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

Several Kailua vacation rentals have been hit with robberies in the past month, so we here at Vacation Rentals International would like to remind everyone to stay safe while you are vacationing. The last thing anyone wants is to come back to an empty house.

A rash of burglaries have hit Kailua vacation rentals, many of which are operating illegally, KITV 4 News reported. Police believe many beach visitors are provided a false sense of security while settling into a vacation rental.” They’re perfect for the criminal,” said Honolulu Police Department Detective John McCarthy. “They’re here on vacation; they let their guard down. They have valuables. What more can a crook ask for?”

Try keeping all your valuables out of sight. Do not leave money, jewelry, watches, passports etc., out in plain sight. I keep an old holed out book on me when I travel. That way I have somewhere to keep valuables I don’t want to lose, but cannot take with me when I go to the beach.

Lock all your doors. This may seem obvious, but I’m sure we have all rushed out to the beach or out hiking and exploring without locking the doors. All it takes is an extra minute. That extra minute could save you thousands of dollars.

Keep your wits about you. If you are out walking around in a busy tourist heavy area make sure you are aware of your surroundings. You never know when there could be a pickpocketer around. And steer clear of card games, dice games, and any of the sort in the street. 95% of the time they are a con looking to steal your money from you.

There is a large group of us pet owners who are always keeping an eye open for anything pet friendly. From hotels, cabins, villas, to vacation rental homes, it can be a real challenge to find pet friendly accommodations. So to aid in your search for pet friendly vacation rentals we are setting you up with a nice list of good pet friendly accommodation resources.

Enjoy.

Pet Friendly.ca
http://www.petfriendly.ca/
Search through our list of hotels, motels, resorts, vacation rentals, cottages, cabins, bed & breakfasts, and other pet-friendly lodging from across Canada that your whole family can enjoy! (Pets are family, too!)

Vacation Homes.com
http://www.vacationhomes.com/pet-friendly-vacation-rentals/
To aid you in enjoying your next vacation with your whole family, vacationhomes.com have created the following section which highlights pet friendly vacation rentals on our site. All the vacation homes in this section report that they are pet friendly.

Pet Friendly Travel.com
http://www.petfriendlytravel.com/
PetFriendlyTravel.com gives you easy access to pet friendly accommodations in the US and Canada, including dog and pet friendly vacation rentals, hotels, cabins, motels, B&Bs, resorts, inns and spas.

Pets Welcome.com
http://www.petswelcome.com/
Listings for over 25,000 hotels, B&Bs, ski resorts, campgrounds, and beaches that are pet-friendly.

Five quick tips to booking your perfect vacation rental.

1. Start Early, by the end of January a lot of great properties will already be snatched up. If you wait until the last minute you will never get the vacation rental you want.

2. Avoid Rental Agents. There are a lot of hidden fees when you deal with rental agents. Renting directly from the owners generally include a few pictures of the property, a description of the house and what’s in the local area.

3. Get all the details. If you are expecting you vacation rental to be a home away from home you will be excepting a lot of the little things. Be sure to check if there is a highchair, or if there is wheelchair access.

4. Protect your investment.  Paying by cheque or cash can be make it harder for you to get your money back if your vacation rental isn’t what you thought it would be. Paying by credit card means you may be protected by the fair credit bill act.
5. Consider your timing. The most popular vacation months — July and August — are going to cost more. You can save a ton of dough if you skip the high season. You could save at least 30% to 50% if you book your rental in late May and early June.

Today we are following the same path we went yesterday. Everyone needs a vacation! Everyone darn it!

I came across yet another article with more vacation statistics that could just make you weep.

A survey by Info-Tech Research Group found 81 percent of employees feel obligated to some degree to be available to their employers at all times during their vacation.

When I go on vacation I unplug my email, make the office a special ring - so I know not to answer it - and try to get as far away from any sort of telephone or cell phone reception as possible. Unplugging is a good thing no matter what your Blackberry tells you.

You survived before you had it, you will survive the weeklong adventure without it!

Read about how working vacations are having a negative effect on employees.

Okay this isn’t really a vacation horror story, but a horror story it is.

Today I read an article that suggested around 43% of office employees like you and I work during their vacations. According to this new survey that statistic is up more than 20% from ten years ago.

It is no wonder everyone is always stressed out and in a bad mood! Vacations are not meant for playing catch up people! It saddens me to think that 43% of people are taking time off to work even more. Sure some people are ‘married to their work,’ some people ‘just really like working.’ But if you are really enjoying what you are doing don’t waste vacation days with work. Vacation days are for sitting back and relaxing on the edge of a lake, BBQ-ing, and having a cold beverage, while listening to your favorite album.

So my plea is this

Stop working on your vacation. Take time out for you and your family!

And if you are one of those people who don’t use your vacation time, take next Wednesday off. Stay home, have a milk shake.

The wonderful city of Venice Florida can be found in Southwest Florida on the Gulf of Mexico. It is tucked part way between Tampa and Ft. Myers, and may be the best kept secrets in Florida.

You can spend the day fishing, relaxing on the beach, exploring the great shops and restaurants that Venice Florida has to offer (we recommend Sharky’s on the Pier), and if you are in for more of an adventure you could try your hands at diving.

Venice Florida is famous for it’s an abundance of fossilized shark’s teeth and is known as the Shark’s Tooth Capital of The World. Take your kids to the beach and hunt for shark teeth on your own, or come during the Sharks Tooth Festival and celebrate with hundreds of other families.

If you are interested in a Venice Florida Vacation Home, then we would suggest you check out Vacation Rental Pros.com. It has a great listing of Venice FL Vacation rentals. It is easy to search and find the best vacation rental for you and you family.

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.