Travel and reservation websites with reviews are always closely scrutinized by savvy travellers for legitimacy. However, an authentication algorithm has been formulated by Jeff Hancock, Co-Lead of the project and Associate Professor of Communications at Cornell. The algorithm was a much more predictive measure of validity than qualified humans who participated in the study.

We have blogged about this topic many times because this issue is  perceived to be a problem on many travel review websites.  Click here for the full Cornell University article.

The significance of the study could be twofold:

1. This tool could be used to evaluate potential fake customer reviews up to and including pulling the reviews in question.

2. This tool could serve to deter from writing bogus  reviews in the first place. The cost of getting caught would outweigh the benefits of those trying to do something like this.

As the issue of phony reviews becomes more pervasive, the companies that operate review sites are coming under more scrutiny. In a somewhat related case, and although it did eventually prevail in court, a major west coast company did receive a lot of negative press over its reviews policy. In this case, the company was originally accused of tampering with some reviews.

As another example, the UK Advertising Standards Authority is launching an investigation into reviews posted on the Trip Advisor hotel reviews portal. The alleged and potential number of fake reviews has reached epidemic levels according to the UK’s Daily Mail online article. Again, these are still allegations against the company at this point.

There is reason to be optimistic, but the Cornell  research team did indicate that hotel reviews were the only type of critiques that were evaluated at this point. Additional related research on consumer restaurant reviews may take place in the near future.

The hospitality industry may one day take such steps such as the use of algorithms mentioned above to protect the integrity of traveller based reviews. However, this may be perceived as arbitrary by some consumers and no perfect solution exists.  One thing for certain is that there is concern as consumer reviews have an increasing impact on travel consumer decision making as time goes by.

Emerald Island Orlando

The top leading contenders for this prestigious title would include Windsor Hills Resort and Emerald Island Kissimmee Fl. By all accounts, both resorts have all the great attributes needed to make them the champion. This would include a spacious clubhouse, attractive vacation homes, knockout resort amenities and a gated and guarded community. Visit our community review pages for more detailed information on Windsor Hills and Emerald Island.

Either way, Emerald Island or Windsor Hills would make a great champion. The amenities for either resort are of 4 star and 5 star quality. In this case, the judges’ scorecard includes an overall rating, vacation homes in the community, clubhouse, resort amenities, community pool and privacy level.

Now that we’ve identified an amenities scorecard of sorts,  let’s look at a “tale of the tape” below!

In a sense, Ms. Higgins boils her main points down to 4 core areas. Positioning themselves more as hotels for product differentiation, offering upgrades and services along with reservation flexibility, and providing an experiential travel alternative that makes vacation rentals a viable  and competitive option.

Upon the inception of this blog, one thing we indicated was that vacation rentals and especially resort communities are not created equal. Vacation homes are often perceived as a ”one size fits all” product and that is not the case in reality for the consumer. Our viewpoint has always been that the subdivision or community (at least in the Orlando/Kissimmee/Davenport/Clermont market)  is more akin to a brand as we indicated in a recent post.

Villa Rentals

There would simply be too many brands for the consumer to evaluate if each home in and of itself were the brand. Consequently, one could also argue that the management company is a big part of the “brand” because the management company has so much impact on the quality of the home (i.e. maintenance, cleanliness, etc….). This is why we always recommend booking with a professional management company over a “vacation rental by owner”. Just like hotels, quality for vacation rentals does vary.

Second, the services available and increasing booking flexibility do make vacation rentals look  like hotels in the eyes of the consumer. However, in the latter point, this may be more of an economic reality due to the fact that duration of stay has dropped, and that rental home managers need to be more nimble to maintain the pace of bookings. As the economy recovers and demand rises, it remains to be seen whether shorter term stays for rental guests will be a longer term phenomenoa. We believe that in this case, and on average, longer length of stays will return for vacation homes as demand and occupancies rise.

Lastly, Ms. Higgins does correctly identify that the huge advantage of vacation rentals over hotels is the fact that they do lend themselves to more of an experiential vacation. Relaxing in your own pool, sitting at your own dining table, cooking with the family, playing games in the living room, etc… do help make house rentals in Florida a great alternative. Hotels will never be able to compete with the experiential nature of vacation home accommodations, especially for larger families.

If you want to get the “scoop” on over 80 resorts in Central Florida, check-out the villa reviews section of our main page. Each review contains detailed information including resort maintenance, amenities and facilities, home quality and location. Overall, our ratings criteria is stringent and only a select few make it to the 4 or 5 star level. Be an educated consumer, read our blog!

Orlando Vacation Home Community Amenities

Every family, group or individual has specific needs and expectations for their vacation. This is exactly why vacation rentals have become so popular with so many people. They fulfill a need for those that want space, amenities and comfort during their time in the area. It is important that there is a reliable forum to post news and details for each Orlando resort community.

Another reason why reviews  of Orlando Florida vacation home communities are so important is the fact that not all communities are created equal. We reiterate this on our main page. Often there is generic information for each neighborhood, but not enough details to truly help the consumer to make an educated decision. Amenities, location, and homes in the subdivision are important decision  details, and ones we highlight on the website.

Finally, each resort review contains important locational information for every neighborhood. Since most vacation homes are located in the towns of Kissimmee, Clermont and Davenport any potential renter should be aware of  their chosen resort’s proximity to attractions and landmarks. We also post photos and video for each resort community. These are designed to give you additional insight before you pick a rental home. Have a great vacation in Central Florida!

Most Clermont vacation homes are roughly 30 minutes from Walt Disney World®. These villas  are north and west of most of the other home rentals located in Kissimmee and Davenport Florida. Since Clermont is further from the major parks, most neighborhoods tend to be comprised of permanent residents as opposed to short term rental guests.

Greater Groves is one of the larger vacation home communities in the Four Corners area. Greater Groves has terrific resort amenities which include two well surfaced tennis courts, an ample sized pool and a premium kid’s playground. However, at the time of our visit, we did rate the overall common area landscaping as just average.

Adjacent to Greater Groves is another short term rental subdivision, Mission Park. The Mission Park community is located just north up Highway 27 from the Greater Groves villas and just across the highway from Orange Tree. The main attraction for Mission Park is the quality of homes in the community. Homes are well landscaped and are aesthetically pleasing. Although many rentals in Mission Park have their own private pools, we did note that the community pool in Mission Park is only open seasonally. This was not the case at Greater Groves where the pool was open to short term rental guests and permanent residents. This could be an important consideration if your home rental does not have a private pool.

For further reviews, ratings and information on Clermont Fl vacation homes, consult or community profiles on over 80 different options. Each resort community has its own sense of charm and allure for travellers to Florida. Our resort reviews are designed to give you insider information to help you make a well informed decision.

Clermont Vacation Rentals

Our Orlando vacation home community reviews are designed to be concise, detailed and independent. We rate each community from One to Five Stars utilizing an extensive vacation home evaluation process. 5 star resorts in Orlando are quite prestigious. Over 80 communities are rated on our main page with few rated 4 or 5 stars. Each of the community profiles include pertinent criteria such as location, on-site amenities and upkeep of the resort during the time of the review.

• Location- Most of the resort communities are concentrated in Kissimmee, Clermont and Davenport. Insider knowledge of where each community is located relative to one another will save you valuable time waiting in local traffic.
• On-Site Amenities – Looking for playable tennis courts or outstanding clubhouse facilities? One of the benefits of a resort community is often the presence of recreational amenities. However, not all communities include these on-site. Each of our resort reviews contains this valuable information.
• Resort Upkeep- Most area resorts do a fabulous job with grounds and landscaping. Our video footage and pictures will give you a good idea of what to expect before arrival. Every resort guest wants to feel special and enjoy the marvelous scenery the Orlando area has to offer. Just like visiting the area theme parks, ambiance is a part of the overall experience.

Before you book any vacation home accommodations, be sure to consult our community reviews area. The information mentioned above along with the latest theme park tidbits are posted on the website. Our unique review process is designed to give you insights found on no other website. Have a great time while visiting the Orlando theme park resorts!

Orlando Vacation Home Community Reviews

Although we have blogged about the $1.0 billion+ impact referenced in this study in Osceola County before, there were some additional selection factors cited that are still important today for any vacationer. . This consumer study was for Kissimmee Florida vacation homes.

The most important decision factors cited for selecting a Kissimmee vacation home rental which are still relevant in today’s market:

• Location of the vacation rental home was far and way the most important decision factor. Many resort communities are located within minutes of Disney and Universal.
• Price and value which is often quite subjective, but was referenced by a vast majority of buyers and guests.
• Amenities of the rental home such as pools, spacious kitchens and in-home movie theatres.
• Amenities of the community which are detailed in the Kissimmee community reviews section on our main page.
• Safety and security was also noted as an important perception issue for each owner. All communities we evaluate include whether the resort is gated and/or guarded for your convenience.

Aside from the sheer size of the options available in the regional area, Kissimmee vacation home rentals provide any prospective vacationer the luxuries of a residential home. This is why so many travellers now prefer vacation homes over other types of lodging accommodations.

On this www.orlando-vacationhomerental.com blog site, we provide over 40 Kissimmee vacation rental reviews for any family or group visiting the area. Kissimmee and Osceola County are certainly unique in the number and quality of homes available for all visitors.

Explore our site for all that vacation rentals have to offer for your next visit to Central Florida.

Kissimmee Florida Vacation Rental

Park Square Homes is a community developer based in Orlando that has built several resort communities in the region. Park Square Homes’ signature items often include large clubhouses with full amenities, extensive community pools and Mediterranean style homes. Well manicured landscaping is also part of the unique identity for such developments.

In a recent post, we blogged about branding deluxe holiday homes and that in a larger sense, resort communities have a brand presence just like major hotel chains. One could also argue that builders and Orlando resort developers are the creators of vacation home community brands, and they drive the personality and quality of a resort community from inception. However, this impact can change over time as the individual homeowner association and the management company make ongoing operational decisions.

Why is this important for Orlando vacation home rental prospects? It is important because renters can be assured that the quality of amenities in certain communities are top notch. Park Square has made a commitment to building stylish, comfortable and luxurious villas in Kissimmee, Orlando and Davenport. Anyone wanting to rent a resort style home in Orlando/Kissimmee/Davenport would most likely be very pleased with Park Square’s communities and the commitment to quality.

Some of the resort communities Park Square Homes has developed over the years includes:

• Aviana Resort Davenport
• Bella Vida Resort Kissimmee
• Emerald Island Resort
• Encantada Resort Kissimmee
• Terra Verde Kissimmee
• Watersong Resort Davenport

Each of these resorts are highly rated and many come with large private pools.

Moreover, reviews for all of these Orlando resort communities and more are contained on the main page of our site. In fact, over 80 resort reviews are profiled and detailed to provide some of the most comprehensive information on vacation rental communities in Central Florida. Small details and research on each of these resort style communities is important for making a good vacation decision. We do the research for you all in one place!

Bella Vida

Terra Verde

Watersong

Perhaps the most important amenity on this list would be a resort with a great community pool. We recently profiled rental homes with great community pools in a recent blog post. However, since so many vacation rentals have individual pools, this request may have less significance for many families. Since mileage to Disney World is such an important factor, we also cross reference this information with our internally generated resort quality rating. A resort rating of 3 Stars or higher is necessary for consideration on this listing plus a mileage distance to Disney’s Animal Kingdom of less than 10-11 miles.

All of the resorts on this listing are located in Kissimmee, Florida or as otherwise indicated. Therefore, our top choices for resorts near Disney World including approximate distance (in miles) to Animal Kingdom/Disney World include:

• Bella Vida Resort – 11 miles
• Emerald Island Resort - 4 miles
• Encantada Resort - 3 miles
• Regal Palms Resort in Davenport, Florida – 11 miles
• Tuscan Hills in Davenport, Florida – 10 Miles
• Windsor Hills Resort – 3 miles
• Windsor Palms Resort – 5 miles

Each of these resorts would be a fabulous choice for your holiday home in Orlando. For more details and profiles on other great resorts and vacation homes near Disney World, please consult the community reviews section of our main page.

Vacation Homes Near Disney

Encantada Resort

Orlando Vacation Homes Community Pools

Bella Vida

The study was formulated with a survey set of over 1,300 British travellers that had travelled in the past year. Part of the research study was to determine the relative importance of online travel review sites and their impact on consumer choices. The core of this Orlando vacation rentals site is designed for resort community reviews. TripAdvisor is another good example of an online vacation reviews website.

The biggest impact on travellers by area of influence on their decision-making (in order of influence) according to the study:

• Friends’ travel recommendations or advice
• Posted consumer or professional vacation reviews
• Travel advice from family members or relatives
• Online advertising sources or outlets
• Television programmes specialising in vacations and travel
• Print magazines and/or newspapers specialising in vacations and travel
• Advice from travel agents
• Television advertising or direct mail sources

Our take on this study is that it bears good news for the global vacation rental market. The popularity of vacation villas grows as families and individuals experience them firsthand. Vacation rental reviews typically indicate a very positive vacation experience had by all. Word of mouth is a very powerful force for the vacation home segment to grow and prosper.

As online vacations and reviews sites expand internationally, this should serve to help vacation home rentals in all markets including Orlando. We recently blogged about the rise of online review sites and made some conclusions about their influence. Online review sites will continue to rise in popularity as long as certain conditions are met including consumer trust and relevancy of the posted blog content. This recent study certainly solidifies online travel and vacation review content as a powerful force in global travel decision-making.

This site focuses on resort and community reviews for Orlando, Davenport and Kissimmee vacation villas. Vacation rental reviews on over 80 resort communities are posted on our main page.

Vacation Review Sites