Category: Hotels

If you’re planning to spend your next vacation in Key West, you’re probably thinking about staying in a hotel or condo. But you and your family might enjoy staying in a vacation rental the most. Many people don’t think about vacation house rental in Key West, but they can be the best place to stay for any size group and any budget. Here’s everything you need to know about booking a Key West vacation home before you start planning your trip.

What Is A Rental For A Vacation?

A vacation rental is basically a house that you can rent for the time you are in Key West. If you’ve ever rented a place, you can expect a similar experience when you stay in a vacation rental.

Things To Think About

One of the best things about Key West, Florida, vacation rentals is that there are so many homes to choose from. No matter what you’re looking for or how many people you need to accommodate, you’re sure to find something that works for your group and has all the features you want in your home.

Think about how many people are in your group before you look at all of the Key West rentals. You can be comfortable in a one-bedroom rental if you’re traveling alone or with your partner, but a larger family may need a rental with five or six bedrooms.

You should also think about how long you want to stay. Some vacation rentals only let you stay for a long weekend, while others make you stay for at least a week. You can even find long-term Key West house rentals if you plan to stay in the area for a while.

Last, think about how you like to spend your time off. Is there something you absolutely have to see while you’re in Key West? You might want to book a vacation rental that is close to this event. Think about whether you want a place near the beach or if you’d rather be closer to the city. Lastly, look through the listing to see what features are offered, such as large kitchens, covered balconies, or a lot of outdoor space for parties.

What’s Good About A Vacation Rental

You may have never thought about staying in a vacation rental before, but they are much better than hotels in many ways. First, you can feel safer and have more privacy in a vacation rental than in a hotel. Every day, hundreds of hotel workers and other guests walk by your room, so you can never be sure that your belongings are safe. In a vacation rental, on the other hand, only you can get to your stuff, and you don’t have to worry about loud parties going through the halls at night.

Most of the time, vacation rentals are cheaper than hotel rooms. During the off-season, especially, rental property owners are often more flexible with their prices. If you stay in a larger rental, you can split the cost of the home with the other people in your group. This saves you money compared to a pricey hotel room. You can also save money by cooking your meals in the kitchen of your rental. If you stay in a hotel, you’ll have to eat out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

In some instances, like car rental, comparison sites could work out effectively, with no booking fees, cancellation fees no payment in advance. However when it involves hotels and accommodation, do comparison websites really get you the best deal? Before you reserve your next getaway, read this guide to ensure you don’t get cheated!

Family at the hotel check in
Tips to get the very best Hotel Deal
Comparison sites like Expedia, Travelocity and Hotels are best for doing initial research and comparing your alternatives.
Once you small down your choices to the hotel (or few hotels) that you would like to stay at, check out the hotel’s own website to see if their price is the same. Often they will have extra room types or prices that they don’t source to comparison websites. Visit: RESERVATIONS.COM

Look on the hotel’s website to see if indeed they have any special discounts or coupons.
Look out for scheduling fees and mastercard fees. This isn’t exclusive to the comparison sites; some hotels also demand for this.

Check cancellation and amendments procedures before you publication. This pertains to both comparison websites and the hotel’s own website. Determine if they charge you a cost for amending or canceling bookings. Your travel cover may cover this, but it’s easier to get your cash back straight from the hotel.
Check what’s contained in your room rate. Some places includes things such as Wi-Fi internet and local calls. Ironically, it’s usually the expensive five-star hotels that charge for these exact things like a wounded bull!

Don’t hesitate to negotiate. Try dialling the hotel and find out if they can provide a better price, room up grade, or throw in a few extras. This can work very well if it’s near to the particular date plus they still have lots of rooms vacant.
Some people swear by bidding sites like Priceline, yet others hate them. If you wish to give it a go, Gadling has an outstanding guide about how to game Priceline to get the best offer.

It’s easy to blow your travel budget on full-price lodging. But these pointers could help you save money on your hotel room which means you can spend your hard-earned cash on something more memorable.

1. Compare sites and deals

Focus on sites like Kayak, Expedia or Priceline.com to get an overview of hotels in your desired area, but don’t rely on them to offer the full picture. Continue to analyze those hotels by yourself. Search for campaign codes and perks such as free auto parking, breakfast time or WiFi. And don’t neglect a hotel’s own website. Some chains promise the best rate when you reserve via their site.

2. Negotiate your rate

Knowing the lay of the land, decide on a few favorites and grab the phone. Tell the hotel the purchase price you found via other sites and find out if indeed they can whip it. Bargaining immediately with the hotel yielded a much better room or rate practically 80% of that time period, corresponding to a review by Consumer Information. Visit: RESERVATIONS.COM

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3. Look for last-minute deals

Apps like HotelTonight can help last-minute travelers score low rates on quality hotel rooms. A recent explore the app resulted in The Swissotel Chicago for $314 for just two nights, with taxes and fees. That was more than $100 cheaper than the prices detailed on other popular sites for arranging hotels.

You could book up to week in advance with HotelTonight. Other programs for last-minute deals include One:Evening, which is currently available in 14 locations, and Priceline.com, which offers “tonight only” bargains at 11 a.m. every day.

4. Bid on an area

Bidding on a room can yield great savings, nevertheless, you have to be OK with departing things a little to chance. Priceline.com’s “name your own price” feature enables you to select neighborhoods and star levels when you bet, but doesn’t reveal the name of the hotel until your bet is accepted.

Priceline.com’s Lemarchand-Wood suggests using the site’s regular listings to obtain a sense of hotels available in your desired area and star level. Then, she says, be flexible.

“When you’re ready to make a bid, start where you are comfortable and try again” if your bet is rejected, Lemarchand-Wood says. “Don’t get discouraged.”

The downside of bidding: Your credit card is charged as soon as your bid is accepted so you cannot change or cancel your reservation.

5. Explore alternative accommodations

Hotels aren’t your only lodging option. You can rent an area, apartment or complete house via sites like Airbnb and HomeAway. And hostels are a great option for budget travelers, especially those venturing beyond the U.S. Don’t worry – you don’t need to share a dorm-style room with a mass of 19-year-olds (if you don’t want to). Most hostels offer a couple of private rooms with en collection bathrooms.

6. Select a different neighborhood

Residing in the center of the city typically costs more. Save a few cash by staying away from the city centre, but near general population transportation for easy downtown gain access to.

Save a few cash by steering clear of the city middle, but near public transportation for easy downtown access.

7. Use your affiliations

Seniors, authorities employees, students, participants of the navy and AAA members may be eligible for discounted hotel rates when driving. Ask the hotel before arranging or look for discounts.