Great Deals Available for Vacation Rentals

Just about all the major travel suppliers are cutting deals these days. The economic collapse is becoming an equal-opportunity disaster for the entire travel industry, and suppliers of all stripes are resorting to price cuts, twofers, and other promotions to stimulate demand. Those deals include vacation rentals.

VacationRoost just added a deals page to its website. As I'm writing this, the page on display shows a mix of dollars-off, discounted rate, free night, and similar promotions at eight ski resorts. Presumably, the list will change with the seasons and as new properties join.

I've frequently complained about the use of the term "free night" in those buy-some-get-one-more deals. Nothing is truly free if you have to buy something else to get it; a "fifth night free" promotion is more truthfully advertised as a 20 percent discount on a five-night stay. However, I'm a lone voice on this one, and some of those deals are attractive even when promoted more honestly.

VacationRoost is in an unusually good position to post deals on vacation rentals: Most of the properties it lists are commercially owned condo and resort complexes, where managements are accustomed to running promotions and can make pricing decisions that cover many individual units.

But that doesn't mean you can't find deals on vacation rentals through the more traditional sources.

HomeAway, the largest online vacation rentals site, also posts a deals page, which links to dozens of special offers in California, Florida, Hawaii, and Mexico. Some are short-term deals for just the month; others go through the relatively slow January season, and some go into early spring. The individual listings do not claim any specific discounts, but some of the prices look very good.

HomeAway's U.K.-based affiliate, Holiday-Rentals, posts an almost identical deals page, with links to more than 150 special offers, mainly in beach, ski, and city areas of Europe. They include a two-bedroom London apartment for about $1,125 a week, a five-bedroom cottage in Normandy for $1,125, a one-bedroom penthouse in Rome for $850 a week, and a four-bedroom villa in Alicante for $1,000 a week. As with the U.S. rentals, the best rates are for relatively slow seasons in each destination.

Other large property listing websites also feature short-term deals. For Getaway posts a special offers page, and its deals seem to be similar to those on VacationRoost—mainly commercially managed condos and resorts. Deals range from free nights on short-term rentals to discounts on long-term rentals for snowbirds. Rentalo shows a long list of special offers and also issues a free Best Values email newsletter.

Some of the more specialized sites also feature short-term specials. Examples include Cabovillas for Baja California; El Sol for France, Italy, and Spain; and SunIsle Holidays for the Greek Islands.

Even if a site or rental agency doesn't feature deals and discounts, don't be too timid to negotiate. Almost everyone is feeling the pinch these days, and a property owner or rental agent might be really happy to get $1,000 for a nominal $2,000 rental rather than see it go empty. It never hurts to ask; the worst that can happen is that somebody says no and you start over with someone else. As is almost universally the case, the best way to get a good price is to find an eager seller.

Even at list price, a vacation rental can be a much better deal than a hotel or resort accommodations. Depending on how you use the facilities, you get either a lot more room per dollar or, if you share, you cut the per-person cost substantially. And with the kitchen facilities most vacation rentals include, making some of your own meals is another big cost-cutter. Take a look for your next trip.