Hotels versus Vacation Rentals Trends for South West Florida Area Revealed by Rentalo.com
Comparison Shopping and Vacation Planning Trends for Travelers Searching for Vacation Rentals, Hotels, and Bed and Breakfasts in Siesta Key, Anna Maria Island, Fort Myers Beach, Holmes Beach, and Port Charlotte
Miami, FL. February 13, 2010 – In an effort to better understand the demands and consumer habits of travelers, Rentalo.com, the leading online vacation rental directory, released markets research studies on Southwest Florida vacation rentals. These vacation rental analyses have been made publicly available to offer industry experts insightful information regarding the needs and habits of those in search of lodging in Southwest Florida area. The study was performed on the website’s database of 49,045 opted-in travelers who visited top vacation destinations in the Southwest Florida area from July 2008 to January 2010.
Travel experts, editors, and media publications interested in specific data pertaining to these vacation destinations, or additional consumer data stats such as budget, amenities, length of stays, peak seasons, and inventory data should contact Rentalo directly.
Southwest Florida Beach Vacation Destination: Siesta Key
52.63 percent of travelers inquiring about Siesta Key vacation rentals were also interested in comparing offers from bed and breakfasts and hotels. 30.99 percent also wanted to receive offers from Longboat Key, Sarasota, Venice and Palmetto among others.
In Siesta Key 35.23 percent of the inquiries requested lodgings with children. Romantic getaways for parties of two accounted for 34.40 percent of the inquiries, while big groups of more than 4 people were 20.65 percent of the inquiries.
45.85 percent of the inquiries were sent 3 months or more prior to the travel date, 21.19 percent were sent 1 to 2 months prior to the travel date, and 27.18 percent were last minutes inquiries sent only one month prior to the travel date.
Southwest Florida Beach Vacation Destination: Anna Maria Island
The study revealed that 51.97 percent of travelers that look for Anna Maria Island vacation rentals are also interested in comparing offers from other types of accommodations like hotels and bed and breakfasts. 16.13 percent were also interested in accommodations in nearby destinations like Bradenton, Bradenton Beach, Palmetto, Longboat Key, and others.
Anna Maria Island is a popular destination among families with kids. 40.35 percent of the inquiries requested accommodations suitable for families with children, 36.19 percent were for parties of two, while 20.29 percent were for groups larger than 4 people.
48.39 percent of travelers inquired for accommodations with 3 months in advance, 21.79 percent did it between 1 to two months in advance, and 27.44 percent 30 days prior to the arrival date.
Southwest Florida Romantic Vacation Destination: Fort Myers Beach
Fort Myers Beach is a popular destination among families with children and big groups. 31.44 percent of the inquiries were from travelers with children while 37.10 percent were for couples. Big groups represented 28.26 percent of the total inquiries.
Fort Myers Beach visitors like to compare offers between different accommodation types. 50.98 percent of the inquiries received accepted to offers from hotels and bed and breakfasts in addition to Fort Myers Beach vacation rentals. 32.34 percent requested offers from other destinations like Sanibel, Estero, Cape Coral, Bonita Beach and others.
Travelers to Fort Myers Beach plan their vacation with time. 51.73 percent of the inquiries were sent with 3 months in advance, 21.55 percent with 1 to 2 months in advance, and 24.38 percent were last minute inquiries received 30 days prior to the arrival date.
Southwest Florida Family Vacation Destination: Holmes Beach
Stats on Holmes Beach reveal that 50.89 percent of the trip planners that requested Holmes Beach vacation rentals were also open to stay in a bed and breakfast or a hotel. 4.25 percent also wanted to receive offers from Anna Maria Island, Bradenton Beach, Palmetto and others.
In Holmes Beach 44.82 percent of the inquiries requested lodgings with children. Parties of two accounted for 30.34 percent of the inquiries, while big groups of more than 4 people were 24.27 percent of the inquiries.
47.07 percent of the inquiries were sent 3 months or more prior to the travel date, 19.76 percent were sent 1 to 2 months prior to the travel date, and 28.64 percent were last minutes inquiries sent only one month prior to the travel date.
Southwest Florida Golf Vacation Destination: Port Charlotte
The study data reveals an interest in comparison shopping as 39.97 percent of the travelers inquiring about Port Charlotte vacation rentals were also interested in comparing offers from hotels and bed and breakfasts. 18 percent were interested in receiving offers from nearby destinations including Charlotte Harbor, Punta Gorda, North Port, Rotonda West, Manasota Key, and Englewood.
Most families, 63.26 percent, start planning their vacations 3 or more months in advance, 18.72 percent of the vacation planners start planning their vacations within 30 days prior to arrival, and 14.81% plan their vacation 1-2 months in advance.
Port Charlotte requests for family accommodations represented the 62.02%, 18.98% from couples looking for romantic getaway, and 17.93% are from larger groups with 4 or more adults and children.
In today's fast paced world, information availability plays a definite role in consumer's decisions. “Rentalo.com’s trends confirm traveler’s preference for comparison shopping among hotels, vacation rentals, and bed and breakfasts,” says Gabriel Amorocho, Marketing Manager at Rentalo.com. “If people are correctly informed, they will have a better opportunity to plan their trip, taking into account such variables as time, budget, and lodging alternatives, therefore getting the most out of their vacation. Marketers can also benefit from this information.”
About Rentalo.com
Rentalo.com is a leading online travel lodging and vacation rentals website. Its inventory of vacation rentals, bed and breakfasts, and hotels is accessible through search engines, RSS feeds, affiliate online distribution partners, as well as thousands of journalists and editors through e-mail, press releases and travel publications. Through selected partnerships, Rentalo's inventory is available to an online audience of more than 100 million travelers in the United States and abroad. For more information, go to http://rentalo.com or call (877) 710-5914, 1(305) 558-5577.
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