Another week just went by where I didn’t pick up my camera even once. I blame all the studying! (I passed my two certification exams, but now I’m onto the next one which means more studying.) So on that note, I’m posting an image from Tortola because I’m dreaming of warmer weather and beachy scenes with little seagulls in the sand. And it’s worth noting that no Photoshop was used to boost the colors in this image. That was the real color of the water!
People often ask me why Chris and I stay in a rental villa/condo on some of our travels instead of a hotel, and if it’s much more expensive. We’ve done vacation rentals about a dozen times now in the last couple of years and the answer is that sometimes it makes more sense for us depending on the location and our plans, and no, it’s not necessarily more expensive! It probably just looks super fancypants when you see pictures of an amazing view or a pool with no one else in it, but I promise we’re not paying crazy prices or using any secret magic tricks. Well, I use some tricks to find good places, but I’ll share those with you.
For anyone who isn’t familiar with Chris and me, we are thirty-somethings who travel a handful of times throughout the year (about 5-6 times in addition to traveling to see family) and our travel budget is in the middle of the road when it comes to accommodations. The short answer is that we really enjoy staying in rental properties for beach and snow vacations, but in this post I’ll break down our process on the when, why and how.
When and Why Do We Rent?
For some trips, especially when the purpose is to unwind, we’ve found that we’re able to relax more when we have some space to ourselves instead of sharing common areas with strangers. I do love people-watching, but sometimes you want chill time by the pool, and other people want to yell and scream and “caaaaannonball” into the pool. At a rental villa, we’re able to control the vibe of our surroundings a little better – we can hang out poolside with our own tunes playing (I absolutely love the Jawbone Jambox for this), or have peace and quiet for reading and relaxing. I’m guessing the rental villa option might be nice for families, too, since you can let the kids be kids without worrying that they’re bothering anyone. Even Chris and I enjoy cannonballing guilt-free without disrupting anyone else. And speaking of disruptions, we’ve never encountered any construction noise while renting a private vacation home, but hotels seem to have renovations going on frequently and it’s harder to avoid the noise.
Staying in a rental home also immerses us a bit more into local culture since we come and go from a residence in a neighborhood, rather than from a cluster of hotels. I love the feeling of living somewhere new even if it’s only for a week, and it’s fun to pretend that the rental is your own home.
In addition to beach houses, Chris and I like renting condos for our ski trips since rentals usually get us closer to the lifts with great ski-in/ski-out access. Plus, we have so much stuff with us when we snowboard/ski that it’s nice to be able to spread out and have the extra storage space for coats, boots, and gear. No matter the location or rental type (ski condo, beach villa, etc.) you get a lot more space per dollar when you rent a vacation home instead of a hotel room.
On the other hand, if we only need a place to sleep (and not really to hang out), or if we’re going somewhere for a week or more but staying in multiple cities, we stay in hotels. And most vacation rentals have a minimum number of nights per stay, so sometimes a hotel is necessary for a shorter getaway. Hotels definitely have their place in our travels. For us it really just depends on the trip, and I do enjoy certain aspects of hotel stays. It’s so wonderful to have someone make the bed and replace the towels, and who doesn’t love a chocolate on their pillow at night? I also love finding boutique hotels and inns with interesting details. I stayed at a hotel once that included a yellow rubber ducky in each of the bathrooms (21C Hotel pictured below on the left). How fun is that? On our trip to Iceland this summer we’re staying in five different towns and I’m excited about some of the cute little Icelandic hotels where we’ll be staying.
How Much Does Renting Cost?
Here’s the big secret that isn’t a secret: staying in a vacation rental isn’t more expensive than staying at a hotel and sometimes it’s even more cost effective. Just to clarify though, I’m not comparing the costs of our rentals to a hostel or a budget motel. I’m comparing our costs to a nice hotel in the three- or maybe four-star range, but there is a huge selection in rental properties to accommodate almost all budgets. It’s going to be more expensive than a hostel or budget hotel stay though, and some amenities like a pool do increase the cost per night.
When you first look at the weekly cost of a rental, it might appear more expensive than a hotel room in some cases. However, you have to factor in a few things first to compare apples to apples. The final cost of a hotel room per night always incurs taxes and fees, and then you also have to figure in the cost of parking, internet access, eating most meals out/ordering room service, and amenities like laundry service if needed. The rental doesn’t usually have any hidden fees, but you’ll most likely need to pay sales tax, and a security deposit or cleaning fee (usually refundable if you don’t trash the place).
We get a lot more bang for our buck in a rental, especially when it comes to things like view, amenities, and square footage. Chris and I always go grocery shopping when we stay in a rental so that we can eat breakfasts and lunches “at home,” which saves a considerable amount of money. We’re able to do our own laundry as well. Plus, I usually look for a rental that is just slightly outside of peak season/in-season, in what is sometimes called the shoulder season, low season or off-season. The rates are often dramatically lower, and as a bonus, it’s usually the perfect combination of fewer crowds and good weather. (Note: I’ve also tried renting well into low season, but there are sometimes drawbacks to looking too far into the off-season. It’s “off” for a reason! The weather could be less than ideal or even problematic, like hurricane season in the Caribbean which we definitely have encountered.)
Also, if you are able to share a rental with another family, couple or group, obviously the price per square foot is even better assuming you rent an appropriate sized property. It’s usually easy to find rentals that accommodate anywhere from two to twenty people or more.
Full disclosure: a couple of times we have been lucky to score some great deals. One time we rented a villa in St. John two days in advance because our Outer Banks vacation had been thwarted by Hurricane Irene so I found a villa with a good last-minute deal. And on our most recent trip to Grand Cayman, we ended up in a bigger, nicer villa because the one I originally booked was sold before our trip and the new owners decided to live there year-round. That actually happened two times in the process! Apparently this was an extremely rare and crazy occurrence, so our awesome booking agent offered an upgrade at the same price we had already paid. It was just luck that I had been working through a rental company that time instead of directly with the owner like I usually do. So we did save some money on those two trips. We’ve also gotten in early on rentals that have recently come onto the market and aren’t yet charging their full potential. A couple of places have increased to a price range out of our budget after we’ve stayed there!
Now, when you factor in the cost of transportation we might be on different pages. I can’t stand the thought of going to a new place and not being able to go see the furthest corner of the country/island/state if I so desire. I will want a rental car no matter where I’m staying, so for us a car is always in our costs and is therefore a break-even in the hotel vs. rental equation. A hotel is more likely to be in a location that is walking distance or a short cab ride to restaurants and shops. They may even have a free shuttle. In a vacation rental, you most likely need to have your own car to get around.
How Do We Find Rentals?
I have several favorite sites to search for rentals including FlipKey, VRBO and HomeAway. I have also used Luxury Retreats (which sounds expensive and it can be, but they do have some smaller, less expensive rentals), and for our trip to Grand Cayman I used Grand Cayman Villas which I found during an online search for Cayman rentals. There are so many other sites, but these are the ones I’ve used.
I do a ton of research to find the perfect home. Often it gets to the point where I could probably get a job as a real estate agent for the area. Who has that kind of time though, right?! Well, I usually start early, as much as a year or so in advance and the research is fun for me so it’s practically a hobby. To narrow down the listings I just use the website’s filters (price, amenities, location, etc.) and I read the reviews for any red flags. I also search to see if anyone has blogged about their stay at a certain rental, or posted about it on any travel forums. Photos from regular travelers rather than professional photos are often a huge help to see what the place actually looks like without Photoshop. I also search to see if the rental has its own site – often times they do, and there may be more information and/or better photos.
Once I have a few places narrowed down, I put on my stalker detective hat and try to find each house on Google maps to see what the general location is like. Sometimes this takes some super-sleuthing since the exact address usually isn’t posted, but the general area is, and then I use some clues in the photos to figure out which house it is on the map – roof color, pool shape, and view. The map will tell me things like, how close are the neighbors? Are there restaurants/stores nearby? Is there anything potentially noisy in the area? What will the lighting be like throughout the day? (That last one might be a photographer thing, but seeing what direction the home faces might also tell you if the pool will be in the shade all day, or if you have a good chance of seeing some beautiful sunsets!)
Once we find a rental we like, it’s just a matter of booking which usually involves reviewing/signing a contract, paying a deposit (anywhere from 25-50% of the total fee), and sometimes paying a refundable damage deposit. Those three main search sites have an online payment feature that I prefer to use, but if the owner doesn’t offer booking through the site, I always try to pay with a credit card to have a little extra protection if something goes belly up. So far so good, but I’ll report back here if anything sour ever happens! We have two trips booked next year with rentals, and I’m always excited to see how it turns out (i.e., how good I did at finding the perfect place). I’ve also booked through full service villa rental companies, Luxury Retreats and Grand Cayman Villas, where the concierge/agent handles the payments and contracts for you. They can also help with the research if you need assistance finding the perfect rental for your needs.
So what do you think? Have you ever stayed in a vacation rental? What’s your preference? If you need any help getting started on your search, let me know and I’ll be happy to assist! (Disclaimer: Unless like, hundreds of people take me up on this offer.)
Update 11/9/2015: I’ve now added Airbnb to my travel tool belt! You can read about our Toronto and Edinburgh Airbnb experiences here.
Chris took this photo when we were in Brewers Bay, at the little stretch of beach below our villa for the week (the white house in the background peeking out of the trees). Some behind-the-scenes fun facts for you: the water wasn’t as clear as it was at other beaches, so in addition to being happy in this photo I’m also a little freaked out and nervous-laughing! Also? I’m totally wearing water shoes because I really don’t like getting in the water without shoes.
If you are planning a trip to the Virgin Islands (U.S. or British), The Baths on Virgin Gorda is an excursion not to be missed. It was one of the highlights of our Tortola trip! Huge granite boulders form caverns of sheltered pools along the edge of the beach, and you can hike, wade, and climb your way through the massive awe-inspiring maze. If you’re not staying on Virgin Gorda, it’s easily accessible by ferry, a tour group, or charter boat.
The first time Chris and I went to St. John, I chickened out of visiting The Baths with the rest of our group because I was afraid to snorkel and for some reason I thought the caves would be dark and full of creepy sea creatures. I’m shaking my head in shame now that I know better, and I’ve learned my lesson on carpe diem-ing these opportunities. The second time we planned to see The Baths via the Bad Kitty tour after I decided I was brave enough, a tropical storm cancelled our tour. Sigh! So third time’s a charm, right? On this trip to Tortola, Chris and I were fiiinally able to see the awesomeness that is The Baths. We decided it would be easy enough to just hop on the ferry out of Road Harbor and grab a cab once we arrived on Virgin Gorda, and it did turn out to be very simple.
Our ferry ride over to Virgin Gorda from Tortola was beautiful. The weather was a little cloudy that day, but happily I think it made a difference in the crowd level. We heard morning was a good time to avoid busy tour groups, so we arrived around 11am and didn’t find the caves or the beaches to be crowded at all. I had also checked the Port Authority schedule to see what day would have the least cruise ship passengers in port (we picked a day with no cruise ships in port), so that helped, too. Photography note: morning is also a great time to get the best lighting for photos.
From the ferry dock we took a taxi to the top of the Baths – you can either arrange for a taxi as part of your ferry trip, or just grab a taxi waiting at the ferry dock. It was about a 10-minute ride to Spring Bay where we were dropped off at The Top of the Baths – an area with restaurant/bars, shops, and the kiosk where you pay visitor entrance fee to the park ($3 per adult). From the top, it’s a 10-15 minute sandy hike down to the caves. The trail is well-marked, you can’t get lost, and as long as you don’t have mobility issues it’s not a particularly challenging hike. I wore water shoes, but Chris did the trip in flip-flops and he was fine.
And just to ease the concerns of anyone who imagines The Baths like I did, it’s not creepy. I promise. The caves are nice and bright, and the water is no more than waist-deep (I’m 5’7″) in most spots, free of any sea creatures. Also, the boulders are so huge and tall that I didn’t feel trapped in a small space or anything. There are a few tight areas, including one that you have to crawl through to enter the caverns (see photos of us in the crevices below for perspective), and there’s a bit of an incline climb towards the beginning that requires assistance of a rope “rail,” but other than that, this isn’t a super physically demanding activity. If there’s anywhere you can make it look like you’re starring in an Indiana Jones movie though, this is it!
I hate saying this since I’m a photographer, but photos just don’t do this natural phenomenon justice. You really have to be in the caverns to understand the scale of these massive boulders.
There are plenty of tour groups that offer guided tours of The Baths, but it’s something you can see on your own if you don’t want to go with a big group. We didn’t have guides, and well…full disclosure, we did get a little lost for a few minutes, but that’s only because we climbed up out of the caves and on top of the boulders and sort of wandered off the beaten path. Obviously we found our way out!
After exiting the caves, we spent some time snorkeling around the boulders off the beach and it was SO FUN. This was the moment I realized snorkeling isn’t terrifying, and it’s actually quite fun. We saw friendly colorful fish in shallow, easy to access water right off the beach. Some of the footage in this video is from The Baths (from 1:36 to 1:57), and might give you a better idea of how things looked from the inside. All the photos and this video were taken with my Canon S95 in a waterproof housing.
Tortola 2013 from Susan Marks on Vimeo.
Hi friends! Chris and I are back from spending an amazing week on Tortola, BVI. We’ve been planning this trip for a year, and were especially excited to go back to the Virgin Islands after last year’s trip to St. John was affected by Tropical Storm/Hurricane Issac. I was also really disappointed that our side-trip to the BVIs was cancelled due to the weather last time, so this year we figured we’d go straight to the British side of the islands to see what it’s like, NOT during hurricane season. We rented a beautiful villa above Brewers Bay called The Refuge, and spent the week visiting Tortola’s beaches, eating and drinking in fun little beach bars, and we even took a day trip over to Virgin Gorda to explore The Baths. The weather was absolutely gorgeous all week long – it couldn’t have been more perfect. Here are a few photos of the house, our view, beautiful sunsets each night from various beach bars, and our snorkeling adventures at The Baths and Smugglers Cove (and if you make it to the end of the post, there’s a video!):
So, I brought my SLR, a point-and-shoot, a GoPro Hero 2 AND my iPhone (overkill), but I actually ended up taking more video clips than still images if you can believe it! So (and please keep in mind that I’m a photographer and not really a videographer) here’s a short video I put together of our adventure:
Tortola 2013 from Susan Marks on Vimeo.