Going away as a large family unit or a large group of friends provides that rest, relaxation and down time we all crave. Being able to be together 24/7 is a blast, but the experience can be enhanced if you have the 5 best features of a vacation rental home.
Before you sign that contract, before you pack up your car and before everybody decides to live together for the best week of your life, you want to know what the best features are for a rental home for your group. While aesthetics vary from home to home, there is a lot to consider from proximity to the beach to the number of rooms in a home.
Lavishly live friend and family travel out loud and check out the 5 best features of a vacation rental home!
Get The Priorities Set
Gather your group together, whether through a Google Hangout, a conference call, or a group text and start making a list of things that are important, and remember that everyone’s opinion counts, and base your likes on things you have had in other vacation rental homes and then add in the things you were missing.
As a travel writer, I have found that travel must be planned in order to be very relaxed. While others may disagree, it is hard to find things out after the fact so. After so many experiences with so many rental homes, I just want to share the knowledge.
Large Groups More Asks
Chances are if you are bringing a large group together, you all don’t live in the same place, so set up a call, and get organized. Someone needs to be the Chief Planning Vacation Officer, and you need a Chief Secretary. Laugh as you may, these two are going to be your ‘get er’ done people’ going on your trip. The lists will be made, the emails and texts will come from one source and chaos will not take over planning. Once these people are called out and in order, it is time to head to the planning task.
This is the stage where everyone can now bring some WANT of the vacation rental home, which will now become one of the 5 best features of a vacation rental home.
What You Can’t Bring Along
First things first, don’t put a pen to that contract until you are all pretty much in unison on your list of ‘must-haves’. A list of must-haves are those things you are not bringing along and really want to be built into the vacation rental house for those you are bringing along.
#1 The Dining Experience
It is true that vacation and food just go together because nothing drives up an appetite like great friends and vacation! The good times can’t roll if there are not multiple dining spaces. Multiple dining spaces will serve not only as a place to eat but as places to hang out.
Center Islands with bar stools or chairs – perfect for snacks, kids, appetizers, beverages or for the few that get up for the sunrise.
Decks are great and multiple decks with multiple seating options from tables to picnic benches all will serve large groups well. Drinks, dinners, cook-outs, pool time, decks have a lot to offer, including space from one another when you just need that moment to refresh.
Large Dining Tables are great for those nights that you cook in and bring in the large catch. What better way to share the catch of the day and all the fixings from the local fresh markets than to come together with a large dining area and dine together!
Need a little recipe inspiration? Try out my Salted Caramel Soft Pretzels, the perfect food for snacking and so easy to make while you are at the beach!
#2 Staying Connected While You Are Away
While I know it is often impossible for many of to just unplug from the world, having the option to be able to engage in your favorite sport of Snap Chatting, Instagramming, Facebook Status Updating, whatever it is, must be available. (WiFi)
If you can’t feed the need, you will be unhappy and your vacation won’t be a vacation. Unplugging is only for those that really can do it and honestly in today’s world, showing what you are doing is more relaxing that not. Let Gramma snap those photos, capture the Catch Of The Day on video and share it with the world because your Vacation Rental Home has WiFi included!
#3 Cooking Up A Storm
We have been in so many different Vacation Rental Home and the ones that are the best have the best kitchens. You might cringe and say no cooking on my week off, but if you are with a group, the kitchen is always going to be in use and where you cup of morning coffee comes from will matter. Have the want to stay in your pj’s or bikini all day and you don’t want to drive? That’s fine, your kitchen area will serve you well.
In an ideal Vacation Rental Home, you will find multiple ovens, a separate bar area with fridge and ice-maker (it’s vacation and time for booze – let’s be honest) and a very large chef’s center island. The larger the home, the bigger the kitchen area (use that as the golden rule)
An awesome stove, with plenty of cookware and serving dishes, will add to your culinary preparation pleasure. Two coffee makers are better than one and so are 2 microwaves! Kitchens need to be loaded with cooking space and appliances to cook on and in.
#4 Kids Rooms Only
Having kids with you is great, having kids with you also creates the needs for some downtime. Remember growing up always being tossed at the Kids Table? Remember the time you grew up and suddenly were not at the kid’s table? Large family friendly cohabitating in one location is all about mixing it up and letting EVERYONE enjoy themselves.
Kids being able to be in kids rooms are great and the homes that offer multiple bunk-beds in a room plus twin beds is the home that gets my vote! Kids will flock to these rooms and inside of these amazing rooms, you will generally find entertainment. Entertainment in this generation would be PS4’s and nice screen televisions.
The kids will hang together and you are forging the next generation of family vacations and memories that you can use for the next large group vacation that you are planning. Remember, plan ahead parents and when the kids groan and say, “again” you say “Remember the rooms you all had and the freedom?” and suddenly everyone is ready to head out to the next large friend and family vacation rental home!
#5 Multiple Entrances
This one I am always on the fence with, however, if you have multiple families coming together under one roof, not everyone will be doing the same thing at every hour of the day. It is nice to be able to come and go without answering to anyone (alright so we would text each other anyway, but you know what I mean).
Multiple entrances would be entrances that are front door, back door, and on all different deck levels. Our last vacation rental home had 3 stories of decks and every bedroom had a door which was crazy to make sure that everyone LOCKED the house but awesome for each person to come and go as they pleased.
The fact that no one else was bothered by our coming and going makes this a priceless feature. Hit the beach early, enjoy the sunset late, head out for the night and don’t come back in until the wee hours of the morning, and never worry about gaining entrance to the house.. unless of course someone arms the alarm (that’s a whole other story, lol!)
Lavishly live travel out loud, and make sure when you plan your next large family trip, that you seek out the 5 best features of a Vacation Rental Home so that you will have the perfect vacation. What are you favorite home amenities in vacation rental homes?
Rental home, condominiums, apartments or flats. Whatever you want to call it, these are all great features and informative as well. Thanks for the share!
Kathleen Calado recently posted..How to Safely Bike in a City
These are great tips for finding a great rental home! Multiple entrances is a nice perk that you don’t even realize you will enjoy. Thanks for sharing!
That makes sense to look for center islands with chairs and stools. You’ll want space to cook and eat on your vacation. After all, it’s way cheaper to prepare your own food than to go out to eat every meal.
I think you missed one of the better features..which is pet-friendly! I’ve found some good pet-friendly rentals before and that was much better compared to a hotel. Thanks for writing.
No matter what the reason or when you decide it’s time to buy a home, it’s a huge decision.
My husband and I have talked about going on a vacation and possibly renting a cottage. I’m glad that you mentioned looking for a cottage that would have rooms just for our kids. It is important that we all have some space; most importantly that the kids have some room to play in. Thanks for the insight!
Wow, great post! A Vacation home is always a great idea whether you’re wanting to rent or buy, depending on your specific wants and needs. Thanks for sharing!
These are some great tips. We rented a house for vacation last year and we loved it. I hope we get to do it again soon.
Going for a vacation with a big family is always going to be a huge challenge & you must be very much organized to make it the best. To me having a special room for kids & multiple entrances are the most important factors.
I want to do a rental house for our family. I think it sounds like such a fun/great idea!
Kids only space…although it is great to vacation with the kids it is awesome to be able to sneak in some time with the hubs
This is such a great read. I agree with you on all of these. I really think the kitchen makes a huge difference. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, so I need a nice spacious kitchen.
I would love to get a vacation home the next time we travel. It would be so nice to have a house to ourselves.
So I almost ALWAYS stay in vacation homes now that I have 4 kids. It’s just roomier. My 3 priorities: Internet Connection, Kids have their own room – meaning separate from mom & dad, not necessarily everyone in their OWN room, and a WASHER & DRYER
mary recently posted..NEW Details On The Incredible Hulk Roller Coaster | Coming to Universal Islands Of Adventure Late Summer 2016
I really love staying at rental homes instead of your typical hotel room. It’s a lot more fun for the whole family and it’s like you never even left home at all. You’re free to cook whatever you please and it’s near the beach so you can go and swim whenever you want.
You’ve basically written everything I have in mind, only yours is better! I can’t stress enough how important it is to have everything lined up before even pulling out a pen.
Karlaroundtheworld recently posted..San Francisco Japan Town : An Edible Excursion Food Tour
What a great renting home, I am finding for a rental home for our vacation, glad you share this with us
Kids rooms are always a plus. It gives both the adults and the kids some free time. Also, multiple entrances are important, especially in the case of a fire.
We love to rent houses when we are on vacation. They are so much more convenient and it is so nice to have your own kitchen!
Felicia recently posted..Thank you Nurses!
I recently rented my first vacation home and it was amazing! There was so much fun and freedom to be had with the family.
Stefanie recently posted..How Humor Helped Me To Manage My Chronic Pain
Vacation rental homes are perfect, especially when you’re going to have a family reunion. I love that most of them are in beach fronts, so it’s easy to go to the beach any time you please!
These are some amazing tips, I haven’t rented a rental hotel for a holiday – but it is a really interesting option. x
Sarah Bailey recently posted..NoTS from Q-Depot
We don’t get rental homes that often, but when we do, a washing machine is a MUST.
Robin (Masshole Mommy) recently posted..5 Ways to Beat Disney World Exhaustion
I keep reading about having a vacation rental home, I wish my Mom and Step Dad would let me stay in their condo they own in an area in NH about two hours from me, would be great to get away into a vacation type home for relaxation!
Brandy recently posted..Magical Memories: Making Your Wedding Reception a Dream Come True for Everyone
As a family of five an actual vacation home would make so much more sense than staying in a hotel. I love that we could cook our own meals using fresh local ingredients too!
Marcie W. recently posted..Free Family Locator App For The Busy Mom
So many great tips. I’ve rented homes in multiple locations and it definitely important to know what you are getting. Sometimes the pictures or the description don’t always tell the whole story, but usually it is a great experience.
Cindy Ingalls recently posted..TRIA Eye Wrinkle Correcting Laser + Promo Code!
I think this is such a great resource for anyone looking for a vacation rental. They’re a wonderful way to vacation, but you have to do your homework.
MELISASource recently posted..Getting My Body Family Vacation Ready with Medifast®
I like the idea of staying in a rental home instead of a hotel. Especially when we do a big family trip.
I will always chose a vacation rental over a hotel if I can. It’s so much more private.
Stacie recently posted..Enspire™ by Enfamil®
I agree with you Rentals make a lot of sense when you vacation shop and the privacy is unlike anything out there:)
Dana Vento recently posted..5 Best Features Of A Vacation Rental Home
Great tips! I’m looking to rent a vacation home later this year and I hadn’t thought about some of these points. I do look forward to cooking my own food instead of eating out!
We love renting a vacation home when we travel. It’s so much homier and cozier than a hotel.