Vacation Home Rentals Blog

This year, nix chocolates and flowers (which are overpriced anyway) from your Valentine’s Day plans.

Your sweetheart really needs a vacation.

Surprise her with a trip to this Oceanside beach rental, where you’ll spend days on the balcony overlooking the Pacific after breakfast in bed. By night, you’ll say cheers with bubbly–or if you can figure it out, that mysterious ruby red cocktail pictured here–in the private spa tub.

Spoil each other and get spoiled with the views.

Now this second rental by owner may not be in the cards exactly for V-Day, but it’ll certainly make a memorable present that will set the bar high for future vacations.

Whisk her away to Tuscany.

At Villa Il Paradisino, time isn’t measured by Facebook updates or Blackberry pings. To borrow the landlord’s words, “Life at Villa Il Paradisino is unhurried, filled with the scents, flavors and furnishings of a past that is still alive.”

The circra 1839 paradise–owned by the same family for four generations–sits on a compound with several apartments surrounded by acres of landscaping, from lush grapes and olive trees to vegetable gardens. The farm produces its own extra virgin olive oil, red wine, jams and other homemade goodies that you’ll be able to enjoy in between trips to your lovers’ lair.

Choose the La Torre apartment for privacy, a sturdy wrought iron “tester” bed, plus a panoramic view of the countryside.

After your romantic retreat, you’ll be glad you didn’t spend your money on the roses.

If you’re the type of consumer who makes a B line to the sales rack, you’ll be grateful for these two Fort Lauderdale vacation rentals, which have been slashed 55 percent for certain dates in February.

Two whole houses for the price of a hotel room? Yes, and with spring break coming for the co-eds of America, it’s a smart time to beat the rush.

The first, a cute bungalow vacation home, boasts the special pricing for Feb. 9-11 and Feb. 24-25. Just 15 minutes from the airport and close to the beach, the house screams all-day pool parties with its patio set, gas grill and a pool that cranks up to 90 degrees.

The other rental by owner makes the offer attractive for Feb. 24-27, but keep in mind there’s a minimum booking of four nights.

Still, you’re getting a lot for your money. Besides the pool and decent sized backyard, the home is stocked with all the must-haves: five TVs, five DVD players, computer, printer and Wifi. The full kitchen even comes with a wine chiller.

Now–the choice is up to you to decide which one is the better deal.

April in Maui.

Think you can’t swing it?

What about for $598 a week? The owner of this vacation condo at Maui Vista Resort tempts with a spring fling price that wouldn’t have possible a few seasons ago.

Yes, folks, the bargains are out there. And it only gets better: While April’s discount is 10 percent, May’s is 15 percent.

Pack your tennis racket for a match on one of six courts, then change into your swimsuit for the rest of the sun-soaked day on six miles of powdery sand. If you’re a pool person, go for a lap in all three.

The rest of week, sign up for surfing lessons, browse through trinkets at an outdoor market and order banana and macadamia nut waffles at the Village. Suddenly you’re a local.

As for your budget vacation home, four people will sleep comfortably–mom and dad on the queen bed and the kids on the sofa bed. A full kitchen saves mucho dinero on eating out and don’t forget the outdoor barbecue.

I’ll take my tuna seared with a side of mango salsa, please.

If work demands that you check in online while on vacation, you may as well do it in style.

This Crested Butte vacation home–equipped with high speed Internet–is one of many rentals by owner wired to enable professionals to log in while the rest of us fools have to put in face time at the office. Apparently Crested Butte is becoming a hotbed for telecommuting, according to The New York Times.

If you’re the type of professional who absolutely requires absolute quiet while cranking out that brilliant PowerPoint, then you can certainly have that here. The six bedroom home peeps at the mountains and slopes down to a beautiful meadow. Your colleagues at headquarters aren’t so lucky: Their view is the parking garage.

Bringing the family? Good. They’ll be happy to know that no one will have to lift a finger. Upon request, a housekeeper, driver, cook and driver are available. Because any executive worth his Blackberry knows that such tasks should be left to the pros.

At the end of the workday, there’s skiing to be done.

For more Crested Butte vacation homes, check out our listings.

Whatever stress you’re dealing with right now–proposal deadlines and a demanding boss–can surely be forgotten at the bottom of Rainbow Bay.

The fella in this photo looks perfectly calm, doesn’t he? Heck yeah. He’s snorkeling in some of the clearest water he’s probably ever seen–exactly the place to drown his worries.

This Bahamas vacation home is on the chiller Caribbean side (The more active waters of the Atlantic are on the other side of the vacation rental, according to the owner.), where the perfect day may involve fishing, swimming and unwinding on the porch to take in the purple-pink horizon.

All three bedrooms at this Bahamas beach rental have sliding doors that lead to water views. There’s a fully equipped kitchen to save on eating out so you can fry up that grouper you caught during your fishing expedition instead.

So what are you waiting for? Deserted beaches await, and in the owner’s words, lots of relaxing.

“Time here is not an issue, the sun comes up, and the sun goes down.”

The Charlotte Observer reported that the uncertain economy has prompted vacationers to shorten their summer vacations, but on the upside, that will be good news for bargain hunters, as owners look to aggressively market their vacancies.

For my money, Outer Banks vacation homes offer great value for the space. Many, like this Kill Devil Hills vacation rental, have direct access to a pool and the oceanfront. Others have multi levels of living and are made for large families–we’re talking houses for 14 to 20 guests.

So if you absolutely must go on vacation with that many folks, the house better have the room.

This particular condo can accommodate up to eight people and is equipped with all the necessities to make your stay more comfortable: beach chairs, pool noodles, DVDs and videos. History buffs will also love the fact that it’s within view of the Wright Brothers Memorial.

If you’re the planner type, waste no time. Start perusing vacation deals now.

The name of this Las Vegas vacation home fits the experience: Prince Palace.

The almost 3,000-square-foot rental by owner avoids the gaudy cliches one would associate with that city–the only traces of such excess are the stone cherubs that keep watch over the in-ground pool (which adds more character than anything).

Inside find a space decorated in neutral colors and elegant finishes. The property owner’s external link shows rooms done in rich bedding, leather and microfiber seating and granite counter tops in the gourmet kitchen.

Notice that the walls don’t have too much personalization (i.e. family photos)–making guests feel more like it’s their own private villa–yet the ample lounging space keeps folks comfortable. Each room is its own distinctive retreat, from the spa tub in the master bathroom to the patio near the fire pit.

Sure, it isn’t a home built for a king, but for princes and princesses, it will do just fine.

As proven by this photo, simplicity sells.

Two wicker chairs overlooking Hansen Bay, St. John in the Virgin Islands. The view from the vacation rental begs for doing nothing more than lounging, soaking up rays and sipping on the cocktail of your choice.

Vacation home owners, take a page out of this home owner’s book and choose photographs that tell a story. (The donkey on the road is a nice touch, as are the multiple views from the porch.) Short captions add more description, i.e. new furniture and painting in the living room, plus fine china and crystal in the kitchen.

Renters appreciate all the extras–especially since all of the decision making is done from far away.

The house is actually two pods (with two bedrooms each) situated on opposite ends of the 20-foot, in-ground pool. What a great idea. Two separate living areas for the family or neighbors, but you don’t have to be up on top of each other.

Because we could all use a little space while on vacation.

First dibs on the porch.