Should you rent a Jamaica villa
Have you ever wondered if you should rent a Jamaica villa?
- Have you always rented hotels but now are traveling with family and friends and need more than 2 hotel rooms?
- Are you looking for ways to get more value, maybe even a little more luxury, while not necessarily spending an arm and a leg?
- Are you looking for something more than the standard typical vacation package that everyone books?
- Are you tired of the same predictable vacation where nothing changes except for the address?
If so, you may want to consider a Jamaica villa or vacation rental experience.
Vacation rentals across the world are giving hotels a run for their money! Expedia bought up HomeAway, the largest collection of vacation rentals in the world, for $US3.9 Billion, with a “B”, dollars. What stronger statement do you need to attest to the growth of vacation rentals in the travel industry?!
A study by Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research which surveyed 2000 US consumers found that people “did a-180 in their preferences once they have used peer-to-peer lodging [like vacation rentals]. The move directly from preferring traditional hotels to preferring peer-to-peer accommodations”
But, are they for everyone?
Before you book that boring overdone, overhyped, and over-marketed vacation package, find out your vacation style to see if you are a prime candidate for the hottest vacation trend around that has even hotels worried.
You probably should consider renting a Jamaica villa as opposed to a hotel if you answer YES to these 5 questions. If you want the full 12 question test to see if you are the Jamaica villa rental type or the hotel type, click here to download our cheat sheet.
1. You understand that you simply can’t cancel a villa vacation without adequate notice.
Hotel bookings are much easier to cancel than villa rentals. Primarily due to the difficulty in rebooking vacation rentals after a cancellation, many properties have strict cancellation policies whereby there is no refund for cancellations made less than 60 days prior to arrival. For many villas, Christmas and New Year’s bookings are non-refundable. If you do decide to book a villa, make sure you check your rental agreement carefully and get trip cancellation insurance!
2. You have at least 4-6 people travelling together.
The more quests you have in your group, the lower the cost per person. Six or more people total would be ideal to see the best savings. If you have 1-2 people travelling, a hotel or bed and breakfast night be your best bet, unless you can find a studio or 1-bedroom apartment or condo to rent.
3. You aren’t looking for nightly entertainment on-site.
A hotel will almost always have more options for live entertainment than a villa. If this is high on your list of requirements and you absolutely will not consider going off-site for entertainment, nix the villa idea, or stay at a villa that is a part of a resort or hotel complex. Another option, if you are open, is to plan a special night at the villa and bring in a band or other entertainment if you like. How fun!
4. It is natural for you to care for the property as you would your own.
Villa owners will love you! They do expect their guests to take good care of their property because, not only is it their personal home, but the villa has to be perfect for the next set of guests who are arriving. If you think nothing of sitting on the sofa in your wet swimsuit, without care that you leave damaged furniture for the next arriving guests, renting a villa is probably not for you. Many villas will either charge a damage or security deposit or require damage insurance as a condition of booking.
5. You don’t expect that things will be as they are at home. Neither will they be as predictable as a hotel.
You appreciate that vacation rentals are unique and offer a different travel experience from hotels. A vacation rental is someone else’s home. It will have “quirks”, some of which may or may not be acceptable to you. It is not a hotel where you can expect to find the clock, the notepad, the pen and the room service menu in the same place in each room. It might, however, make up for all that by having its own tennis court that you may use whenever you feel like it, or may have a private pool that is truly just for your group or may have other amenities for which you ordinarily would have to pay extra at a hotel.
So, if you answered “Yes” to these 5 questions, renting a Jamaica villa might be a good idea for you. If you haven’t yet done so, download our 12 question cheat sheet to get a better assessment of whether you are the Jamaica villa rental type or the hotel type.
‘Til next time.
Think and dream Jamaica!
Sherry & Darrell
Considering a visit to Jamaica? Contact us today for more information about, Mais Oui Tennis & Spa Villa, our boutique 8-BR ocean view Jamaica villa rental experience in beautiful Discovery Bay, Jamaica. Perfect for multi-generational families and groups.
Visit our website: http://www.MakeItJamaica.com
Like AND follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MakeItJamaica
Give us a call: 866.624.7684 (toll free) or 914.709.0457
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