A tip to help you save money on your next vacation!

  Deciding on where to spend your summer family vacation can be a difficult decision especially when there are so many wonderful places to stay here in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. There are also many options when it comes to how you reserve your condo, which can be a little confusing but don’t worry, we totally get it and are here to help! 

      When booking online your options are a vacation rental company (like us) and online travel agencies like VRBO, HomeAway, Trip Advisor, etc. These Online Travel Agencies, also known as OTAs charge an additional service fee or commission on top of the normal rent and cleaning fees charged by the vacation rental company, just for booking on their sites. 

      When using an online travel agency your vacation could have up to 20% added to your total rent. We have seen this percentage cost guests up to $1,000 in extra charges. Think about all the fun beach activities you could be doing. Why spend more money when you don’t have to? 

      It isn’t just about the money though. If you book through online travel agencies you run the risk of limited customer service. When you book directly from the company in charge of the property you can rest assured their customer service team is fully equipped with knowledge of the property and surrounding areas. You can even talk to the same person every time you call! 

      Think about it this way, when your friend tells you about a great new restaurant, they can tell you all the wonderful things they enjoyed like; what to eat, what tables have the best view, the best times to dine and so on. Now take your other friend, who only saw the new restaurant’s ad in the newspaper; they only know what’s right there in the print and can’t give you all the details because they haven’t been there. Let us be your friends at the beach who can give you all the advice you need when booking your condo! 

      So, to sum it up More Money + Good Customer Service = A Great Vacation! 

            Find a condo for your next family vacation here.  

 

Published on Thursday, August 24, 2017