Maybe you’re planning to travel this winter. Or maybe you’re hosting friends and family in Boulder for the holidays and could just use a comfy, centrally located spot for everyone to gather.
No matter your reason for seeking out a vacation rental, you want to ensure you have the best experience possible. We chatted with Liz DeBold Fusco, a spokesperson for Airbnb, to get the inside scoop on how to find the perfect vacation rental while traveling.
Read More: Boulder’s Best Luxury Vacation Rentals
Be Flexible With Location
Search “I’m flexible” for the location if you aren’t set on a specific location. This will help you pull up unique places to stay in a variety of locations. With so many quirky and interesting lodging options, increasingly more travelers are centering their trips around their lodging, not necessarily the location, DeBold Fusco says. In Boulder, this approach may turn up everything from a remodeled Victorian to a huge mansion in the mountains.
Adjust Your Timing
If you’ve got a decent amount of PTO, try searching for flexible dates using the “I’m flexible” tool. If your schedule is open, you can discover more stays via a wider window of time. This can be especially handy around the holidays—if you’re willing to travel with friends and family a few days before or after peak days, like Christmas and New Year’s, you may have better luck securing a cool place.
Filter for Unique Options
If you’re daydreaming about cozying up inside a treehouse or spending a few days at a castle, you can make it happen with a little filtering action. Airbnb lets you filter by the type of home, with options ranging from “Creative spaces” to “OMG” to “Tiny Homes.”
Search Local Companies
Move over, Airbnb and Vrbo. You can often find unique, luxurious lodgings by working with local property management companies, like Home Host Concierge in Boulder. Be sure to scope out local vacation rental offerings, in addition to the big names.
Consider All The Perks
Check the amenities to make sure they align with your prioerities. Last year, Airbnb began allowing hosts to “verify” their WiFi speed and services for people who work remotely. Airbnb also recently introduced electric vehicle charging stations as a feature, and nearly 1 million hosts have added that in the past year. You can also check the amenity list for features like pools, BBQ grills and full kitchens. Between fall to winter in 2021, searches for listings with pools jumped by 50 percent in the United States and Canada.
Scour the Reviews
This one may be something you do already, but it bears repeating. Read the reviews to make sure the experience of other guests aligns with the experience you want to have.
Chat With The Host
If possible, try to speak with your host in advance. Ask them for tips and advice and get to know them personally to make sure their home is a good fit for your needs.
One Response
I like how you said to read the reviews so you can know the experience other guests had. My sister was at my house yesterday afternoon for lunch, and she told me about how she wants to find a vacation rental her family can stay in during their Christmas vacation. I’ll pass these tips along to her so she can know how to find a good vacation rental!