Vacation Home Rentals Blog

We hope that Florida vacation home you booked for July is still in the works, but a new poll suggests that folks have canceled at least one of their planned trips.

A survey by AP-Gfk claims that 42 percent of Americans will be going on summer vacation, compared with 49 percent who said in a 2005 AP-Ipsos poll that they would be taking one. And most notable: While 43 percent of 30-49-year-olds will be vacationing, only 39 percent of 65 and older Americans plan to do so.

Can’t say I’m surprised.

The entitlement generation is used to Starbucks, Louis Vuitton purses and high-end denim. Personally, those are luxuries I can live without, but a vacation? No way.

If your company is teetering on the edge of layoffs or you’re living paycheck to paycheck, I can understand why you’d want to bypass the holiday in a Maui vacation rental, but an abbreviated excursion, even an extended weekend, can do wonders. Just choose carefully and don’t be stupid. If a road trip to Colorado is more feasible than a splashy European adventure, more power to you. And don’t rule out the savings and space benefits of renting a vacation home.

What’s the truth, though, America? We want to hear from you. Are you sticking by or scrapping your summer vacation? Leave a comment here or follow us (and speak to us) on Twitter @checkincheckout.

If you’re stumped for where to take your crew to usher in or bid the summer bon voyage, here’s an idea for you: Bethany Beach.

This Delaware vacation rental goes on sale, if you will, Aug. 22-29, for $2,995, which sounds like a lot, but that’s just more than $200 each when 14 friends are involved. No joke.

Delaware vacation homes have not seen the boom in bookings due to the economic slowdown, The News Journal reported. But always looking on the bright side, let landlords “beach-house blues” be your opportunity to swoop in to secure a bargain.

If you’re willing and flexible enough to take an even earlier trip, say, May or June, when the weather isn’t quite as hot, you’ll be saving hundreds.

When you’re smelling like coconut oil and rockin’ your new monokini, you’ll no doubt be thankful. Malibu. Pfff. So 2000 and late.

The words summer vacation home and biz traveler don’t belong in the same sentence–unless of course you’ve maxed out all but one or two of your vacation days.

The solution: Mixing business with pleasure.

From Manhattan vacation homes to Los Angeles vacation rentals, VacationHomeRentals.com is stockpiled with condominiums, studios and resort-style options to stretch out your client meeting into a full-on extended weekend. Feeling guilty about not spending enough time with the wife and kids much lately? Fly them in after the conference is over.

There you go. Guilty conscience saved and heroism seized.

Especially if your spouse finds out that the vacation rental–part of it anyway–will be on the company’s tab.

If I had to do it all over again, I would have gotten hitched on the beach–or at least honeymooned there. After hosting hundreds of friends and family at the wedding extravaganza, it would have been nice to retreat to remote sands just to focus on my groom. (Instead, we hopped from relative to relative, neighbor to neighbor around Ireland.)

As Mr. and Mrs., you want solitude, fruity cocktails and space far away from Uncle Joe and Aunt Chrissy. You want to get randy.

Perhaps it’s time to suggest a do-over in places catering to all my passions: the ocean, wine and food.

If you and the wifey could have been fish in your former lives, then Turks and Caicos is the ideal place to immerse yourselves in the big blue. Go scuba dving for close inspection of the coral reef, then escape to your Turks and Caicos vacation home for dinner, dessert and the proverbial hand-in-hand walk along that pristine white beach.

Wine and romance go together like red and velvet–the combo is pure rosy decadence. Why not start your lives together in a Wine Country vacation rental? After you stumble from vineyard to vineyard sampling the nectars of Napa and Sonoma, you’ll grow more fond of each other and possibly fall into bed with more stories and laughter, two ingredients to any lasting union.

A true test of any mate is being able to eat copious amounts of food–say pasta or a cowboy ribeye or both–in front of each other without hesitation. If you’re bashful at mealtime, you may as well call a divorce attorney because you’ll be sharing a lifetime of forkfulls together. Make the inaugural meal as husband a wife a memorable one by taking a trip to one of the food capitals of the world: Italy. Reserve a week in a Salerno vacation rental at the gate of the verdant Amalfi coast (known for its awe-inspiring cliffs, fresh Mediterranean seafood and lush wines) and suddenly feel like if you died right then and there, it wouldn’t matter.

This must be the honey in your moon.

California and Illinois aren’t the only states strapped for cash.

Florida lawmakers have decided to cut the budget for the state-subsidized tourism agency, Visit Florida, to $25 million, $10 million less than what it received last year, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

The optimist in me says the Sunshine State will endure the downturn even without the added support of the agency–especially if the airlines continue to discount airfares. I found an insanely cheap fare to Tampa on AirTran for around $138 roundtrip, but I went with Southwest (for $179 to boot) because it’s easier to travel with the kids on direct flights.

Given the competition for out-of-towners, hotels are doing everything possible to convert vacancies into occupancies, so Florida vacation home owners should be creative with their marketing and consider dangling last-minute deals and other incentives–including buy three, get the fourth-night-free promotions to free Disney tickets–to land bookings.

Travelers, if you’re looking for that resort experience but like the conveniences of your own kitchen, VacationHomeRentals.com has plenty of properties to suit your needs. (Destin vacation rentals come to mind.)

The diminished power of Visit Florida hopefully won’t deter tourists from visiting. Because when it comes to surf, sand and sun, the state is to vacations as McDonald’s is to french fries. It’s what it does best.

This Mother’s Day, Mom needs another bouquet like Dad needs another tie. Flowers are nice and all, but one gift just keeps on giving and giving and giving.

Book her an Arizona vacation home in the spa capital of the United States: Scottsdale.

Because as the years go by, that bundle of red roses–as pretty and well-meaning as it is–isn’t going to boost collagen production in mom’s fine lines or release the tension out of her quarry-like back, which after three kids and five desk jobs, could use a little softening. This year, make it a Himalayan water treatment, a deep tissue massage and a long weekend in a Scottsdale vacation rental.

You can see her now: splayed out on the massage table, melting into a puddle of oohs and aahs.

Dads, you’ll have an ulterior motive for planning this spa trip, too. Scottsdale just also happens to be a mecca for golf.

Who’s dissin’ the Hallmark Holiday now?

To the people of Rhode Island and the owners of all other properties in vacation home hot spots I may have missed, my sincerest regrets. Obviously I didn’t and don’t mean to leave you out. My virtual beach blanket will spread over your getaway soon, and if not, please remind me of why it’s worthy of a post.

I found this adorable Rhode Island vacation home while thinking of states that haven’t seen the love on Check-In, Check-Out.  Secluded in the quiet town of Narragansett, it rivals Hamptons vacation rentals in its coastal charm without the celebrity-studded parties (Although, you may run into Anne Archer–even though –who listed her two-story, luxury townhome for sale, according to Luxist.). Go there to golf, fish, photograph a lighthouse and spend quality time with your family.

And the best selling point of all–directly from the property owner: “The song of the ocean is incessant.”

That’s music to my ears.

If the home happens to be booked, checked out the owner’s other property at the bottom of the listing along with more Narragansett vacation homes here.