CONSOLIDATION: THE OPPOSITE OF DISCRIMINATION
In the the vacation rental world, consolidation is a good thing. A one-stop shop like HomeAway is a necessary evolutionary step. But gathering everything in one place (quantity) begs the next evolution (quality).
Consolidation is all about convenience, efficiency. Whether I'm trying to organize my thoughts or my closet, I typically gather (dump) ell related elements in one spot. That's my "universe". Then I sort. That's a quality-based task.
HomeAway has good advanced search options that help you quickly narrow the field according to basic categories -- number of bedrooms, pet-friendly? -- that are meaningful to you.
But then you're on your own. Nobody at HomeAway is gonna dish on quality. Not when vacation rental owners pay to to listed on the site! Which doesn't make the listings bad, by any means. But just know, at the end of your advanced search, you're likely to be left with a list of apples and oranges. Which are exceptional? Which ho-hum? Take your best guess. Based on the owner's description and photos.
Maybe you're someone like me who loves discovering "gems". A riverfront cottage with a redwood tree growing up through the center ... a private apartment round the corner from the last unpaved road, plum in the center of San Francisco ... These truly unique, memorable places confirm vacation rentals are a world away from hotel chains and even B&Bs.Finding them requires lots of trial and error or reliable sources of unbiased, first-hand dish. The best, the highs and lows.
That is the next necessary evolution in the vacation rental world.
For now, check out reviews on Slow Travel, TripAdvisor (where you can find them) and, yes, my own Renting Paradise picks.
Comments
In parts you are right here, but you do not know what quality control goes on behind the curtain. At Spain holidays keep records on all properties and property owners, so every feedback we receive about a property is always recorded in our internal database. If a vacation rental property or an vacation rental owner twice has received negative comments, they are taken offline without any notice.
Claus Sorensen
Posted by: Claus | January 25, 2008 06:16 AM
Have you seen Holiday Pad? It's just the sort of thing you're talking about. Fascinating and unique properties around the world. I've seen houses built into solid rock, treehouses in the rainforest, and converted (working) windmills on that site. Fun browsing-and-dreaming!
I don't own the site; our rental is listed on it, but that's as far as my affiliation goes. I just think it's a fascinating take on vacation rental sites. Not owned by HomeAway, naturally.
Posted by: Brooke | August 30, 2008 08:22 PM