Hotel versus Vacation Home

We have recently come back from a 3 day break at the Sandpearl Resort in Clearwater Beach. While the resort was great, the staff friendly, attentive and had a sense of humor, the 3 night stay, in comparison to what we offer, was a little expensive.

Admittedly, the resort had a great pool, was on the beach, had a fitness centre and a spa, however, at over $200 per night, all that was included was the use of the fitness centre and the pool.

Parking was valet parking only, at an additional cost of $16 per day, plus gratuities each time the car was delivered to you, then returned to the car park. Neither myself or Brian uses a fitness centre, I prefer walking, Brian prefers doing nothing, and, even though I paid $130 for a massage in the spa, Brian could not use the spa hot tub or steam shower, unless he paid $25 for access. Then there was the additional resort fee, another $15 per day, plus tax! We did ask for this to be removed, as we had not been told about this at the time of booking.

Which makes me ask myself "Why do our guests think that paying over a $100 per night, for a vacation home with 4 separate bedrooms, a private pool, a full size kitchen, a large family room and often Internet access and or a game room, is really expensive?"

Guys, come on. We have just paid almost $300 a night, for one bedroom, with a king bed, a writing desk, a TV, a small balcony, a very small fridge, a small bathroom and a small closet. Give the owners of our vacation homes a break, pleeeeaaaase, stop trying to bring the rates down.

When you compare what you get in a vacation home, to what you get in a hotel, you would certainly get a bigger bang for your buck, even if the rates were $300 a night! Luckily, you won't pay anything near $300 a night for 4 bedrooms!

Even in this tough economy, you can still afford that family vacation. Just look at our website: www.disneyfloridaholidays.com and check out the space you get, and compare the value!

Another Day In Paradise

The weather here in Florida is back to more normal temperatures. Mid to high 90's. Managing vacation homes we see many things. One of the most upsetting, is to see young children and babies cranky due to the hot weather, while having to stand in line at the parks.

My tip: Bring an umbrella. Not only will you have shelter from the mid afternoon rain, but you will also have shade while walking, (or standing) in the hot sun.

Wish I had taken my own advice while at our friend's 4th July BBQ. I wouldn't have had to spend so much time searching for shade!