VacationRentalsIntl.com | 2006 July International Vacation Rentals, Vacation Cabin Rentals, Vacation Home Rentals

Owning your own vacation rental is not easy, you have be will to put countless hours into it’s upkeep, and maintenance, never mind promoting the vacation home in hopes that someone will want to rent it. Property management companies can do a great deal of that for you, but property management companies will take a large bite out of you profits - anywhere up to 50%, if not more.

If you aren’t sure you want become a vacation home owner, you are thinking about renting out a home, or you are looking for some advice, we found a great article in the Orlando Sentinel about what hard work and dedication to do for a vacation home owner.

Read the full Owning a Vacation Home article. 

Vacation Rentals Intl.com are very exciting news for everyone. We will soon be more than just a Vacation Rental guide, Vacation Rentals International will also feature privately owned vacation rentals from all over the world. When there are more details we will let you know
- VRI Team

If burning through the family checkbookis what you love to do on your summer break, then we have a treat for you. Forbes has put together a list of the Most Expensive Hotels In The World 2006.
All the hotels are complied from all over the world. The prices are based on the most basic rooms at peak seasons.

The hotels are all beautiful, luxury hotels, with all the amenities you could want in a hotel and then some. It leaves me wondering though - why pay $3,000 a night for a hotel, when you can take that money and invest in a 2 - week vacation with the same beautiful sunsets, and amazing views?

..Well, maybe some day, but right now we are one step closer.

Just imagine renting a vacation home on the Moon or Mars? Maybe I am getting a head of myself, but I would love to try it out.

Why is my head in the clouds? Or above the clouds rather…Well a hotel tycoon named Robert Bigelow has recently launched his first attempt at galactic holidays. Genesis 1 is an experimental inflatable capsule that was launched into space this past week. The hope is to get progressively make the capsules larger and affordable for anyone to take a trip to space.

I will stick to a vacation house in a beautiful Spanish village for now. Although I might have to start saving up for a Mars Vacation house…just in case…Who knows, it might happen in our life time.

By now you have probably seen Timeshare Vacation Tour offers that seem too good to be true. They can offer breathtaking adventures to remote locations and beautiful resorts for low prices. I’m sure you’ve said to yourself: “What is the catch?”I know I have.

To be honest there isn’t really a big catch. In most cases all you have to do is lend some of your time to preview a vacation resort. Not a big deal at all.

A timeshare vacation might be a good choice if you are in search of a romantic vacation or just want to go on an exciting trip with some friends.

What is wrong with saving hundreds of dollars for a once in a lifetime opportunity? Would you say no to a tropical vacation just because you have to take part in a resort tour? I know I wouldn’t… especially if I might a stay in a beautiful tropical resort villa that comes complete with a Jacuzzi tub.

Of course if you are not interested in taking a tour of a resort, but still want all the comforts of the tropical villa, I would suggested a Vacation Home Rental. You can still save some money and get all the comfort and privacy you need.

After a lot of soul searching, we knew that Banff Alberta Canada was going to be our favorite place to visit. Sure, it isn’t 365 days of beautiful sunshine and white sand beaches. What it is, however, is a picture perfect mountain community with some of the most amazing views, crystal clear lakes, lush landscapes, and of course, fresh powered snow you will ever see. Banff is beautiful during the summer and a great place to take a family for an exciting week of hiking and sight seeing. It is also perfect for a large group of friends to head up for a week of skiing in the winter time. Unlike many locations there is no down< time in Banff. It is always wide awake and ready for excitement.

Learn More about Banff National Park

The Cedar Barn Lodge is located in Canmore Alberta, which is literally minutes outside of Banff National park. Out of all the Banff and Canmore Vacation Homes we looked at, Cedar barn Lodge caught our eye as the one for the Vacation Rentals International team. This five Bedroom Mountain Top haven is perfect for a large group who wants to spend a week on the slopes. It is spacious, inviting, has a new kitchen, a cedar interior, and a wood fireplace. To top it all off, Cedar barn Lodge has an amazing view of the Three Sisters Mountains.

Learn more about Cedar barn Lodge

There is a neat new Vacation Guide from the New York Times and Google Maps. This valuable source for travelers, entitled The 36 Hours Column offers a weekend-long itinerary for different North American cities every week.

The 36 Hours Column is easy to use, and a great way to find something to do for a weekend long excursion with you, family or friends. That way when you are planning your rental home vacation you can check it out to pair up the perfect weekend getaway.

Check out The 36 Hours Column.

Disappointment is probably the biggest risk when you are renting any sort of vacation home, apartment, condo, or cottage. Quite simply, it is not getting exactly what you have paid for. You often pay for your vacation rentals upfront and in full before you even have a chance to see the home. To add to that, many vacation rentals have no provision for refunds after you arrive. You have a great deal of money at stake when it comes to renting a vacation home.What you want to look out for when renting a vacation home is misrepresentation of property, and the old bait and switch.

Anyone who is renting out their properties wants to rent them as often as possible so they can make as much money as possible. One way a vacation rental owner can do that is by stretching the truth when listing and describing the property to make it sound and look better than it actually is. It is similar to padding your resume when you are going to your first job at 16. A 10-minute drive to the beach can become “easy access to the beach.” Shabby or run down magically becomes “charming.” The bus that comes three times a day becomes “great access to public transport.” “Sleeps six” might even mean four beds, a couch, and a cot.

On rare occasion you run into people who pull the bait and switch. These dishonest rental agencies and owners will get you out to your location only to “inform” you that the apartment or house you have rented is being repaired. They then offer you a run down, out of the way location that is not what you paid for. Nor is it anywhere close to where you wanted to be.

There is nothing anyone can do to guarantee that you will not be disappointed, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t something you can do. Don’t tolerate a bad rental. If you believe the property was misrepresented, take action as soon as you see the problem. Call the rental agency wherever it might be and ask for immediate correction or refund. In foreign countries, immediately explore your rights as a consumer in the local jurisdiction.

Do you have a Vacation Rental horror story that you would like to share with us, to help warn people of what to look for? Let us know, leave a comment.

Happy Independence Day to all the Americans out there from the Vacation Rentals International crew. We hope that your BBQs, family gatherings and fireworks go off without a hitch. So here is the question we are asking you – What are your plans to top it next year?

July 4th is an important celebration. Not only is it a celebration of the United States’ independence, it is also an important family gathering. Families traditionally come together to enjoy giant cookouts with friends and family. Sure, it is great to have it in your back yard but just imagine getting the whole family together at a beautiful beach house rental on Virginia Beach. Or make the 4th of July extra special by renting out a home in Miami Beach. These are all great possibilities, but you have to plan ahead. That is why we are giving you the heads up now.

You might be wondering why you would want to plan this early. What is the point of planning July 4th 2007 on July 5th 2006 right? Well the fact of the matter is that there are already families all over the United States who celebrate the 4th of July in style in beautiful Vacation rental homes every year. Many of these families have vacation rentals they go back to every year. So if you want to start a great new family tradition it is best to take the bull by the horns and get started now!