#1 An Accessible Location
When looking for a vacation rental, first and foremost you should consider where it’s located in the city or town you are staying in. Sometimes vacation rental companies give an approximate location of a rental. Be aware that this could mean it can be on the close end or on the far end of the area it’s located in.
Look for a vacation rental with a specific address to ensure there is no miscommunication or surprises about the location of the property upon arrival. If you are unsure where to stay in a new place, doing a quick Google search will likely give you a list of different areas of town with different things to see and do. When staying in a new city, try to find a vacation rental in an area that is close by the attractions you wish to see on your trip, that way you can easily get to and from them from your rental.
#2 Good WIFI
If you are hoping to keep in touch with family and friends while on your trip, make sure your vacation rental has good WIFI before you submit your booking. Especially when traveling to a different country with a different culture, don’t assume having WIFI is standard in each vacation rental. Vacation rentals are managed by individuals which means there is no standard of what they offer.
Having good WIFI in a new city is important for a few reasons. If you are traveling to a different country, chances are you won’t have service on your phone. Therefore, planning out your trip, buying tickets online, calling taxis, and looking up important things like maps, translations, bus schedules, etc. is likely only able to be done while in WIFI. Going to a coffee shop each time you need to access something online can get really annoying and expensive. Having a home-base with a strong WIFI connection can help mitigate the need to use public WIFI on your trip.
#3 A Good Mattress
Going on vacation and staying in a vacation rental home should be comfortable. No one wants to go on vacation only to be stuck sleeping on an uncomfortable bed. Having a sore back during your trip is no fun. Look at the listing to see if they list if they have a memory foam or spring mattress to get a better idea of what to expect in terms of your sleeping situation.
Check to see if the mattress is up to a good standard by scrolling through the reviews to see what other people had to say about the listing. Many times, if the bed is too uncomfortable to bare, you’ll likely see several negative thoughts about it in the comments.
#4 A List of Local Attractions
When vacationing to a new city sometimes it’s difficult to know where to go or what to see. While hotels make it easy by having partnerships with local attractions, each vacation rental is different. Good vacation rentals should have a list of local attractions to see in the area during your stay.
For example, if you visit a city like San Diego, a vacation rental host might recommend you to go to the San Diego Zoo, see some of the military bases and museums, take a walk around Balboa park, and eat a burger from the famous local burger joint Hodad’s. The sign of a good host is a detailed profile listing that includes a list of things to do and see in their area.
#5 A Host with a Clean Background
Because the travel industry provides over 292 million jobs worldwide, when looking to book a vacation rental keep in mind that you are renting from a stranger. While vacation rental sites screen hosts, there has been several instances of sketchy things that have happened to people while staying at vacation rentals. Some people have had the location changed on them before arrival, arrived to an empty parking lot, showed up to a home that didn’t match the pictures online, and so on.
If you are doubtful about the listing or the host in any way, don’t hesitate to run a background check on them. This will give you peace of mind in booking with a host that you know has a clean background. Knowing exactly who you are renting from will put your mind at ease and give you the opportunity to focus on having a great holiday in your vacation rental.
Author Bio
Samantha Rupp holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and is a contributing editor for 365BusinessTips.com as well as a marketing expert for an online faucet supplier. She has lived in South America, Europe, and North America and has seen 3 world wonders. She currently lives in San Diego, California where she enjoys spending time on the beach, reading up on business industry trends, and traveling.
