Don’t overpay for your next vacation! Use VRBO & Airbnb to LOOK but don’t BOOK.
Savvy vacation rental consumers know that, while it is great to look for rentals on these sites, it is not always the best idea to book using them. These sites earn a large portion of their revenue from service fees that are paid by you that can be 6-20% of the cost of the rental.
Consumers who book directly with the property manager receive increased customer support. When you contact the property management company, they have intimate knowledge about the destination and can show you the best rental for your needs. Plus, they can direct you to activities, restaurants, and area service providers.
Charges you 5-12% up to $499!
A $6,750/wk rental = $443.00 ‘service fee’
Once a small site, VRBO is now owned by Expedia and are charging guests fees that they aren’t used to paying in years past. They began adding a service fee about 2 years ago. Don’t spend hundreds unknowingly.
Charges you 6-15% with NO limit
A $6,750/wk rental = $1,209 ‘service fee’
Airbnb has always charged guests a service fee, but they don’t have a cap on the amount. Don’t spend hundreds or thousands unnecessarily.
Charging you 10-20% with NO limit
A $6,750/wk rental = $675.00 ‘hidden fee’
Flipkey and Tripadvisor hides their fee into the rent – they don’t show a guest a ‘service fee’ when they go to book. You could be spending hundreds or thousands unnecessarily by using them.
BOOKING DIRECTLY WITH THE PROPERTY MANAGER
When shopping for a vacation rental online, here are some tips to locating the home’s original property manager to save hundreds of dollars and ensure a better vacation experience with just a little extra investigative work:
1) Look at the photos and description for clues that mention the name of the property management company or the house name.
2) Copy and paste the description of the property into your search engine to see other sites where the home is listed. Often the property you are interested in is also publicized by its property management company directly.
3) Conduct a Google image search with the photos of the home as another method of locating the primary source of the rental.
Our Diamond Guests receive a lot of EXTRAS
♦ Amenities & Linens that are Luxurious
♦ Complimentary Arrival Gift with Wine
♦ Complimentary Netflix & Pandora
♦ Complimentary Beach Bicycles
♦ Complimentary Beach Service*
*Seasonal March – October
Read our DIAMOND REVIEWS
I Wouldn’t Change a Thing!
I can’t say enough good things about the home and the management. There is not one thing I would change about our stay, and I hope this home is available the next time we make it to Destin! Thank you so much Mark & Cynthia for helping make this such an amazing memory!
Very Responsive & Helpful!
Mark and Cynthia were very responsive from the moment we booked the home until we left. They answered all of our questions and gave us fantastic tips on local restaurants and shopping. We truly felt that they were glad we were there.