Orlando Vacation Homes Rentals

posted by orlandovacationhome on Jun 7

Since the beginning of this blog’s inception, we’ve promoted the advantages of booking with a professional rental management company in Orlando.

Trust in terms of the quality of accommodations with a professional rental management company is critical. Although we have mentioned ways to authenticate vacation home management companies in the past, there is one step every prospective Orlando vacation home renter must do before booking. It will only take a few minutes and will assist anyone wishing to verify and authenticate rental management companies.

I must first admit I failed to do this before I booked the services of an online professional design firm recently, and this omission cost me several hundreds of dollars.

We suggest you always consult the Central Florida Better Business Bureau (BBB) website and put in the name of the rental management company. Click here to be go to this website.

Keep in mind that just because a website displays a BBB logo does not necessarily mean a company has a good track record.

Some additional notes on checking Orlando vacation rental companies:

• Over 100 Central Florida vacation rental business ratings are available on the website.
• Be sure and check the company’s official BBB rating on the website.
• One of the other important elements to check is the BBB accreditation which includes the customer complaint history as well as issue resolution.

In conclusion, if you only do one thing to verify a company’s reputation before reserving an Orlando vacation rental, check the rental management company’s customer complaint history and BBB accreditation using the Florida Better Business Bureau business reviews.

 You’ll certainly find that most area vacation rental companies have excellent track records (A+ to A- ratings). This one necessary step is worth your time checking online.

Moreover, to learn about the many vacation home choices you have in the Central Florida area, click on the community reviews section of this website.

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Jun 3

Orlando vacations are taking on an increasingly international flavor. A recent article in the Orlando Sentinel hinted at the future of Univeral Studios including the Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction and Orlando’s dependence on international travel. This is a trend we have blogged about in the past which is evident for all area parks along with the addition of new direct international air service flights to Orlando.

Orlando vacations, including the area home rental market, are dependent on international travel more than ever. Overseas visitation to Orlando dropped 1% in 2009 according to the Department of Commerce. However, as a whole Florida managed to increase the number of overseas arrivals to the state during that same period and move into the second spot behind New York.

Very recent year-over-year trends have been positive for the trajectory of international travel as reported by the Department of Commerce. The latest statistical travel trends indicate a 8-10% increase year-over-year from many major global destinations. Click here for this Department of Commerce international arrivals report. This positive growth should begin to lift the park and other area attractions into positive territory after attendance peaked for many busineses several years ago.

Fresh new worries about the European economy do cloud projections. Public debt in countries such as Iceland, Spain, Ireland and Greece have dominated the news lately. However, star markets for Orlando travel such as Brazil and Canada promise to transform the global environment for international tourism. Local retail and service businesses who successfully market to these growing niche markets will stand to gain significantly.

The good news for the Orlando vacation rentals market is that these potential guests are often already aware of the benefits of staying in a villa-style unit. Self-catering kitchens, privacy, large living and dining spaces and convenient locations to area theme parks are all great reasons that international guests love Orlando vacation rentals. Luxurious resort communities such as Bella Vida, Emerald Island, Windsor Hills and Windsor Palms already covet a very global clientele.

Whether you are from Munich, Montreal or Minneapolis, Orlando vacation rentals are another great reason Central Florida is a world class destination. We strive to “internationalize” this blog site with the addition of critical posts in Spanish and other languages. You’ll notice that we have translated some vacation reviews such as Windsor Hills in Spanish. We openly welcome global guests to the area, and hope they enjoy the luxurious accommodations that vacation homes have to offer.

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Apr 16

1.    Research Does Pay Dividends  

Any successful NFL team does their best to know all there is about any given player. This includes ex-coaches, scouts and any player references for the individual player they are evaluating. Conversely, it pays to do your research for renting a vacation home as well! This would include visiting online vacation reviews (such as those posted on our main page) or elsewhere plus chatting with friends or acquaintances that have visited the area and stayed in a vacation home.

2.    Drafting Based on Needs is a Good Strategy

The best NFL teams know the needs of their team before any given draft. Moreover, you must know the needs of your family or group before you book your vacation rental accommodations. Satisfaction partially depends on meeting the expectations of every group member, and making them feel connected to the decision process.

3.    The Middle Rounds Can Be the Best for You

Although the first pick for any team is crucial, it’s often the 3rd, 4th and 5th round picks that provide the best fit for the team. For local Orlando villas, we clearly indicate that Windsor Hills Resort Kissimmee and Emerald Island Resort Kissimmee are among our top selections. However, if you do your research for renting a vacation home, as we indicate above, they’ll be some great picks available if these two resort communities are already booked. This is true of almost any destination. Some great options for vacation home rental accommodations that could be available in the “middle rounds” include Windsor Palms Resort, Watersong, Encantada Resort, Bella Vida Kissimmee and many others profiled in our community reviews area.

4.    Value Is Important

Some successful NFL teams often trade down in the draft. They would rather forego the large salaries associated with a top pick and settle for a well-researched pick in the middle rounds.   The same can be true for vacation homes in Orlando if you bring nightly rates into the equation. How so? Because most of the very top communities are always in highest demand, they often command higher rates. One may find some bargain rates for rentals that are in nice clean subdivisions, but perhaps not in the “top tier”. It really depends on you, and what your preferences and needs are (refer  to #2 above).

5.   Don’t Fall Prey to a Draft Day Wonder

Some players look good at the skills combine, but when you look at their collective game day skills and experience, their value may be an illusion. For vacation homes, good looking superficial photos are great, but always make sure you do your research and check around (see #1 above).  

Don’t be a Cowboy and always do your research when booking vacation rentals! You’ll be a Saint with your family and friends, and they’ll be Raven about your vacation villa. A Cardinal sin is not consulting our community reviews before you book your vacation home reservations. Have a great vacation!

Renting a Vacation Home in Orlando

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Feb 21

Cane Island Kissimmee Resort Review Update

The resort reviews on this website are updated on a regular basis. In the case of Cane Island in Kissimmee, the initial evaluation of Cane Island was completed six months ago and has been further updated after our recent visit.

The actual resort rating is based on a combination of multiple attributes including:

* Overall Appearance of Resort

* Cleanliness of Vacation Community Grounds

* Overall Quality of Resort Amenities

Cane Island in Kissimmee is now a mix of a vacation condominium community and an apartment complex.

The Cane Island amenities include sun deck, fitness room, whirlpool spa and game room. The resort also has some excellent water features including a fountain at the resort pond and an ample community clubhouse pool. Cane Island is a mid-rise condominium complex with an apartment style build with many additional positives including location, complex and variety of amenities.

We will re-evaluate all vacation communities regular for changes. As always, please read our disclaimer for guidance on the opinion reviews and evaluation process. Consult our main page for ratings on over 80 resort communities including additional reviews of luxurious villas in Kissimmee.

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Feb 3

Kissimmee villas provide some outstanding choices for any vacationer visiting the Central Florida area. Most villas are centrally located to the theme parks, provide an array of amenities, and give any vacationer a high degree of choice for the type of community or resortdesired.

Since there are over eighty resort communities catering to short term rentals in the “Four Corners” area, this site also provides guidance and reviews for most luxury villas specifically in Kissimmee. Kissimmee villas vary greatly in size, location and quality.

The city of Kissimmee, Florida was incorporated in 1883 and has a population of over 60,000 persons. The city’s land area is roughly 17 square miles, and is located south of downtown Orlando and the Orlando International Airport. The city has an active central core area with most Kissimmee villas located west of the downtown commercial area, and adjacent to Highway 192 (Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway).

The westernmost parts of Kissimmee are bounded by the Osceola-Polk County line and the city of Davenport, Florida which is also a popular vacation rental destination. Click here to connetct to the City of Kissimmee, Florida website.

Some of the more popular villa communities in Kissimmee include Emerald Island, Windsor Hills, Windsor Palms, and Terra Verde Resort. Additional high quality Kissimmee villas include Acadia Estates and Bella Vida Resort, although this is only a small sampling of neighborhoods. Any of these communities in Kissimmee provide outstanding accommodations with plenty of amenities to choose from.

The key for any Kissimmee traveler is to do your homework. There are some excellent values and packages available, but one does need to review infomediary websites like this one for resort quality ratings and community reviews.

Specific location and distances to the theme parks should be closely scrutinized as well. A distance differential of 2 to 3 miles, which may not sound like much, may be the difference in driving an extra 30-45 minutes daily during the high season. Consult the community reviews section of our main page for this information and more.

Kissimmee Villas

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Dec 3

There are some personal decisions to review before one books an Orlando rental home. The good news is that having these answers in mind will help you make a rental decision that best meets your personal needs. The following is a short list of some considerations – in no particular order:

1. Would you and your family rather stay in a traditional single family home or do you find a condo or townhome (with the key being that many units are attached physically) acceptable? A traditional single family home tends to add privacy to one’s stay. Key: Many resorts have mixed accommodation types. Make sure you verify your physical home accommodations at the time of booking.

2. How far is personally acceptable for your daily drive to the theme parks? Keep in mind that a distance of 2-3 miles can add 15 minutes +/- depending on traffic to the drive each day. Key: Review our vacation community profiles for estimated distances and use Google maps as a tool.

3. Will the community meet your expectations? Key: We suggest you use vacation home ratings and review sites to complement some of the posted consumer reviews.

4. What type of rental home amenities should I request? Key: Only you and your family can answer this question. Keep in mind that there are applicable amenities for the interior of your vacation rental as well as amenities in the common areas of the community. Individual vacation rental amenities could include wireless internet, gameroom, number and size of televisions, pool and kitchen appliances. Common area amenity considerations include, but are not limited to fitness room, concierge, community pool and/or spa, and playground.

5. What size of accommodations should I book? Key: Again, only you and your family can answer this question. However, one critical item you need to think about is privacy in your home, especially with bathrooms. Most vacation house reservations are made with family members, so intimacy is not an issue. However, in some cases for groups, privacy is a major issue. Make sure you clearly understand how many bedrooms and bathrooms are needed.

6. Is it best to rent directly from an owner or from a professional management company? Key: There are great owners out there, but the best management companies in the area can offer a full-time service staff 24hrs a day to support your stay.

Each of these important details are a part of planning a vacation that meets your needs and expectations. As stated before, we are confident that Orlando rental homes can meet your needs in ways many hotels cannot, and it always pays to do a little research first.

Orlando Rental Homes

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Nov 10

If you regularly peruse our website, you might notice some new format changes in our community reviews area. We are in the process of re-reviewing and evaluating each of the profiled resort communities including Oakwater Resort in Kissimmee.

These updates include more detail on the estimated driving distance to major area attractions and specifics on the resort community amenities. One of the updates we wanted to mention is the review of Oakwater Resort in Kissimmee.

The original review of Oakwater Resort was favorable in terms of the quality of the vacation townhomes and common areas. In fact, on a recent blog post, we mentioned the community pool at Oakwater Kissimmee as an area favourite with families on vacation. Having visited the Oakwater again, we maintain our original community rating and reiterateour positive opinion of Oakwater Resort.

Some additional fast facts about the Oakwater Resort review:

• Most of the resort accommodations are two story vacation condos or town homes with attached one car garages. The facades are well maintained and attractive in appearance.
• The Oakwater townhomes range anywhere from approximately 1,000 to 1,700 square feet
• The clubhouse pool features a large community pool and splash fountain for the kids. Check-out our video of the resort recreational areas as part of the original review.
• The location of Oakwater Resort in Kissimmee is conveniently close to the major attractions.

All in all, Oakwater Resort would be a great vacation rental destination for you and your family.

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Oct 13

The 4th Annual Old Spice College Basketball Classic is scheduled for November 26, 27 and 29th, 2009 in Orlando. This is one of our favorite live sports events in Orlando. Some other exciting upcoming live sports events in Orlando include the Capital One Bowl and the Champs Sports Bowl. The Old Spice NCAA Basketball Classic will be held at the Disney Sports “Milk House” arena.

The field for the Old Spice Classic includes Alabama, Baylor, Creighton, Florida State, Iona, Marquette, Michigan, and Xavier. The early favorite to win the event is the Michigan Wolverines. Michigan is in the Top 25 for both the AP and Coaches basketball poll. Baylor, Marquette and Xavier are also highly regarded. The Old Spice Classic field for 2009 is one of the strongest it has been since the tourney’s inception. The tournament was won by Gonzaga in 2008.

Vacation villas in Orlando are an excellent way to house your family and fellow basketball fans. Most homes are 3 bedrooms or more and are an excellent value when you consider the presence of amenities such as a pool, kitchen, and residential appliances. While you are in town, you’ll have to enjoy the sunny weather playing on one of Orlando’s championship golf courses. Some of the golf villas we review are located very close to the Disney Sports Complex. Check-out our 80+ vacation rental reviews posted on the website.

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Oct 12

One of our favorite family inexpensive Orlando/Kissimmee area attractions is Old Town Kissimmee. Many visitors are enchanted by the local food and inexpensive entertainment.  The Kissimmee resort that stands out as far as convenience and proximity to Old Town Kissimee is Regal Oaks Resort.

Regal Oaks is close to Old Town and is known for its townhome style suites in the heart of Kissimmee. The resort features a small lake and conservation area along with a fun water feature at the pool. The pool is an oasis after a long hot day at the parks.

See a quick video review of Regal Oaks. You’ll notice Old Town at Kissimmee about 1 minute into the video. The exterior of the resort is well maintained and a convenient place to stay if you want a centrally located vacation condo in Kissimmee.

View Larger Map of Regal Oaks

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Oct 8

A few e-mails have trickled in about our recent post related to resort villas in Orlando. The questions have essentially been the same in that we did not specifically mention golf in Orlando. Because golf is such a big part of vacationing and recreation in Orlando, we wanted to do a follow-up blog post enumerating our favorite golf villas.

We’ll define “golf villas” as a vacation rental communiity on or very near a golf course. This would be similar to a “ski in, ski out” resort, but in this case it would be a “golf in, golf out” resort. Based on our opinion reviews, here are our best golf villas in the Orlando area:

Reunion Resort – Outstanding golf course with residential style villas many right on the course. Great for any family or individual that loves golf and wants to get extended time on the course. Our Reunion Resort detailed review has some good photos of the vacation homes and condos on the course.

Highlands Reserve – Excellenent vacation community adjacent to the Highland Reserve golf course. The course itself is a great value if you are staying in the Davenport area. Many of the homes are not right on the course, but they are all in close proximity from this neighborhood.

Windsor Palms Resort – This was formerly named the Wyndham Palms Resort, so it was originally designed as a golf and resort community. Golf at the Mystic Dunes golf course is next door to this resort community. Mystic Dunes is roughly a 7,000 yard, 145 slope rated golf course that many people in the area recommend for any golfer. Windsor Palms itself is an excellent resort with a clubhouse and other recreational amenities.

Orlando Golf Villas

Consult our community reviews section for full profiles on each of these resort subdivisions. If these specific vacation rental communities are full, there are many excellent vacation homes located nearby golf courses and the major theme parks as well.

Orlando Golf Vacation Rentals

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