| Having been in the vacation rental business for 10 | | | | Resources |
| years, I've seen firsthand how poor planning can | | | | You may have found a vacation rental on an |
| completely ruin a trip. Are you thinking about | | | | online directory like Homeway, VacationRentals or |
| renting a luxury vacation villa? You'll have the best | | | | FlipKey - there are literally hundreds of them but |
| stories to tell if you just avoid these common | | | | don't rely on directories alone. They're great |
| pitfalls. | | | | resources but have built-in photo and word count |
| Blunder #1 - Booking Your Reservation at the | | | | limitations. Check and see if the listing for your |
| Last Minute | | | | dream vacation home has a link to a homeowner |
| The longer you wait to reserve the higher the | | | | web site. All vacation rental homes have names |
| risk of having to settle for a home no one else | | | | but some directories don't allow the owners to list |
| wanted. To avoid disappointment make your | | | | them. Google the ones you're interested in and |
| reservation 3-9 months in advance especially for | | | | you may discover more in-depth information such |
| peak Easter, Christmas and New Year's weeks. | | | | as a virtual tour, room descriptions, guest reviews |
| It's true, you may find a last minute deal but it will | | | | and more photos. Check and see if homeowners |
| probably be your 3rd or 4th choice. Decide | | | | have blogs or a YouTube pages. A great resource |
| whether your priority is the perfect vacation | | | | for objective guest reviews is FlipKey. |
| rental home or the take-what-you-can-get | | | | Staying at a luxury vacation villa has all the |
| discount home. | | | | advantages and none of the disadvantages of a |
| Blunder #2 - Neglecting to Check the Weather | | | | hotel stay. No more tiny rooms, sharing a pool or |
| What will the weather be like where you're going, | | | | bumping into strangers in the night. Luxury villas |
| when you're going? Will you be trekking the | | | | come with a private staff and most come with a |
| Himalayas or visiting Thailand during monsoon | | | | concierge. You can even order up a private chef! |
| season? Don't let the term "rainy season" scare | | | | Everyone wants a great value at a good price. |
| you off. What you want to avoid is seasonal | | | | You'll save a bundle on restaurants and paying for |
| monsoons and the one or two rainiest months of | | | | individual rooms if you're traveling with family or |
| the year. Early and late rainy season months may | | | | friends. Use the money you save on extra tours |
| help you beat the heat. In many tropical locations | | | | or order in an onsite massage for everyone in |
| such as Costa Rica, it can mean warm and sunny | | | | your group. |
| days with showers in the late afternoon. One | | | | Even if you're an experienced vacation villa guest |
| perk of off season travel is vacation rental home | | | | you've probably made at least one of the |
| rates are cheaper. Check one of the many online | | | | blunders above. Ensure you have a great vacation |
| weather resources for the weather report for | | | | by reserving early, confirming good weather and |
| your destination. Be specific. The capital city may | | | | finding out everything you can about your luxury |
| be 4,000 feet higher than the beach resort where | | | | vacation home. The privacy you'll enjoy and the |
| you're planning to stay. | | | | great experience you'll have may just change the |
| Blunder #3 - Not Fully Exploring Your Online | | | | way you travel forever. |