Rental Home Vs. Hotel

There are times when it makes sense to rent a hotel over a home and there are times when it makes sense to rent a home over a hotel.

There is a fundamental shift going on in the hospitality industry today. One factor for this shift is the excess capacity of second homes as the result of an overbuild the past 10 years. Another factor is with the current economic climate, property owners who would have never dreamed of "renting" their second home are now seeking to find rental income to offset carrying costs.

HomeAway, which is by far the industry leader today, has been acquiring all types of listing sites and most recently on-line reservation companies such as Escapia with a goal to consolidate and bring needed standards to the home rental industry. These new standards will be a positive for all homeowners whether they use HomeAway services or not. With the new Super Bowl ad this year, they are giving the home rental industry great exposure, yet attacking the hotel industry. They made a public apology after upsetting so many property owners and travelers.

There is clearly a time when renting a home makes better sense and also other times when renting a hotel makes the most sense. Based on my travel, I use both hotels and rental homes depending upon the purpose of my trip. For example, I am traveling next week to Palo Alto to meet with Facebook and I am staying at the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco, which makes the most sense for me because I need to utilize the facilities for various business meetings that come only with a full service hotel. On the other hand, when I take my family to Colorado for the summer, when I combine business and pleasure, I clearly opt for renting a home which makes much more sense. A large home, with its kitchen, yard, living room and multiple bedrooms and baths, is just more conducive to the way a family wants to live on vacation.

The main challenge for the home rental industry is managing the expectations of renters about what they are receiving with a home before they arrive. This is a challenge as every home is unique. On the other hand, travelers typically know what to expect when renting a branded hotel since consistency is, after all, part of the brand. When you rent at Holiday Inn Express you know what to expect, and when you rent at the Ritz Carlton hotel room you know what to expect. It does not take long with a simple Google search of "renter reviews" to see how frustrated many people are. Most rental web sites charge property owners more for extra photos and videos. The result is fewer photos and videos, which means prospective renters have a harder time evaluation the property and making an informed decision..

So how should the home rental industry address this issue? It is simple - by allowing the owners of rental property the ability on a site to show as many photos, videos and links of their property and the surrounding destination that is necessary to effectively market their property.

People need to see photos of every room that they will walk into, enjoy and ultimately pay for. Furthermore, renters want to see photos and videos of the surrounding area and activities that they can enjoy while staying in the home.

JoeOptions offers UNLIMITED photos, videos and links to every property owner to better represent his or her property. The result is happier renters!

No renter can know what they are getting if they can't see what they are getting. So if you are an owner, register at JoeOptions for a free 60 day trial where you can provide renters as many photos and videos as you wish. If you are a traveler come enjoy our smart search and.... know before you go.

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