Book Direct
Are you planning on booking a vacation home this year or next? If so, then we suggest you book directly with us and not with a third-party vacation rental website.
Undoubtedly listing sites such as HomeAway, VRBO and AirBnB have been great for the vacation rental industry, collectively they have shone a bright light on the vacation rental industry, highlighting the tremendous value of renting whole properties, as opposed to booking a single hotel room. The benefit of the online travel agencies (OTA’s) often comes with a hefty price tag. Many of the third-party vacation rental sites will add an additional booking fee onto your reservation which can be range for 5%-20% depending on the company.
We understand that your vacations are important and that your trips may be limited every year. Make sure your vacation budget is spent on the accommodation, and not the fees.  One way you can do that is by Booking Direct  today!
What You Need to Know About Booking Direct
February 5, 2020 saw the 3rd Annual Book Direct Day which was created to help educate vacation rental guests on the benefits of booking directly through a professional property management company vs using a Third-Party agency such as VRBO, Airbnb, HomeAway and TripAdvisor.
It is anticipated professional property managers are going to continue the #bookdirect day every year to educate travelers on the value of booking direct.
The big box OTA’s may seem like they will help save you money at first, but you will soon learn that they will charge you a fee for using their website. Some of the fees can range from 5% to 20% of the total cost of your vacation rental which can be a lot of money depending on which vacation rental you choose.
You may be asking yourself, “What do I get for my extra percentage? A concierge? A special number? Early check-in? The answer is absolutely nothing. The OTA is purely an advertising platform, a middleman in the vacation rental process. The fees they charge are the way they make money. It may interest you to know that HomeAway and VRBO are actually owned by the travel giant Expedia, and the shareholders at Expedia need to squeeze every dollar out of every platform just to meet their quarterly forecasts.
The OTA operators are not familiar with any of the properties on their sites; therefore, they are unable to answer any specific questions you may have. They can’t send our maintenance workers when you have an issue with the rental, and they can’t give you a recommendation on a local restaurant or offer suggestions on what to do on a rainy day.
The driving force behind the vacation rental experience is the property owner and the property manager. The property owner invests in the property and the property management company makes everything happen. At Gulf Coast Vacation Rentals, we like to make sure that all our guests are happy with their vacation rental experience. We have skin in the game whereas the OTA rarely does.
Why Book Direct with Us?
When you book directly with us at Gulf Coast Vacation Rentals, you will speak with one of our vacation specialists who are very knowledgeable, local, one who lives, works and enjoys Sarasota, Florida. We know all of the details on each property because we have personally been in each and every one of them. We are able to give you our personal recommendations on where to dine, play, shop and visit businesses in the area. Our office is conveniently located in Sarasota so any problems should arise, we can handle them quickly!
We won’t bombard you with unnecessary fees and you can be sure that every dollar you spend is going directly to the property owner and the property manager. The money saved stays in your pocket.
How to Book Directly with Gulf Coast Vacation Rentals
Booking directly with us is as simple as can be! We encourage all of our guests to book their vacations directly through our safe and secure website, www.gcvacationrentals.com or by calling us at (941) 877-5588. We can assure you that we will never charge you a hidden fee and we will always provide you with the best available rate at one of our professional managed vacation rentals. We don’t want you to have to pay anything extra just for using our site to book your vacation. We understand that you have worked hard for your money and we can help you stretch your vacation rental budget, and see that your stay with us is the best one it can be each year!
Are you ready to plan your vacation today? Make sure you Book Direct with Gulf Coast Vacation Rentals today to have the best planned vacation year after year!