Where Are We Staying??
Trying to pick the place to stay when you are on vacation can be nerve-wracking. Does it actually look like the pictures? Will everyone be comfortable there? Is it even clean? Although choosing a place to lay your head while traveling is never really foolproof, here are a few tips to help. And while this is really for holiday rental homes, some of these tips can also be helpful when looking for a hotel.
Always look at the map!
When you are searching for properties, take a really close look at the map. This is particularly important when you are staying in a large city. I can’t tell you how many times I have pulled up a listing that looked nice and it said it was in one area only to take a closer look at the map and discover that is not where it is! Is it close to sites you want to visit? Is there a metro nearby? Is it an overly busy area that will be loud at night? Another good thing to look for is proximity to restaurants and grocery stores. I know that if we are staying in a city we at least like to be able to pick up stuff for breakfast nearby. And if it is a property in a more remote area, how far is it to the nearest town, bakery, grocery store, etc.? So don’t ignore the map! Plus it’s a great way to start familiarizing yourself with the area if it is your first time going there.
Read (and re-read) the property description!
When you are first trying to pick out your rental, we are all first drawn to the photos, the price and the reviews (more on that later). You are looking at the number of bedrooms and baths for sure. But you need to dive in a little more.
Where are the bedrooms and baths situated – this is of more importance in a larger house. What are the sizes of the beds? Are the baths ensuite or off the hall to share? We rented a great place in Athens, Greece that had 2 bathrooms but I didn’t realize the 2nd one was off the amazing rooftop terrace which was accessed by some serious outside spiral steps. I obviously hadn’t read carefully enough!
What linens are included? Multiple towels or one per person for the whole stay? I have had both and it depends on how much laundry you want to do.
Is the kitchen well-equipped? Not everyone cares about this but my crew does. Are there any basics like coffee, tea, sugar, salt? Some hosts will provide enough for at least the first morning which is much appreciated.
Is there a washer and dryer? We rented a great place in France one year where the listing said washer and dryer but when I couldn’t find the dryer I asked the owner and he looked at me like I was nuts and pointed to the clothesline. Now I kind of like clothes dried on a clothesline but if it rains (like it did for us) this is not ideal. But we managed.
Is the heat and/or aircon (if they have it) included in the price? I was recently looking for a property in Italy and was surprised to find that in some cases they charged you extra according to the usage. That made me nervous so we picked one where all electricity was part of the price.
Do they have the all-important wifi? The reviews will let you know if it is decent or not.
Read (but don’t obssess over) the reviews
I definitely recommend choosing a property with the highest rating possible but don’t just focus on the number of stars. It really helps to actually read the reviews and not just to see if someone said something negative (there is almost always a negative review or two because people are people.
Check the dates of the most recent reviews. If there hasn’t been a review in the past year, I might be concerned. That goes for no reviews as well. Although everyone has to get their first review at some point. I just haven’t been willing to be the guinea pig yet.
Read beyond, “This place was amazing!”. People will often give much more helpful info like if the AC actually worked, the wi-fi speed and how noisy the traffic was outside. Everyone has different needs so what annoyed once person might be fine for you. You will also be made aware of things like steep stairs. We read about that in several reviews for the place we rented in Lisbon (see above) so we were prepared…or relatively so because man, were those things steep. But you don’t get the great views without them in those old buildings.
Watch for any common complaints (or compliments) in the reviews. I wish I had paid a little more attention to those for the place we rented last year in Rome. The overall reviews were very good but the recent complaints that seemed nitpicky when I read them turned out to be right. We still had a great time but it could have been better.
Start communicating with the owner/manager before you get there
Usually, once you book a property, or even when you are booking it, the owner will reach out to you to find out why you are traveling, etc. Take this opprotunity to introduce yourself and hopefully develop a rapport. Ask questions about the property if you weren’t able to get it from the website or reviews. Their willingness to communicate now is a pretty good indication of how things will go if there is an issue while you are there. Plus owners are a great source of info for the place you are visiting. We rented a flat in London and within a day of booking the owners had sent us a pdf on the property with all kinds of useful info for the surrounding area (thank you for that amazing local pub tip that we would never have found otherwise). The villa we rented last summer in Umbria (that is the view below) has the most marvelous owner who arranged for a privately cooked meal at the house for 11 of us. Generally I would say that if a host responds quickly to requests before you get there, then that should be the same during your stay. But that isn’t always the case – looking at you Rome apartment. So just try to be flexible. That’s just a good idea for vacation in general. Now if only I can remember that for myself…
I have stayed in holiday rentals in Montreal, London, Paris, La Rochelle, Dordogne, Valencia, Lisbon, Porto, Rome, Florence, Edinburgh, Athens, Santorini, Croatia and Umbria. If you want any specifics on the places I’ve stayed or recomendations, feel free to email me.