelers are finding comfort in a full-fledged home away from home. And here with more is Travelzoo editor Gabe Saglie. Good morning again, Gabe.
M: Good to see you, thanks again.
W: It’s a little bit of a fantasy. I would love to do this with my whole family, go away, rent a house. A lot more people are doing it, ah?
M: Yeah.
W: So this is a trend?
M: Well, I mean, I love the great hotel, and hotels are always gonna be the No. 1 choice really for travelers. They are, you know, convenient, they are easy to book, and you know what you are getting. But more people are traveling today than ever before, for a greater variety of reasons than ever before, so vacation rentals offer probably greater options now—depending on the kind of the trip mat you wanna take. You’re literally renting somebody’s home. You get amenities like fully-equipped kitchens, you get your washer dryer—things like Internet access and parking that usually carry a price tag at the hotel, are standard fare at the vacation rentals.
W: Now, you usually think it’s gonna be more expensive automatically than a hotel would be, but that’s often not the case.
M: Yeah, when I was doing research for the segment, and I found for example, a castle in the French countryside, a medieval castle that sleeps 34 people on 20 acres for 7,000 dollars for the week, and that comes out to about 2,000 dollars, 200 dollars per person for the entire week.
W: For the week? That’s amazing.
M: In the French countryside, on 20 acres in a castle. Travelers published a two-bedroom condo in Orlando this week, for 95 dollars that sleeps six, while you’re right next to Disney World, steps away from Sea World and Universal Studios. This is a great value option for a family.
W: The only concern that I might raise would be that, with a hotel, if you have any problems, you go complain to the management, you know they are gonna be responsive, you are gonna need that same level of service if you have any problems in a rental type situation.
M: The answer is yes, but you have to do a little bit more homework on your own to guarantee that first of all, you are protected, you are protecting your investment. I mean, think about buying something on eBay, all the kinds of steps you take to guarantee that you are buying something that is legitimate. If you are taking a vacation, you wanna read reviews by former renters, and get a contract before your send any money, use a credit card instead of cash, or money order, and make sure you got a list of contact information once you are at the vacation rental.
W: Let’s go through some situations. This might be a good idea, and the first was my fantasy vacation, to get away with the family, or family reunion or something like that.
M: Yeah. And some families are better equipped to be under the same roof than others, no doubt about that, but think about the fact if you rent a four-bedroom house versus renting a, you know, four hotel rooms, you are gonna have extras for the family, like your own kitchen to chitchat while dinner is being made, your own backyard to play games, your own garage, your rental cars. So there is definitely something to be set for that. Large groups of people like birthday get-aways, bachelorette parties.
W: That’s also a great idea, yeah, for that sort of matter.
M: Yeah, you don’t have to worry about disturbing your neighbors, if you are, you know, having a party late at night, or that phone call from the front desk to tell you to keep it down.
W: But what about a couple’s romantic get-away? In some cases, you say, that’s ideal, too.
M: Yeah, my wife and I spent a lot on a hotel in Hawaii, but if, you know, now we are considering a vacation rental. And we like making our own breakfast in the morning, you know, almost feeling like we get some, some of the management we have at home, while, while traveling thousands of miles away from home.
W: We are almost out of time, but roll quick, any particular locations where it is better to rent or do the hotel thing?
M: Ah, cities like New York, San Francisco, Chicago with a hotel industry just as good as it can be, the hotel is probably the best way to go. Peak seasons in other areas like Florida, Southern California, Hawaii, Mexico, yeah, vacation rentals could be a great option for you.
W: Gabe, good stuff here. Gabe Sagile. Good to see you again, thanks.
M: See you then, happy travels.