Thinking of Aspen often conjures up images of Great Skiing, Fine Dining, Movie Stars, Prada, Gucci and other Hi-end shopping and fashion. Bud world class kids resort? Family friendly? I wouldn’t have put these family oriented labels on the resort until now. After a terrific long weekend trying out the fantastic kids program at Snowmass resort, I am convinced! Snowmass may be the world’s best family friendly skiing resort.
Located just 15 minutes away from the town of Aspen itself, Snowmass Mountain is the largest of Aspen’s four Mountain resorts. (Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk and Aspen) In fact, Snowmass is one of the largest ski resorts in North America and is larger than its three sister mountains combined! Aspen Ski Company’s Kim Edwards tells me: “Snowmass is known for 2 things – the greatest selection of Ski-in Ski-Out lodging, and the kids program at the Tree House”. And therein lies the secret- 95% of the lodging is right on the Mountain. If you have ever tried to ski with a large family, you know the trials and tribulations of getting the little ones dressed up in their gear, packed into the car, carried from the parking lot and onto the lifts – only to find that Jr has left one glove back at the house, and his sister has left her goggles at breakfast. Everyone enjoys staying right on the Mountain, but this is especially valuable for families. It means no shuttling back and forth: Mom can stay in and meet the rest of the group later. If a child gets cold or hungry, or has forgotten something, its just a quick path down the trail to the home or condo.
The next challenge for family skiing is trying to teach your kids to ski yourself. While this can often work, it is amazing how much better kids respond when among their peers in a well run- ski school. The complaints of “Mom, I’m tired”, “Dad, I’m cold”, “I want a cookie” often turn into focused attention on improving and impressing their peers in class – “I bet I can beat you to the chairlift”, or “watch me do the S turns”. We dropped our 3 and 4 year olds off at Snowass’s new TreeHouse ski school facility each day of our vacation. They immediately joined age and skill-appropriate groups, spent half of the day on the runs with their teacher and half in the TreeHouse’s indoor facility where they ate lunch, played with toys, and watched movies. By the first night, they were telling us about their new friends and bragging about what level they were able to meet in their ski class.
The Treehouse Children's Center is right at the base of Snowmass Mountain
The TreeHouse kids facility is one of the best that I have seen anywhere. Situated right in the Snowmass base village, it includes several age-specific indoor play areas. Our 1 year old worked on her walking skills and played for hours with the doll houses before retiring to a special nap area. The boys played in the indoor “treehouse” – a collection of rope bridges, swings and suspended platforms and perches, as well as several other toy rooms. Older kids get to visit the Treehouse’s cabin in the woods, a wonderful camp-like setting right in the middle of the beginner area, where the classes stop for lunch and more play in between the ski lessons. A small NASTAR-like slalom course is set up right there, and the kids can watch their peers compete as they sit at the picnic tables in the woods eating their hot lunches.
The TreeHouse has programs for all ages of kids and all levels of skiing. They provide the kids with meals, naps, ski lessons and play – everything they need to have a wonderful adventure. Packages that include lift tickets and rental equipment save money and are also readily available For my wife and I- knowing our kids were safe, secure and having fun allowed us the luxury of spending the days skiing together and exploring the rest of the Mountain. The skiing was great, the scenery was beautiful, and the food was terrific – make sure to try the fantastic BBQ at Sam’s Smokehouse at the top of the Sam’s Knob lift! Our conclusion: Snowmass is First Class – for Families!
The Treehouse - a fun, friendly and safe place for your kids to spend the day!
To book your perfect family skiing holiday at Aspen/ Snowmass - – visit Vacationroost.com, or call 1-888-33ROOST.
Ok, I admit that I’m not above using a sensationalist title to get your attention, but… This actually does have a tie in with Vacation Rentals. In fact, the less catchy title is Customer Service: Why Professionally Managed Matters in Vacation Rentals – Part III.
Sure you can rent a vacation home directly from the owner, but what if you need some help while you are there? Professionally managed vacation rentals come with a Front Desk and 24 hour on-site support. That means there is someone there to greet you when you arrive and answer all of your questions, and just as importantly, someone there to help with your needs during your stay. Need some extra towels? Coming right up. Want some recommendations on where to eat? Most Property Managers will not only have recommendations, but can also show you how to take advantage of the “local specials” and discounts. Have a toaster break? They’ll have a new one in your unit the next day. Need something special to accomodate your party like a Baby crib or High Chair? Many Property Managers have them on site, and will have them waiting for you in your unit.
The point is that Professional Property Managers are in the Hospitality Business. Their jobs are to ensure that guest enjoy their vacations and have a good time, not spend their vacation trying to figure out how to work the hot tub or find the lights in the basement. Joe Ballstaedt, President of Park City based Resorts West reports that their Private Concierge Service is the most important part of their operation, and is growing more important every year. “We provide our guests with the services and amenities that they would expect to get if they were in a hotel,” explained Joe. “We offer our guests personalized on-site check-in, grocery delivery services, equipment rentals delivered to their vacation rental, dinner and spa reservations – even luggage delivery!”
So whether you want to be catered to with full concierge services, or just want someone to call if you lose your key, be sure to book a Professionally Managed Vacation Rental…. Which brings us to our Story Headline. This funny “rescue story” is shared with us by Ashley McClain of Colorado Rocky Mountain Resorts:
Last year in mid-February around 2:30-3:00 AM I get a call on the on-call phone from a distressed guest who explains that her and her party have locked themselves out of their condo in Breckenridge! I assured them that it’s not a problem and that I would meet her at our office to give her an additional set of keys. Although she was hesitant at first, which I assumed was because it was a full on blizzard outside, she agreed to meet me. As I pulled up to our office I noticed she was already parked out front with the engine running. I opened the office, turned on the lights and opened the front door so she could come in. I waited for a couple of minutes and eventually proceeded to go out to her car as she apparently didn’t want to get out of her car. As I walked up to her car - I noticed she was naked and the only one in the car! A little embarrassed, I asked her where the rest of her party was (there were 4 adults when I checked them in and they were suppose to be locked out). She explained that they had “poached” the already closed hot tub for some skinny dipping fun and only when they got out did they realize that they had locked themselves out! The rest of the party was sitting NAKED in the hallway of the condo building waiting for her to return! Embarrassed and cold, she thanked me and drove away.
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- Thanks for taking such good care of our guests Ashley!
VacationRoost is the largest online marketplace for Professionally Managed Vacation Rentals, and all of our vacation homes have on-site management. To find your perfect vacation home visit www.vacationroost.com, or call 1-888-33ROOST!
by Julie Place (VacationRoost Customer)
Zack and I were married in New York City on November 7th, 2009. It was the most magical night of our lives, but after months of planning, we were MORE than ready for our honeymoon. We were so excited to be able to go to Hawaii thanks to VacationRoost and the Honua Kai Resort in Maui where we stayed for 7 magical nights.
We had been researching the island for months and had heard so many wonderful things about the island. After a 10 hours flight (plus a 2 hour stop in LA!), we were so excited to finally land in Maui.
Location, Location, Location
After picking up our Jeep rental (Jeeps are definitely the way to go in Hawaii), we drove for about 45 minutes to Ka’anapali where the Honua Kai Resort is located. The resort, we were pleased to learn, is located on the sunniest side of the island, which can really make a difference. Go 20 minutes in any direction, and the weather can change-which can be a big bummer if you are sun worshippers like my husband and me. The other great thing about the location of the resort is it’s so close to Front Street which is where lots of shops, restaurants and boating activities are located. We were there almost every day!
The Honua Kai Resort
We pulled up to the resort and were blown away before even walking in. The Tiki torches, beautiful landscaping and elegant entrance way tipped us off that this was going to be an amazing resort. read more…
Ok, you may need to be into windsurfing to truly get how cool this is… If you don’t know who Matt Pritchard is – substitute your favorite sport and pick one of its top 5 icons and you’ll get the picture. Anyone who knows the windsurfing world will recognize Matt as a perennial champion in World Wave, Freestyle and Racing Windsurfing Competitions.
Cool - Hanging out with World-Champ Matt Pritchard
Cooler - Matt allowing us to use his state of the art windsurfing gear
Even Cooler - Having Matt join us at our vacation rental beach house to share tips and technique suggestions
Matt Pritchard is a terrific guy and was a great ambassador for windsurfing and Maui with his kindness and generosity with our group on this recent vacation in Maui. You may be wondering – what does this have to do at all with vacation rentals? Of course – I can suggest a connection. Had we been staying in one of the major resorts in the main tourist zones of the island, I don’t think we could have enjoyed this experience. For years, my windsurfing friends and I have been renting beach front vacation rentals on the North Shore of Maui. Because this is a much more quiet part of the island, we have interacted and met with dozens of Maui locals over the years and built some nice friendships. It was through these connections that one of my friends met Matt a few years ago, and the rest is history.
The Coolest - Having a few beers with Matt over happy hour after a great day windsurfing
Vacation Rentals allow you to really experience the local community when you vacation in a way that is not usually possible at the larger resorts. For me, some of the best memories from my vacations are based on the people I meet, the adventures we have and the local spots we explore. This most recent trip was no exception – thanks Matt!
If you want to find the perfect vacation rental in Maui – visit Vacationroost.com, or call 1-888-33ROOST.
One of the typical rituals for me when I go on vacation and rent a vacation home in a great location is day-dreaming about someday “owning a place like this.” After the first few days of running around and getting familiar with the surroundings, learning about all of the neat features of the home and neighborhood, I can’t help myself from grabbing all of those real estate magazines at the local coffee shop and starting to leaf through the pages. Then the day-dreaming starts in earnest: Wouldn’t it be great if this could be my place. I’d have all of my family and friends over to it – we’d spend holidays here. We’d be “in the know” locals. We wouldn’t have to pack – our stuff would be right here!
Hmm... what would it cost to buy this place?
It certainly is an attractive and recurring fantasy. Now that I’m in the business of vacation homes and vacation rentals, however, my perspective has changed a bit. I now know much more about what goes on behind the scenes to give my family and I that perfect vacation experience. I understand a bit more about the costs and logistics involved. As I look around and enjoy all of the beautiful tropical trees and lush grass at an ocean front beach house in Maui, I also notice the telltale signs of an aggressive fight against beachfront erosion to maintain the property. I see the dozens of small seedlings being planted with custom irrigation systems gently nurturing them. I notice the maintenance people coming and going almost constantly in the neighborhood – salt water, sun and wind are not friendly to a home’s paint job. I see a brand new BBQ grill that has obviously replaced an older unit within the last few weeks. I look across this beautiful grass lawn and wonder how often they have to mow it. As I mentally note all of these maintenance issues that I have simply taken for granted in the past, I breathe a relaxing sigh of relief and think “Aaaaahhhhh… Not My Problem!” I can simply enjoy the benefits of this little slice of paradise and ignore all of those issues.
Who has to water those tiny trees? Not Me!
This is one of the many benefits of vacation rentals. I can experience the dream home, but without the mental and financial burdens of ownership. No mortgage, no utilities, no association dues, no maintenance, no battle with the elements, no management of an army of carpenters, landscapers, plumbers, contractors and maids and no worrying about local politics and regulations. Just relaxing and enjoying vacation – that sounds like the right equation for me.
At VacationRoost.com – we only represent the best vacation rental properties that are managed by a full time property management service or have on site management. This insures that our guests can enjoy their vacations – worry free. They are sure to have a well maintained property that is in good shape without any hassles. In the event of an issue with the home – they are still homes after all and things do break once in a while – it is not our guest’s problem. They can go out and enjoy the ocean or the ski slopes, while the onsite manager quickly replaces a microwave oven or brings over a new tank of propane for the grill. We think it is the best of both worlds – the benefits of a private vacation home, with many of the amenities and services of a hotel or resort.
As for me, I still will pick up the real estate magazines once in a while but more out of curiosity than fantasy. I already know that I’m living the fantasy by renting a home in paradise worry free!
I’m booking a condo for the weekend, not applying for a new mortgage!
Vacation Home owners are very protective of their homes – and rightly so. A second home can represent the fulfillment of a lifetime of dreams, and often is the “pride and joy” of the owners. Unfortunately, sometimes these very understandable feelings, and the desire to protect their “pride and joy” can result in a booking experience that is far more cumbersome than what travelers are used to when they book a hotel or other accommodation. Many owners will insist on a rigorous rental contract or short term lease agreement to govern the terms of the rental. Sometimes, these agreements also require significant security deposits and checks mailed in advance and held well after the vacation is completed.
Case in Point – My wife recently rented a vacation home in Newport Beach California. It was a terrific home, and she had a great time. Unfortunately, this home required a rental contract and a $3,000 security deposit. My wife organized the trip for her group and spent several weeks going back and forth with the owner and signing a detailed contract. She also had to forward the money for the deposit. My wife and her friends returned from their trip 2 weeks ago, but she is still waiting for the deposit to be returned. This is not the ideal customer experience.
Professional Property Management Companies can help make things easier for both the owner and the renter. Because the PMC is in the hospitality business and books hundreds of customers in and out of their clients’ vacation homes, they are better positioned to help streamline the process. If a contract is needed, they have standardized forms that are both thoroughly vetted to protect the owner and renter, and efficiently streamlined to minimize the disruption to the booking and check-in process. In addition, the PMC is able to utilize credit cards, and often will only require an authorization to cover a damage deposit, instead of actually charging the card.
At VacationRoost, we seek out the best Property Management Companies to work with so we can provide our customers with the most convenient shopping and booking experience possible. The vast majority of our properties can be booked online with a credit card, and the terms and conditions of the rental are clearly outlined in the Vacation Authorization form that our clients can read and agree to online or over email.
This is just one of the many innovations that VacationRoost is introducing to the marketplace to make booking a vacation rental online as easy and straight forward as booking a hotel room. To rent your dream vacation home as easily as possible, visit www.vacationroost.com, or call 1-888-33ROOST.
One of the biggest questions we get at VacationRoost is regarding the differences between renting a vacation home from an owner – (“RBO” or “Rent By Owner”) or renting a vacation home from a Professional Management Company (“PMC”). While there are scores of wonderful rental homes available from both sources, we at VacationRoost have chosen to represent homes that are professionally managed. We chose professionally managed homes because we feel they offer our customers a more reliable and consistent experience at a strong value.
This Blog will be the first in a series in which I discuss our perspective on the differences between Professionally-Managed vacation rentals and RBO vacation rentals.
Part I – The Basics:
The Product:
An RBO vacation rental is just what it sounds like – a vacation home owned by an individual owner who has decided to rent it out to earn additional income. The product can be as varied as the owners themselves, and often will reflect the tastes of the individual owner and their decorating style. Some owners will spend time making the home as hospitable and attractive to third party guests as possible (i.e: clearing out personal items, providing matching linens, professional cleaning) and some will not. Some owners will make an effort to maintain the property at levels consistent with expectations of third party guests (i.e.: maintaining working appliances, complying with building and safety codes, etc…) and some will not.
A Professionally-managed vacation rental is also a vacation home owned by an individual owner who has decided to rent it out to earn additional income. This owner, however, understands that it takes a lot of work and effort to provide guests with a first class experience, and they may not want to do that work – it is a vacation home after all, not a second job! So this owner will hire a Professional Property Manager to manage and maintain the home, rent it out to guests and take care of the guests during their trips.
The Process To Find and Book:
Finding an RBO vacation rental used to involve asking friends and family for suggestions or looking in the newspaper classifieds or a local directory. Thanks to the internet, there are now many more places to find a great selection of RBO vacation homes. Local directories, Craigslist type sites, and larger aggregator sites like VRBO.com all list vacation homes for rent in many locations. Once you find one that peaks your interest, you send the owner an inquiry or call them directly. Once you reach the owner, you determine if the home is available for your preferred dates of travel, confirm or negotiate the price, and reserve the property. Some owners treat their RBO properties like a business, and make great efforts to be responsive to inquiries and provide a pleasant booking process. Some….well….don’t.
The method of booking and paying for your RBO vacation rental is determined by the individual owner, and varies widely. Some have well written contracts or short term leases to complete, some are more casual. Some require checks mailed in advance, some will take PayPal, and a few may even take credit cards. Generally, it takes a bit of work on behalf of both the renter and the owner to consummate the transaction, and both parties have legitimate reasons to be somewhat cautious in order to protect their best interests.
Once the transaction has been completed, the owner may mail keys to the renter, provide a combination for a lock-box, provide the location of a special hiding place to find the keys, or make arrangements for a neighbor or a local friend to provide the key to the renter or let the renter into the house.
Finding a Professionally-managed vacation rental has traditionally involved looking up the local rental agencies or realtors in a specific location and inquiring about their inventory. Many agencies have traditionally printed catalogues of their inventory and some still do. Again, the internet has made this process much more convenient, allowing agencies and realtors to publish their inventory online. Like in the RBO space, aggregators have emerged to provide consumers with a consolidated collection of professionally-managed vacation rentals in specific locations. MountainReservations.com is an example of an aggregator that provides vacation rentals in the Rocky Mountains, MexicanDestinations.com is an example of an aggregator of luxury villas and condos in Mexico. VacationRoost.com is the first company to offer consumers professionally-managed vacation rentals across the entire country, and has emerged as one of the largest online marketplaces for vacation rentals.
Booking a professionally-managed vacation rental is typically much more consistent with what consumers are used to when they book a hotel. Property management companies have professional reservations staffs that answer phones and help consumers select the best homes for there vacations. These companies generally take reservations with a credit card, and have much more streamlined paperwork and reservations processes.
When we launched VacationRoost, our goal was to help promote vacation rentals to consumers by making them easier to find, book and enjoy. We chose to represent Professionally-Managed vacation rentals, because of the nature of the product and the experience we felt they would offer our customers. By offering our customers the widest selection of Professionally-Managed vacation rentals, we are able to offer them features such as: 1) Real time pricing and availability online, 2) The ability to book online with a credit card, 3) The ability to speak with a travel specialist who is familiar with the properties, 4) A comfortable check-in process with on-site management, 5) Confidence that properties will be professionally cleaned and maintained, 6) On-site management to help our guests enjoy their vacations and handle any issues that may arise.
We enjoy privileged relationships with our Property Management supplier partners. It is a partnership – we help them market and book their inventory, and they insure our guests receive top quality vacation homes and services when they arrive. It is the strength of these partnerships that assures our guests the type of experience we are selling at VacationRoost.
I have spent considerable time speaking with our customers, supplier partners and travel specialists about the value of Professionally Managed vacation rentals, and will continue this blog in several parts to share some of the specific lessons and stories that I have heard.
I had no idea what was in store for me when I arrived in Vancouver and started my trip up to Whistler, I grew up skiing in the mountains of Utah but I had no idea what to expect. After working our way out of the airport and through downtown Vancouver we made our way onto the Sea to Sky Highway headed to Whistler (tip: on the way up sit on the left-hand side of the shuttle for the best views) it’s probably one of the best drives to a ski resort I’ve ever made.
Once in Whistler I was shocked at how busy it was and how many people were there. I am used to the typical ski town in summer but Whistler seemed to be just as busy in the summer as it is in the winter. Having skied at every resort in the Rockies I couldn’t believe the size of Whistler/Blackcomb it is one massive mountain that provides terrain for every type of skier (not to mention the hiking and mountain biking trails in the summer) I could definitely see myself coming back in the winter. Wandering through the Village checking things out I still couldn’t believe how active and vibrant the area was, it definitely had a good vibe all around.
Squeezing in some fun during a work trip isn’t hard to do here. My companions and I got the chance to go canoeing, golfing, a zip line tour, and an ATV tour. The day on the lake was incredibly refreshing, just getting out and cruising around the lake in canoes and swimming was great and the scenery was breathtaking. For the outdoor enthusiast, every view is a good view around here.
Park City, Utah is already one of the world’s finest mountain destinations for both winter and summer fun. With the quintessential western mining town feel of Main Street, the # 1 rated North American ski resort – Deer Valley, the always popular Park City Mountain Resort, and the ever-expanding resort of The Canyons, few resort towns have more to offer. When you consider that all of this is only 30 minutes from a major metro airport in Salt Lake City, its easy to see why Park City is one of North America’s favorite ski destinations.
What most people do not know, however, is that Park City continues to expand. The latest attraction – Newpark Resort and Redstone Village, billed as “The New Side of Park City.” Located at the entrance to Park City, right off of the exit from Interstate 80, Newpark is often overlooked by visitors on their way into Park City. Locals and those “in the know” however, recognize this as one more jewel in the Park City crown.
Last week, I was enjoying one of the free outdoor concerts that Newpark offers every Thursday night during the summer, when it occurred to me just what a great local secret this area is. Starting with the Redstone shopping village, visitors can enjoy a beautiful pedestrian village with a variety of shops with local character, a full-service movie theater, and plenty of terrific dining options. My family loves to combine a movie at the Redstone Cinema and ice cream next door at the Cold Stone Creamery. We also love the sushi at Hapa Grill.
Thursday Summer Concert at Newpark
Adjacent to Redstone is an extension of the pedestrian-friendly shopping village known as Newpark. This quickly developing center is anchored by a new bowling alley and family entertainment center on one end, and an outdoor concert venue on the other. While much of the shops in-between are still being built, the potential of the development was clearly on display as we sat and watched the sun-set over the Mountains. As we listened to the band, our kids ran along the bike path that wraps around the Swaner Nature Preserve, a beautiful 1,200 acres of open space that guarantees open, unobstructed views from most vantage points. To learn more about the wildlife in the preserve, we stop by the Swaner Eco Center a family friendly exploratorium that showcases the beautiful preserve, provides a bird watcher’s dream boardwalk and observation tower and the latest in eco-friendly practices and technology. For dinner, we grab some of Park City’s finest thin-crust pizza at Maxwell’s, which has earned a cult-like following among the locals for its famous pizza and Italian style dishes, not to mention its sweet hi-definition flat screens that make it a terrific sports bar.
Newpark Townhome as low as $175/night
Visitors wanting to enjoy Newpark, can rent studio, one or two bedroom suites in the Newpark Resort starting at $99 per night, or rent a Two Bedroom Townhome with its own private hot tub overlooking the preserve for as low as $175 per night. Newpark has some of the most affordable lodging available in Park City. In addition, to the attractions in Newpark itself, staying there provides some of the most convenient lodging for visitors to The Canyons, as well as The Utah Olympic Park. Many skiers wanting to ski both Park City resorts and take day trips to Utah’s famous Snowbird and Alta resorts also like the location for its close proximity to Interstate 80, making those resorts only 35 minutes away.
To book your lodging at Newpark Resort, visit www.vacationroost.com, or call 1-888-33Roost.
