In a nut shell, the great advantage of renting a vacation home is that it is like having a private resort all to yourself at a great price.
Cost Effective
A vacation home is less expensive when you travel with your family than a hotel and this is especially true if you have five or more in your party and require more than one room. When you consider the cost per person per night you just cannot beat the value of a private vacation home.
More Space
Vacation homes have room to roam. It is difficult for a family to stay in a 300 square foot hotel room for more than a few days. At roughly 1200 square feet plus for a 3 bedroom home to over 3200 square feet for 7 and 8 bedroom homes, vacation homes have ample room to roam. If you are paying to be away on vacation you should not settle for less than the comforts of your own home. While staying at a private vacation home you will not be secretly wishing, even for a minute, that you could be back in your own house.
Fully Equipped Kitchen
We like to eat out as much as anybody, but after a few days, eating out for three meals a day is expensive, time consuming, and can become monotonous. A fully equipped kitchen is an absolute must for a family vacation. We have stayed at hotels that advertised a fully equipped kitchen but I could not even heat up food in the microwave because there were only Styrofoam plates. We like being able to eat breakfast and evening snacks at home. Vacation home kitchens have all of the amenities of home, which makes traveling with young children and teenagers much easier and less expensive. A proper kitchen also allows you to entertain, prepare a picnic lunch, or just have a leisurely meal in the lanai by the pool, watch the sunset over the ocean, or enjoy the breeze out on the patio or deck.
A Private Pool that is Always Open
The hotel or condominium pools and spas are public, not private, and are usually some distance from your room. They are often not the temperature you would like, and have limited hours of operation which, usually means you can't use the pool and spa after 9 or 10 pm which is precisely when you would want to use them. Vacation homes on the other hand have private pools and spas for your exclusive use. You can usually walk right out of your master suite to the spa and pool just steps away! The pool temperature is more comfortable and consistent, and you can use the pool and spa anytime of the day or night. You also don not have to rush to be at the pool early enough to find an unoccupied lounge chair for the afternoon.
Private Spa
At a hotel or condo the spa has specific hours of operation that restrict its use and many places do not allow children in the spa. So, there you are, not swimming in the pool because it is too cold and not relaxing in the spa because your children are playing in the pool and you can not take them with you into the spa. Private vacation home spas are open 24 hours a day to you and your children. No more coming back to your room after a long day at the parks and finding the spa closed for the night, just at the time when you would want to relax. Both adults and children love relaxing in the spa after a long day of walking at amusement parks or shopping.
Another very important benefit of having your own private spa is that once the children are asleep, parents can go out to the spa and enjoy a little peace and quiet, knowing that your children are safely asleep just inside the house. It sure beats being trapped in your hotel room trying to stay quiet while sitting in the dark, not even being able to turn on the TV for fear of waking the children. Parents deserve a vacation too! Often you end up working harder while on vacation, then when you are at home. Private vacation homes give you a chance to find quiet time and something relaxing and enjoyable to do for yourself so you feel like you actually had a vacation.
Screened in Pool and Spa
Imagine sitting outside all evening with no bugs. You can't do that at a resort or hotel where there is no pool screening. The screened pool area is just like another room of the vacation home. Enjoy your morning coffee or tea and breakfast by the pool or have a leisurely dinner and watch the sunset all in the privacy of your own back yard.
More personalized attention to detail is an advantage
Renting directly from a homeowner has some advantages as well. Many times the house or condo you are renting is that person's only house. Therefore, they can give you excellent service. They have a more intimate knowledge of what is provided in their rental house. They will often have great insider tips about the surrounding area as well, to make your stay more unique and enjoyable. Things like the best grocery stores, video rentals, restaurants and entertainment. Homeowners are usually willing to answer all your questions and concerns.
There are many web sites out there that list vacation rentals by owner. Good ones have lots of current photos, detailed property descriptions and testimonials. Be sure to check the credentials and reliability of the homeowner before handing over your money. Make sure you get it in writing.


