posted by orlandovacationhome on Jun 21
We have received several reader questions lately regarding a detailed explanation of the “community reviews” area of our website. Although we consider the exact ratings formula award weightings to be proprietary, our community quality awards are based on the following:
- The quality of common area amenities (playground, pool, clubhouse, tennis courts, etc…) as defined by the cleanliness and maintenance of those amenities at the time of the on-site evaluation.
- The cleanliness and general maintenance of other common area grounds including buildings, landscaping, etc… at the time of on-site evaluation.
- The cleanliness and maintenance of homes in the resort subdivision.
- Location to major parks and restaurants with an emphasis on proximity to the Disney parks.
- Other factors are also considered including whether the resort community is gated and/or guarded. The ratings system is dynamic in the sense that we will re-review each of the communities every six months in case of major community refurbishment which happens from time-to-time.
- The “overall” rating for a resort community is derived from all of the factors above.
Vacation Home Rentals
Our system is similar to the Mobil 5-Star Awards and AAA Diamond Awards for restaurants, spas and hotels albeit an adapted format for vacation homes. The critical component is that these awards should be based on objectivity as much as possible to the benefit of the individual travel consumer. The award system is also formulated to reward resorts for maintaining quality amenities also to the benefit of Orlando vacation rental guests.
Vacation Home Ratings
Since word-of-mouth and referrals are key to building the repuatation of the industry, our 80+ independent community reviews and profiles are compiled to achieve this goal. The quality of the actual vacation experience with this product will ultimately be the reason whether vacation home rentals continue to emerge in the mainstream of travel and tourism accommodations.
Orlando Vacation Rentals - Do Your Research
Tweet This Post
posted by orlandovacationhome on Dec 25
Business conditions in Orlando will eventually improve, but a few opinions are in order for maintaining viability for vacation rentals during these difficult times:
- Know Your Customer – These times demand changing tactics. As we have indicated on another blog post, international travel may make up a smaller percentage of your overall occupancy than they did in 2008. However, as we write this, the tourism and travel market is very dynamic and always stay attuned to your customers. Always segment your customer base to better understand their tastes and preferences.
- Emphasize Family Values – Don’t stray from the competitive advantages that vacation homes have over other traditional means of lodging. These include, but are not limited to privacy, value, and quality. A sacrifice in any of these core values will impact your core business significantly. Moreover, referral marketing based on past rental experience is a low cost way to generate value as well.
- Flexible Pricing Strategies – As we have indicated on other posts(1), the general travel market is quite uncertain moving into 2009. Price cuts may need to be on the table for a temporary promotion to boost the bottom line. However, clearly establishing and communicating a strong value proposition for your rental home should always be the primary and first driver of any strategy.
- Maintain Marketing Spending – Although difficult to do, it is not advisable to cut marketing spending during a business downturn. It is also not the time to pull support from vacation home management companies who may be able to garner high visibility on the internet which is often the lifeline for Orlando vacation home rentals.
There is possibly no better time for prospective vacationers to visit Orlando than in the coming year. Promotions for area theme parks and attractions abound. As we have established on several other posts(2), there is also no better value for Orlando lodging than renting area vacation homes. As always, do your own due diligence using the appropriate independent professionals when making a decision of any kind.
Tweet This Post