Vacation Rentals versus Hotels – Smart Comparison Shopping to Find the Best Lodging Value for Family Vacations
Recent Market Studies Backed up by Traveler’s Testimonials from Rentalo.com Confirm Traveler’s Preference for Comparison Shopping to Find the Best Value on Hotels and Vacation Rentals
Miami, FL. February, 07, 2010. Despite the controversies going around in the travel industry regarding the value found in hotels versus vacation rentals, a recent study conducted by Rentalo.com; a leading lodging website that offers comparison shopping on vacation rentals, bed and breakfasts, and hotels, reveals consumer’s preference for comparison shopping in popular family vacation destinations. This data was gathered from close to 400,000 inquiries submitted by roughly one million opted-in travelers from July of 2008 until January of 2010.
Family vacation beach destination: Panhandle area, Florida
57.3 percent of the families that inquired on vacation rentals in Panama City Beach, also opted to compare offers from hotels and bed and breakfasts.
Family vacation golf destination: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
57.4 percent of the families that inquired on vacation rentals in Hilton Head Island, also opted to compare offers from hotels and bed and breakfasts.
Family vacation ski destination: Vail, Colorado
61.1 percent of the families that inquired on vacation rentals in Vail, also opted to compare offers from hotels and bed and breakfasts.
Family vacation city/beach destination: San Diego, California
60.1 percent of the families that inquired on vacation rentals in San Diego, also opted to compare offers from hotels and bed and breakfasts.
Below are some testimonials from travelers that support the importance of comparison shopping, and the simple fact that this perceived value depends on the consumer’s specific lodging needs, and not on general assumptions or labeling one type of lodging versus the other.
“I wanted to rank your service--unbelievably excellent! I did use you to go to Australia a few years back and it too was a great experience. The apartment was very, very good all round. I opted out for a hotel in Capetown for security reasons.“ Isabelle M. Southwell
“I’m delighted to have found your service. I waited too long to find accommodations for an upcoming visit and it was great to be able to do one stop shopping in looking for an alternative to the chain hotels. I will definitely recommend your service to others who may be visiting the area. Thanks so much! “ Marcie Murphy
“I stumbled on your site by accident trying to find hotels in the Siesta Key area for my son’s wedding and was totally delighted. The house we are renting will work perfectly and be more convenient than a hotel.” Harriet
“Recent reports from travel experts revealed consumer’s increasing interest in comparison shopping, especially when searching for a place to stay.” said Alfredo Purrinos, President and founder of Rentalo.com, “Each lodging type has pros and cons, each person (or group) has some specific lodging needs for each trip or vacation.”
In general, vacation rentals are well equipped to compete with hotels in terms of value. Often travelers get multiple rooms for the price of one, and enough amenities and features to compensate for the conveniences found in hotels. Vacation rental owners that feel confident on their value offering often welcome this healthy comparison shopping, even to their own prospect clients.
“I love the fact that if a prospective guest wants to find something in the area that my rental is in, their inquiry goes out to all the owners in the area who meet the criteria of what the guest is looking for. This way, everyone who feels their rental is appropriate for the guest can submit their information to the prospect. It's also a time saver for the guest because they don't have to sift through properties that they aren't sure are available. I constantly recommend your site to travelers who are having difficulties finding an available property unsuccessfully through other sites.” Joni Knutson, owner/manager of beachfront villa in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
About Rentalo.com
Rentalo.com is a leading lodging web site that facilitates lodging options to travelers. Its worldwide inventory of vacation rentals, bed and breakfasts and hotels is available online and through search engines, RSS feeds, and distribution partner sites, reaching an online audience of over 100 million travelers in 15,000 destinations worldwide. For more information, go to http://rentalo.com or call 1(877) 710-5914, 1(305) 558-5577.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Carolina Plata Email
1-305-558-5577 ext 607
or
Alfredo Purrinos Email
1-305-558-5577 ext 606