Boutique Vacation Rental Companies vs National Rental Sites
Hotel rates are continuing to rise making vacation rentals look more attractive to many international travelers. Vacation rentals are a great option because they often provide more space and amenities for less than one would spend on a hotel. However when traveling to a country like Costa Rica, finding that apartment in Escazu, or the beach house in Santa Teresa can sometimes be more difficult than it should.
Michelle Higgins, a travel writer for the New York Times wrote about how difficult it can be finding a vacation rental using the national sites in an article printed back in the January 22, 2012 Sunday edition of the paper.
“The Internet has made it possible for just about anyone with a spare room to post a listing. And travelers can spend hours searching online. Currently, there is no one-stop shopping site, but each option has nuances, and some are better than others, depending on where you are going and what you’re looking for.” http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/travel/vacation-rental-sites.html
The first thing that many travelers do when looking for a vacation rental is attempt to navigate one the national rental sites like VRBO and HomeAway. Often these sites confuse the traveler when they are faced with a number of obstacles to confirm a booking. A better option available is to use a boutique rental company operated by a local realtor or home manager. These services make finding the perfect vacation rental much easier for the traveler.
Problems with sites like VRBO, AirBNB & Homeaway
One of the many problems travelers face when using a national vacation rental sites like VRBO or AirBNB is finding out what is available for the dates of their vacation. As the traveler they are required to browse each home separately and contact each home owner individually to confirm availability.
The process can take up a lot of time and is often confusing to those trying to book a vacation rental online. For this reason many people choose to deal with a hotel in an attempt to make the booking process more bearable.
There is also the growing problem of vacation rental scams on national vacation rental sites. Tom Gilmore, the founder of VacationHomeRentals.com, points out in an article featured in Huffington Post:
“With over 47 percent of travelers interested in staying in a vacation home rental, it has become a popular alternative to staying at a hotel. And while websites like Craigslist or Backpage.com can offer fantastic bargains — they’ve also made the headlines for scams in recent years”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-gilmore/avoiding-vacation-home-re_b_3224198.html
To avoid these problems associated with national rental sites, experienced travelers save both time and money by using boutique rental companies.
When an experienced traveler is looking for the quaint cabin in La Fortuna or for that perfect beach house in Santa Teresa they avoid using the national sites and instead use companies like CostaRica-BeachRentals.com to help them plan their trip.
Private rental companies like CostaRica-BeachReantals.com have been placing guests in vacation homes long before the national rental sites became an option, and they will continue to be around long after these sites are gone. The personal attention guests receive from a boutique rental site provides value to the traveler; this is something that the national sites can not do.
Boutique rental companies offer VIP service to travelers around the world.
Travelers prefer working with skilled representatives that can provide a premium vacation experience. Knowing what is available with personal recommendations before hand makes for a safe and simple booking process.
Working with a boutique rental company lets the traveler relax and focus on the fun activities they will be doing on their vacation, not on where it is they are going to stay.
Many VIP services also include your personal vacation concierge. Now guests can have their own private house with the same service of a nice hotel.
Costa Rica Beach Rentals is located on the Southern Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica. They have been placing guest in the perfect Costa Rican vacation home since 1996. If you are looking for a vacation rental in Santa Teresa or Mal Pais contact Brett Callahan at Costa Rica Beach Rentals for more information.
