ML Interest Tag: hotel-room

Now Booking: LEGOLAND’s New Pirate-Themed Hotel

by Amber Guetebier

Earlier this year LEGOLAND Florida announced plans to build LEGOLAND Pirate Island Hotel, a brand-new pirate-themed hotel adjacent to the park. Construction is well under way and they’ve just announced the grand opening date of April 17, 2020! Read on for details, photos and even an animated fly-through video of the hotel.

photo: Chip Litherland for LEGOLAND Florida Resort

Pirate Island will be connected to the existing LEGOLAND Hotel, becoming the third on-site hotel at the LEGOLAND Florida Resort. Located right outside the main gates of the park (130 steps, to be exact) the hotel will include 150 rooms, a heated pool and pool deck, a pirate ship in front of the hotel, a pirate-themed restaurant, nightly kid-friendly programming, LEGO character experiences, LEGO play pits and a lobby bar for the grown-ups.

photo: Chip Litherland for LEGOLAND Florida

rendering image courtesy LEGOLAND Florida Resort

“Pirate Island Hotel will be a great addition to LEGOLAND Florida Resort,” said General Manager Rex Jackson. “Based on our consumer demand, the need for a third on-site accommodation has never been higher. Along with THE LEGO® MOVIE™ WORLD, Pirate Island Hotel is a key component in the park’s overall growth and expansion as we continue to strengthen LEGOLAND Florida Resort as a multi-day destination.”

rendering image courtesy LEGOLAND Florida Resort 

Every Pirate Island Hotel room will include two separate spaces—a kiddos’ space with bunk beds and and a grown-up sleeping area. The rooms are all decked out in LEGO pirate decor and have interactive LEGO Pirate models throughout.

photo: Chip Litherland for LEGOLAND Florida

Each room will include unique pirateering themes like boat-shaped beds and in-room treasure hunts. And with every hotel stay, a scurvy-preventing breakfast will be included.

photo: Chip Litherland for LEGOLAND Florida

photo courtesy LEGOLAND Florida Resort

The five-story hotel will also house Shipwreck Restaurant along with a bar called Smuggler’s Bar, just for grown-ups. There will be an entertainment area for kid-friendly nightly programing and LEGO play pits.

photo courtesy LEGOLAND Florida Resort

“We’re really excited to open our third on-site hotel accommodation and deliver completely new family-friendly experiences,” said LEGOLAND Florida Resort General Manager Rex Jackson. “Pirates have a long history tied to the state of Florida and we look forward to providing our future guests with an entertaining, memorable and fun hotel.”

Plus, if you book right now you can buy two nights and get one free.

Discover more and book your rooms at: legoland.com/florida/pirate-island-hotel/

LEGOLAND Florida
One LEGOLAND Way
Winter Haven, FL 33884

—Amber Guetebier

images and conceptual renderings courtesy LEGOLAND Florida Resort 

 

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The Halo Top Ski Lodge Will Make Your Ice Cream Dreams Come True

by Erica Loop

Ice cream lovers rejoice! Halo Top is partnering with the QT Queenstown Hotel (in New Zealand) to create an entirely ice cream-themed ski lodge suite.

If you’re planning a trip half way around the world, you now have one more destination to hit. The ski lodge will boast the “first ever ice cream-themed hotel room” and the best part is—the room comes with a Halo Top-filled freezer.

Along with all the ice cream you can eat, the suite will also have Halo Top and QT themed ski apparel and a Halo Top tote. General Manager of QT Queenstown told Travel Daily News, “The reinvigoration of one of our Remarkable King Rooms, which offer unparalleled views of Lake Wakatipu and the snow-capped Remarkables mountain range, maintains QT’s design and creative flair while embracing Halo Top’s iconic and fun style.”

So how can you book a trip to this ice cream-themed awesomeness? Guests can make reservations for the Halo Top Ski Lodge suite from Jul. 22 through Aug. 4.

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: QT Hotels via Instagram 

 

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10 Ways to Save Money While Traveling with Kids

By Delilah Hart

Traveling is expensive for anyone, but when you have kids tagging along it can quickly double or triple.  You’ll need to book more flights, rent more rooms and backpacking on a shoestring no longer applies.

Luckily, there are a lot of ways you can save money when planning a trip away with the family. Here are 10 tips that are sure to save you money on your next family getaway.

  1. Make Use of Family Passes: No matter where you go, there is bound to be a point in your trip where you have to choose between purchasing individual tickets or buying a family pass. It’s worth doing the math, but it is almost always cheaper to take the family pass route. From theme parks to concerts and even group tours, this applies to all sorts of attractions and activities, Also, do your research before purchasing expensive tickets. Sometimes the family pass isn’t advertised everywhere you look. You may even find that a different promotional offer that isn’t just for families works out to be even cheaper. Make sure to do the math!
  2. Avoid Major Tourist Traps: Every destination has its typical tourist activities. Whether it’s going to a cultural show in New Zealand or visiting Disneyland in California. It seems crazy to avoid these “must-do” activities, especially when every blogger out there highly recommends them! The truth is, you can experience a new destination a lot better by avoiding these activities. Try to immerse yourself into new cultures naturally without visiting shows that are put on for commercial purposes. On top of getting to know a destination more like a local, you’ll walk away with your wallet a bit heavier.
  3. Find the Cheapest Flights: One of the biggest expenses of any trip is purchasing flights. This is even more true for families than solo travelers as you need to purchase extra tickets for your children. Plus you definitely need to bring checked luggage—you need to keep the toys somewhere and without them, you’ll have nothing to keep the kids entertained! There’s a number of ways to save money on flights, here are a few: Use the best search engines. My favorite is Skyscanner because it researches the cheapest days to fly, uses loyalty schemes and points-based credit cards, and makes the most of budget airlines
  4. Spend on Experiences, Not on Gifts & Souvenirs: It’s far too easy to purchase souvenirs everywhere you go. Before you do, stop and ask yourself, “Do I really need this plastic keyring?” If you already have a keyring, the answer is probably no. If you’re on a budget, it pays to spend it wisely. I always recommend spending your money on creating memories yourself and your kids will remember and cherish for the rest of your lives.
  5. Rent an Apartment Instead of Hotel Rooms: Hotel rooms are expensive so look for cheaper alternatives. A lot of people don’t realize that hostels often have private rooms and sometimes suites. I’ve stayed in a lot of very nice hostels (sometimes called “poshtels”).  if you avoid the bottom of the barrel ones, then you can often find nice, family-friendly accommodation at a budget. Another great alternative is booking a small apartment or house for your family.  Travel apps like AirBnb are perfect for this.
  6. Consider Visiting Budget Destinations: Heading to Hawaii is always a treat, but there are equally beautiful places in cheaper regions around the world. In Southeast Asia, for example, accommodation can be found for a fraction of the price of a hotel room in a first-world country. Everything else tends to be cheaper as well, including eating out and booking tours.
  7. Eat Out Less: Eating out can burn through your budget, especially when you have little ones to bring along. If you’re at a destination where dining out is expensive, consider paying a visit to a grocery store (or even a local market). You can pick up some local ingredients and cook up something delicious for a lot less than it would cost to go to a restaurant.
  8. Book Well in Advance: When planning a holiday, it’s very rare for things to get cheaper the longer you wait.  If you’ve made a decision to go, get planning and book as soon as possible. This is especially true when booking flights and accommodation. Waiting until a week out from the school holidays is going to make your trip significantly pricier. Try to book a year ahead.
  9. Consider Alternative Transport Options: Make a spreadsheet and compare the prices, pros, and cons of every transport option. Perhaps taking the train instead of flying will save you 50 percent of the price of your flights. Maybe it’s cheaper to rent a car at the airport than taking taxis everywhere you want to go. There is never one right way to book transport, and it’s usually best to mix-and-match to find the cheapest option. Do bear in mind, that there is more to this decision than just price. A 14-hour bus ride might be significantly cheaper than flying, but keeping your kids still for 14 hours may be well and truly impossible.
  10. Travel With Another Family: A great way to reduce travel expenses is to share them with other people (and no, your kids don’t count, unless they’re paying)! Find some friends or another family to tag along with you on your trip. You won’t be able to split the cost of airfares, but things like car rentals and accommodation can be shared to save money. On top of the cost-saving, you’ll have other adults there to give you the occasional break if there’s somewhere you really want to visit that your kids wouldn’t be interested in.

Hi, I'm Delilah. I'm a traveler, photographer and writer from Auckland, New Zealand. My favourite places in the world are Queenstown, Singapore and New Caledonia!

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I Never Planned to Parent Through Tragedy

By Emily Scott

Photo: Emily Scott, Renewed Hope Parenting

We all have this beautiful picture of parenthood. Kids smiling. Families laughing. Wildflowers and butterflies.

But life doesn’t always turn out how we expect it to. My plan for parenting has taken many turns I didn’t expect. Sick kids. Hospital stays. Bullies. Sibling bickering. And where are the butterflies?

The biggest unexpected twist came when we had to parent through loss, trauma, and tragedy. Our home was destroyed in a California wildfire last summer and we lost everything. We were homeless with three kids and four dogs. We, quite literally, had nothing.

The weeks following the fire were the most difficult of my life. Not only did I have to manage getting myself through tragedy, but we had three small children who needed our help.

We had many hard days. Our kids missed their toys. They couldn’t understand why we couldn’t just go home. They would ask to wear clothes we no longer had. They wanted to sleep with stuffed animals that now rest in toy heaven. We had to live in a hotel room for two weeks and then had to move from rental to rental. Life was often chaotic and stressful.

But we got through it. I am often asked how we helped our kids through such a difficult experience. In all honesty, we just parented the best we could. We let them be sad. We let them miss their toys. We didn’t try to fix every sad emotion they had. We talked through the pain and hugged out the tears. We replaced the things we could, fully knowing that most of what we lost can never ever be replaced.

We parented through tragedy. We showed our kids the ashes that remained of our home. We allowed them to put handprints in the concrete when the new home construction began. We showed them how community comes together to help. We let them see how, when tragedy strikes, goodness and hope will always prevail. We didn’t let sadness take over and win. We turned tragedy into triumph.

Parenting through difficult times is a million times harder than parenting already is. Whether it’s loss, difficult diagnoses, brokenness, or any other struggle that life throws our way. It is hard. But the difficult times do not have to win.

We can choose to fight through the pain and give our kids the beautiful gift of resilience. We can help make them stronger. We may not always be able to parent with laughter and butterflies, but we can parent with hope. Hope will always win.

Emily Scott, PhD is a stay-at-home mom of three, and part time parenting consultant and blogger who has written on various topics including child development, emotional intelligence, ACEs and raising responsible kids. With a background in childhood development, she thought staying home with three kids would be a piece of cake.

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We took a Cross-Country Road Trip with a Baby & You Can, Too

By Erin Artfitch

When my husband delivered the news that we’d be moving from our beloved Emerald City to rural Missouri, my immediate thought was: ROAD TRIP.

I inherited my wanderlust from my mom. While most moms drove their kids to soccer practice, mine searched for national landmarks in an 18-wheeler, all the while homeschooling a bossy 13-year-old. This brief yet adventurous lifest‌yle resulted in my uncanny ability to memorize out-of-state mile markers and an insatiable desire to travel.

Luckily, my husband shared this passion. In fact, very shortly after the arrival of our first baby, we packed up the car and took a day trip to Portland oregon. Cue the headaches, screaming and diaper blowouts.

Fast forward a year, we were older and wiser and more than a little cynical about this road trip thing. Yet, I contemplated a 2,000 mile trek with a baby, two cats and a dog. My husband thought I was insane. Honestly, I kind of agreed, but how could I simply fly over the most beautiful wilderness in the United States?

In the end, we did make that trip and it was incredible.

Whether you’re willingly traveling across the country with your family or duty requires you to go out of your comfort zone, let me first encourage you; taking a cross-country road trip with a baby is an adventure that you should look look forward to!

Below are a few essential tips that can help you make this epic journey.

Hotel Room Considerations

Sleep is the key to success for any cross-country road trip. If your baby isn’t well-rested, he’ll fuss all day and night, which will keep you from enjoying this incredible experience. So, creating a great sleep environment is essential. Here are a few things to consider:

Hotel Room Layout: Does your baby cosleep? Try to find a hotel with a bed that fits all of you. Is he an independent sleeper? Book a suite with a separate living room. The idea is to emulate your baby’s typical sleeping environment.

Keep in mind your room’s furniture layout too. For instance, our daughter’s crib was situated against a wall and a dresser. So, at the hotel, we set up her Pack ‘n Play in a similar position. These small modifications make a huge difference!

Sound: Unfamiliar sounds can prevent or disrupt sleep as well. Before your trip, familiarize your baby with a white noise maker. On the road, you can use it to dampen noise and cue sleepy-time. You can also reduce sounds by avoiding rooms next to elevators or request a room on the top floor.

Sleep Surface: I highly recommend bringing whatever sleeping surface your baby is used to. If your baby sleeps in the crib, familiarize him with a Pack ‘n Play a couple weeks before the trip. This will make hotel-living much less of an adjustment.

Bring In Reinforcements

If you’re driving with your partner, take turns in the backseat. A little entertainment from mom and dad can make the hours fly by!

If you’re driving alone, it’s a good idea to snag a copilot. Not only will your copilot help you stay awake on those bleary-eyed days, but they can entertain baby during the drive and at the hotel.

For our epic cross-country trip, we called in my husband’s mom. During the day, she’d entertain the baby and at night she’d happily take the pets into her hotel room and love on them. Without her to shoulder some of the responsibility, the trip would’ve been a disaster.

Create an Itinerary

The days of hopping in the car and letting the road lead you are officially over! If you’re going to go on a cross-country road trip with a baby, planning your route beforehand is a necessity.

Creating an itinerary will ensure that your baby stays on schedule, you’ll never have to scramble to find the right hotel and you’ll always have some kind of entertainment during your breaks. Before you embark on your journey, make sure you know:

  • Your route and backup route
  • Daily stops
  • Hotels and backup hotels
  • Any toll roads
  • Points of interest to explore along the way

Limit Driving to Eight Hours a Day

Driving cross-country with a baby is tough, for you and your little one. Yeah, you could drive straight through, but where’s the fun in that? If you set achievable, realistic expectations, you’ll transform this trip into something wonderful that you’ll always remember fondly. Isn’t that worth it?

So, try to commit to driving no more than eight hours a day. Some days you’ll drive a little less, others you’ll drive a little more. However, if you stick with this goal, you’ll develop a nice rhythm.

Just to give you an example, here’s what our “schedule” looked like during our epic road trip:

  • 8 a.m. Wake up
  • 9 a.m. Eat breakfast
  • 10 a.m. Drive
  • 11 a.m. First nap
  • 1 p.m. Lunch—break time!
  • 2 p.m. Drive
  • 3 p.m. Second Nap
  • 5 p.m. Baby Wakes Up
  • 6:30/7 p.m. Stop for the night, eat dinner, playtime
  • 8 p.m. Bedtime

There are two things that I love about an eight-hour driving schedule: it mimics a typical, daily routine and it results in no more than four to five hours of awake time for baby in the car. Obviously, this schedule wasn’t achievable every day, but it was a great guideline to strive for.

DO Stop to Smell the Roses

Exploring is the best part of road trips! When you’re planning your trip, keep an eye out for family-friendly activities. That might be a historical marker, natural landmark or maybe even just a quick trip to the park.

During our road trip, we actually visited three different local parks. It gave our rambunctious pre-toddler the opportunity to run crazy while we explored the local culture. Your activity doesn’t have to take up half the day; sometimes even an hour will do. The goal is just to give your baby real play time.

Whatever you do, avoid letting your baby sleep too much during the day. That’s the recipe for sleepless nights.

Are you feeling more confident about your upcoming trip? I hope so! A cross-country road trip with a baby can be a challenge at times, but don’t let that discourage you from taking the plunge. It’s the perfect time to expand your baby’s little world and stretch your muscles as a parent. Just take the time to plan what you can and be flexible with what you can’t.

Have fun making new memories!

Coffee. Faith. Mom Hacks. Erin firmly believes that this is the perfect recipe for successful parenting. She is the founder of Blunders in Babyland, a quirky little blog that provides quick and practical tips for moms and moms-to-be that just want to make their lives easier. 

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This California City Will Pay You $100 Just to Visit—but You Need to Book ASAP

by Erica Loop

If low- or no-cost travel isn’t a good enough deal for you, try this one on for size: San Luis Obispo, California will pay you to come see their sites. Yes, pay you. So what’s the catch? Check out how your fam can travel and get paid!

Technically you still have to pay for your hotel. But how often do you get the chance to go on a trip and then get $100 cash back upon arrival? Seriously. That’s a huge perk! But there’s a little legwork involved before you can get that sweet cash. Read on for the deets.

You’ll need to book a minimum two-night hotel stay in San Luis Obispo, between Jan. 1 and Mar. 31, 2019 via the city’s website. (FYI, there are a few blackout dates to avoid, specifically Jan. 19-20 and Feb. 16-17.)

After booking your stay, email your hotel stay confirmation to info@sanluisobispovacations.com. You’ll get a promotion confirmation number via email. You’ll need to print this out and hang onto it for your trip. Once you arrive, check in to your hotel, then head over to the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center. Show them your lodging confirmation, promotion confirmation email and your hotel room key.

The first 500 visitors to do so will get $100! We never said it would be easy but hey—free cash is free cash, plus you can get mini vaycay in with the fam at the same time.

Happy travels!

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Shari Murphy via Pexels

 

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This New Travel Site Lets You Buy Someone Else’s Vacation

by Shahrzad Warkentin

Want an awesome family vacation without having to do any planning? Why not buy someone else’s? Transfer Travel is like eBay for vacations and it lets you buy someone else’s already booked travel tickets and accommodations they no longer need.

Simon Powell founded Transfer Travel after he was stuck with his own fully-booked trip to Dubai thanks to an unplanned split from his partner. It was the receptionist at Powell’s hotel that prompted the idea when she asked if he could find someone to take his hotel room and pay him back for it.

Just like eBay, sellers can list their tickets or hotel rooms at full cost (the Buy It Now price), but there’s also plenty of room to score a deal as buyers can make lower offers. Any additional fees, like the cost of changing names on a booking, falls on the seller. Transfer Travel confirms each listing to make sure it’s a genuine booking. To protect buyers, the site also waits to release the money to sellers until after the booking is used.

On the flip side, if you’ve ever had to give up that family trip because of sick kids, this service can ensure you won’t lose your vacation and your money. According to research from Transfer Travel, illness is the number one reason vacations get canceled and around 220,000 booked and paid hotel rooms go unused in the United States each year. Currently, you can find around 1,000 open listings at Transfer Travel.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured Photo: Free-Photos via Pixabay

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6 Tips for Traveling with a 6-Month-Old

By Susan Betteridge

Traveling with infants is hard. Yes, even for this LGBT family with two hands-on Moms who in their pre-Mom days both flew over 50,000 miles a year.

My wife and I recently flew to New Orleans for Mardi Gras with our 6-month-old daughter. Sure, this could be considered a ludicrous first trip for an infant, but we figured if we could swing it in a land of raucous revelers on Bourbon Street, there’s no place we couldn’t go!

Beyond the obvious suggestions like feeding your little one a bottle or breast during takeoff and landing, here are my tips for traveling with an itty bitty in tow:

1. Use curbside check-in.

Nearly every major airport has curbside check-in which is a lifesaver when you plan to check bags and baby gear. We opted to bring her car seat (free to check on airlines), so we unloaded her and popped it in our travel bag right at the curb along with our other checked luggage.

My wife then parked the car and I waited with or little inside, schlepping only her and her diaper bag. Curbside check in is free for most airlines, but I advise tipping a few bucks a bag, because it’s just the right thing to do.

2. Splurge for a suite.

Bambinos clearly nap a lot and go to bed early. That means that unless you have a little one who can sleep anywhere (we don’t), when they sleep you will be shackled to a room with the lights off, tiptoeing around in silence. Since this gets old after about nap #1, pay the extra money for a suite. Your little one can sleep in peace and you can still feel like you are remotely human, sipping Cabernet and catching up on Netflix in the living room next door.

3. Bring beyond the basics.

Beyond all the things any reasonable parent would pack, here are a few unsung heroes I’d recommend:

  • Ready-to-use formula bottles: Although our daughter was still nursing, if you are stuck on the tarmac or in traffic, pre-mixed formula in mini bottles will get you through a hunger-induced screaming spell.
  • Dish soap: Bottles and breast pump parts won’t wash themselves on the road and you won’t want to opt for the bar soap in the hotel room.
  • Laundry detergent: Bring a little bottle full of laundry soap to wash out your little one’s clothes when she inevitably has a blowout, or four.
  • Snacks for yourself: Don’t forget that whenever your little one is sleeping you won’t have access to a fully-stocked fridge like home, so bring snacks for yourself to get you through some odd times, especially if you are still breastfeeding and consuming calories like a teenager running track.

4. Skip the stroller.

We gate checked our convertible travel stroller (each adult can gate check one stroller or car seat free of charge), but didn’t use it once the entire trip. Since our little nugget only weighs around 15 pounds, our can’t-live-without-carrier was much more convenient and felt safer when we wove through crowds on Bourbon Street. Because she’s at the age where she can face in or out, it also let her be a part of the party, or snuggle in.

5. Most hotels have cribs. 

Call ahead to make sure your hotel has cribs and then happily leave your pack-n-play behind. Bring a crib sheet from home to make it feel cozy.

6. Don’t book a balcony room on Bourbon Street. 

When booking our hotel room in New Orleans, these two cool chicks clutched to our pre-Mom getaways and thought, “How loud could a balcony room on Bourbon Street really be?” The answer is ridiculously loud. Resist the urge to opt for a room near the action, albeit the pool or the party street below, otherwise neither you or your little one will be able to sleep until the mayhem dies down. After one night we switched to an interior room and thankfully, our dream of vacationing regularly wasn’t ruined forever!

Pro tip: Don’t forget to ask for a credit if you downgrade rooms, most hotels will at least give you a resort credit you can use for parking or room service.

As a final thought for all the wanderlust-loving parents who are hesitant to take your little one on a plane or be away from the modern conveniences of our over-accessorized nurseries, just go for it. Yes, she will inevitably cry on the plane and you will be overwhelmed by both guilt and panic, but trust me, many of the people on the plane are parents themselves and will smile at you with a knowing look you will never forget. And if anyone has the audacity to throw you some shade, who cares—because you are out there showing your little one how amazing this great big world is!

Featured Photo Courtesy: Author

I am one mom of an amazing two-mom duo, raising a little girl to experience adventure, kindness and all things lovely! My blog is full of heart-warming advice and anecdotes about motherhood, travel and girl power. Stop by for a read at SheShe Life.

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10 Insider Tips to Booking a VRBO Family Vacation Rental House Like a Pro

By Amy Ragsdale

Staying in a hotel can be great, especially for short stays. But for longer trips, I look for an apartment or house to rent. Having a kitchen saves us money by not eating out constantly, and if you are traveling with kids, it means you don’t have to tiptoe around a hotel room after they go to bed. Even better, many properties have washer/dryers which means half as much packing to do.

VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner) is my go-to website for vacation rental properties, and I have always had success finding my family’s vacation lodging here. All of my transactions have gone smoothly, and the properties have typically exceeded my expectations. Finding the right property takes quite a bit of time, but it’s worth the effort. Here are some tips when searching VRBO for that perfect vacation rental.

1. Know your general itinerary first.

Before you can answer where you want to stay, you need to know what you want to do on your vacation. If most of your activities revolve around shopping and eating downtown, look at downtown properties that are within walking distance. Conversely, if you plan to hike or visit multiple attractions, choose an area that minimizes your drive time. As they say in real estate, “location, location, location” applies here, too.

2. Enter the actual dates you plan to stay.

When searching for a property, enter the actual dates of your visit. If you don’t enter dates for your location search, your results will usually list the “average price per night” and its availability will be unknown. Without dates, you’ll see the average of the rates charged during the low season and the high season. This price can be misleading if you are planning to visit during the high season when you can most certainly count on a higher price than the listed “average.”

3. Use the “Search When I Move Map” option.

Once you’ve determined what you want to do, you’re now ready to find where you want to stay. The “Search When I Move Map” option allows you to precisely pinpoint the properties that are available in the area you’d like to stay. Tip: Zoom in to see exact street names. You can then enter a general address on Google Maps to see what surrounds the property and map the distance to other attractions.

4. Look closely at the photos.

You’d be surprised how much you can learn about a property by looking at its photos. Does the furniture look worn? What is the view out the window? Is the bathroom remodeled? Is the property decorated nicely or is it cluttered? You’ll get a good general sense of the property layout, cleanliness and st‌yle just by looking at the photos. Also, experienced owners will have multiple photos of the bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen and living areas, whereas owners new to VRBO don’t always include this detail. Go with the experienced owner. Additionally, if the photos are blurry or poor quality, keep looking.

5. Read the reviews.

You can learn a lot from the people who have stayed at the property before you. First, the star rating is important. Look for properties with at least 4/5 stars with dozens of reviews. You want lots of reviews because that means the owners have been doing this awhile and have the kinks worked out.

In addition, the reviews can often be a goldmine of information. You can learn about a great restaurant in the neighborhood or an activity that’s close by and shouldn’t be missed. You can also find out whether the sleeper sofa is actually comfortable, the level of street noise, and other property quirks.

Seriously, the reviews are usually the best source of information on the property. Read several of them. I also like to single out the worst reviews and make a point to read them as well. Keep in mind that sometimes there is just no pleasing people and terrible reviews will be written regarding events completely out of the control of the owners. However, if something did go disastrously wrong, I like to read how the owners handled it.

6. Realize many properties are not listed by the actual owner.

In fact, you’ll often be dealing with a property manager rather than the owner. Although VRBO stands for “Vacation Rental By Owner,” it’s increasingly common for property management firms to list their properties on VRBO. The downside is that those properties are often more expensive than private owner listings. The upside is that you have a rental property management firm available if anything goes wrong, such as a broken air conditioner or leaking sink.

7. Count on additional fees.

Although the price per night might look like a steal, keep in mind that you still need to pay cleaning fees, taxes, and a service fee. These additional fees can easily add up to the equivalent of an additional night’s rent.  Tip: VRBO charges a service fee for booking through their site. I have often paid a check to the owner to avoid it, especially with properties I am returning to for a second time.

8. Check to see if the property is listed on other vacation rental sites.

Once you’ve found the property you like, check to see if it’s listed on airbnb or booking.com. I’ve sometimes found the same property to be less expensive on other sites. If your property is listed by a property management company, check their website too.

9. Want to travel with your pet?

You can search properties with a filter “pets allowed” to see which allow pets. Expect to pay an additional fee. I’ve found that for the most part, these properties can be just as nice as those that don’t allow pets. Look for hardwood floors and read reviews regarding cleanliness to increase your chance of a suitable property. Tip: I’ve sometimes had success asking a “no pets allowed” property if they would consider allowing a pet. It doesn’t hurt to ask, especially if you have a well-behaved dog with an excellent track record at home. Be willing to put down a sizable deposit.

10. Look at the cancellation policy.

Cancellation policies varies by property. Be aware of the cancellation timeline and any fees you would incur if you need to cancel it. A strict cancellation policy versus a more flexible one is sometimes the deciding factor for me when choosing between two properties.

Following these tips can save you lots of frustation using VRBO and improve your chances of finding that perfect house for your family vacation.

Featured Photo Courtesy: nhattienle94/Pixabay

A researcher at heart, I love planning trips: Scouring guidebooks, websites and vacation rental listings is actually fun for me! For my family, a fantastic vacation gravitates toward scenic beauty and local food. I'm the creator of Simply Awesome Trips, a website providing family-friendly trip itineraries to cities and outdoor destinations.

 

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