Finding the right vacation rental can be overwhelming, especially if you’ve got a wide-open calendar and an even more open mind about where to go on your next trip.
Luckily, Vrbo has already done a lot of the research for you and has released its list of the top vacation homes of the year for 2023.
The vacation rental platform picked the following homes after studying hundreds of thousands of properties listed on its site. Vrbo looked for just the right mix of locations, guest ratings and reviews, prices, features, amenities and interior design elements to select the top 10 vacation rentals in the United States (plus a bonus property in Mexico!). Read on for inspiration for your next trip.
1. Oasis Estate in Palm Springs, California
This stunning property has it all: nine bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a dining pavilion that can seat 18, a sauna and steam room, a huge pool, a mini golf course and a vintage Airstream trailer. Located in beautiful Palm Springs, California, the 7,000-square-foot property is close to shops and restaurants but still feels secluded. A full-time property manager is onsite to help with anything you need, including connections to local yoga instructors, chefs and massage therapists for your stay.
2. Happy Roadrunner in Phoenix, Arizona
Beat the heat on your next trip to Phoenix with a stay at Happy Roadrunner, a gorgeous six-bedroom, five-bathroom retreat in the mountains. You’ll feel like you’re staying at your own private resort hotel thanks to the shimmering backyard pool (complete with rock waterfalls for decoration), the small putting green, the spacious hot tub and the outdoor pool table. Inside, you’ll find a gourmet kitchen, a colorful game room and beautiful views from each of the six bedrooms.
Situated on a private peninsula jutting out into scenic Lake Norman, this 7,000-square-foot property is a waterfront oasis roughly 30 miles north of downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. Boasting space for 18 overnight guests, Chasestone includes a media room, game room, pool, hot tub and tons of outdoor space.
4. Contemporary Gem in Manzanita, Oregon
The photos say it all: This vacation rental in Manzanita, Oregon, is a stunning architectural gem surrounded by trees. From the five-bedroom, four-bathroom property, it’s just a short walk down to Neahkahnie and Manzanita beaches but, based on how beautiful the home is, you may never want to leave. Contemporary furniture and a massive deck help add to the feeling of tranquility and calm.
5. Ocean View Oasis in Montauk, New York
You don’t have to travel far for a relaxing getaway on the water, as Ocean View Oasis proves. This five-bedroom, five-bathroom home boasts floor-to-ceiling windows that offer a great view of the Atlantic Ocean from the east end of Long Island. With a heated pool, a hot tub, a fire pit, an art studio and a movie theater, this vacation property has everything your crew needs for the perfect long weekend — and then some.
Though it’s on the smaller side compared to Vrbo’s other top picks, the Riverfront Hideaway packs a big punch all the same. With fun interior design elements and magnificent views of the nearby Pedernales River, this home is the perfect place to get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Your new favorite thing to do will be lounging with a cup of coffee on the expansive wraparound deck, which is the perfect vantage point for taking in the serene Central Texas landscape.
7. 30A My Way in Rosemary Beach, Florida
For your next vacation, plan a trip to warm, sunshiney Rosemary Beach, which is situated along the Gulf of Mexico in the Florida panhandle. And when you book a stay at 30A My Way, you’ll wake up to panoramic views of the water from nearly every room in the house. With 10 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms, this home has plenty of room for you, the kids, the grandparents and anyone else you think could benefit from a few laidback days on the beach. This bright, airy vacation rental also boasts a seaside pool, expansive outdoor lounging areas, a small putting green, a theater room, a pool table, a basketball hoop and more.
8. Port of Call in Isle of Palms, South Carolina
Stay right on the Atlantic Ocean at this massive home in Isle of Palms, a small island southeast of Charleston, South Carolina. With a whopping 11 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms — and room for up to 28 overnight guests — this gorgeous waterfront property is ideal for family reunions, retreats or just an extended getaway with all of your closest friends. In addition to 7,000 square feet of thoughtfully designed interior space, Port of Call also boasts an impressive 1,500 additional square feet of outdoor living areas, complete with a pool, a gazebo, a private boardwalk and a putting green.
9. Salmonfly Lodge in Victor, Idaho
If you’re hoping for a vacation home that delivers on luxury log cabin vibes, look no further than Salmonfly Lodge. Situated next to Targhee National Forest on a small pond in Victor, Idaho, this five-bedroom, six-bathroom home offers 4,735 spacious square feet for up to 14 guests. The interior design is almost as beautiful as the scenery outside: Cathedral ceilings, high-end appliances, two big fireplaces, antler chandeliers, exposed wood accents and other rustic touches make this one vacation rental you won’t ever feel like leaving.
10. Trestle House in Winter Park, Colorado
You don’t have to be a skier or snowboarder to appreciate Trestle House — though it definitely doesn’t hurt. It’s located right on the slopes of Winter Park Resort, a popular Colorado ski area in the Rocky Mountains a little more than an hour from Denver (and once the snow melts each spring, the resort comes alive with mountain biking, hiking and tons of other activities!). With room for 12 spread across three levels, the home has floor-to-ceiling windows offering sweeping views of the mountains outside. Cozy up by the fireplace, have coffee on the heated deck, play a game of pool or just kick back and soak up all the woodsy scenery.
Bonus: Villa Luna Nueva in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Though Vrbo typically highlights just 10 great vacation rentals in the U.S., this year they decided to include a bonus property in Mexico. Situated in Cabo San Lucas, Villa Luna Nueva is a stunning five-bedroom, four-bedroom house with room for 12 guests. Outside, there’s a massive patio, a private garden terrace and a pool. As if that weren’t enough, every booking includes support from a concierge, who can help schedule in-house massages, make dinner reservations and more.
Which of these vacation rentals are you most excited to book?
Hotels Are Actually Cheaper Than Vacation Rentals on Airbnb and Vrbo, According to a New Report. A new study says hotels are the more affordable option over Airbnbs and Vrbos — across 50 global markets.
Hotels Are Actually Cheaper Than Vacation Rentals on Airbnb and Vrbo, According to a New Report. A new study says hotels are the more affordable option over Airbnbs and Vrbos — across 50 global markets.
Real Estate investors continue to find success with vacation rentals in 2023 despite headlines that might indicate otherwise. For investors in vacation rentals or “short term rentals,” many properties and markets are still providing strong cash flow and healthy returns.
Is Airbnb or Vrbo safer? Both Airbnb and Vrbo offer similar protections, such as host liability insurance and guest screening. However, each platform has its own unique policies and features, so a Vrbo or Airbnb host should carefully review these before deciding which marketplace best meets their needs.
Airbnb boasts 7.7 million active listings as of May 2024 compared to Vrbo's over 2 million properties listed as of 2023. Searching in the same region with both platforms quickly reveals this disparity.
Airbnb. Airbnb is not only the most popular and trusted vacation home rental website, but it's also the fastest growing. The company has over 6 million vacation rental listings worldwide in more than 220 countries and regions.
Our humble beginnings as the first online holiday rental company have blossomed into a global network helping millions of families around the world reconnect every year.
There are often hidden fees you'll have to pay to the listing service, in addition to the rental fee to the host. You'll also usually be required to provide a deposit that the host will have access to in the event you damage the rental unit, and there might be separate cleaning fees.
A 5% commission fee is charged on the rental amount and any additional fees you charge the traveler (such as cleaning, pet, and boat fees). Bookings that originate from our expanded distribution partners may have higher fees.
The 2022 housing market was certainly a profitable one for Airbnb. In fact, the statistics for 2022 indicated an interest in longer stays, the overall popularity of vacation rentals, and a demand for larger spaces. So far, the 2023 statistics aren't bad, either.
With regards to the average nightly rate, iPropertyManagement's data estimates that vacation rental owners can earn on average $185 per night. However, other data suggests that the average nightly rate can be as high as almost $1,000 per night for a family-sized rental.
Platforms for renting homes like Airbnb and VRBO are excellent ways to enjoy a consistent cash flow when starting an Airbnb business. According to research, when you buy a vacation rental property, you can earn an average of $900 every month. The amount is a conservative estimate.
Vrbo is generally considered safe, but that doesn't mean risks are off the table. Safety issues can happen at any form of lodging. But since Vrbo doesn't scout out individual properties, some additional risks might not be as common at a standard hotel.
If you're wondering whether Vrbo is safe to use to book a vacation home, the answer is yes. Vrbo has more than 2 million rentals and reviews and participates in a group loyalty program called One Key (it includes rewards for loyalty to other travel brands Hotels.com and Expedia).
They set up their preferred payment schedule. When you book a property, you will see in your quote if the host requires one, two, or three payments for the booking. The first payment gets paid at the time of booking. Due dates for any additional payment(s) will be set to a date that the host chooses.
Vrbo only allows the rental of private units — meaning Vrbo houses, cabins and apartments are only occupied by the renters. You won't be seeing any shared spaces on the site, which makes it ideal for families and groups of people traveling together. Airbnb places no such restrictions on their listings.
scanned the globe and found hotels were cheaper than Airbnb or Vrbo rentals in 38 of 50 international destinations including New York and San Francisco.
vrbo.com's top 5 competitors in May 2024 are: airbnb.com, hometogo.com, vacasa.com, booking.com, and more. According to Similarweb data of monthly visits, vrbo.com's top competitor in May 2024 is airbnb.com with 105.6M visits.
In the Reservation And Online Booking market, Expedia has a 7.33% market share in comparison to VRBO's 0.93%. Since it has a better market share coverage, Expedia holds the 3rd spot in 6sense's Market Share Ranking Index for the Reservation And Online Booking category, while VRBO holds the 9th spot.
Airbnb was founded in 2008 and, as of January 2023, they boast 6.6 million active listings in more than 220 countries. Vrbo (originally known as Vacation Rental by Owner) was founded in 1995 and now is owned by the Expedia Group.
VRBO originally had a subscription business model in which payment of an annual fee allowed homeowners to list their properties on the website. In 2006, VRBO was acquired by HomeAway. On November 4, 2015, Expedia Group announced it would acquire HomeAway, including VRBO, for $3.9 billion.
Here are some other sites like Vrbo you can look into: TripAdvisor Rentals is a marketplace with nearly 800,000 vacation rental properties worldwide. TripAdvisor also owns other home vacation rental sites, including FlipKey, VacationHomeRentals, and HouseTrip, and shares its inventory with them.
VRBO (which stands for Vacation Rental by Owner) was founded in 1995. Currently, Expedia owns VRBO, Homeaway, and Travelocity, Hotels.com, Expedia.com, Hotwire, Orbitz, Trivago, and CarRentals.com. Airbnb didn't show up until 2008, but it certainly made a name for itself quickly!
The average Airbnb for six was 33% cheaper than booking three hotel rooms, but the average hotel room was 29% cheaper than booking an Airbnb for two, Nerdwallet found. Here for a short stay? Home rentals typically cost more for short stays, due to cleaning fees and lack of multiday-stay discounts.
The U.K.-based consumer website Which? recently compared the average price of “thousands of hotel stays and 300,000 listings on Airbnb and Vrbo” over one year across 50 destinations. It found that, on average, hotels were the less expensive option in more than 75 percent of the areas analyzed.
The guest's first payment includes any percentage you've set, plus any applicable taxes and fees for the entire reservation. Note: If a booking request comes in after your last payment request is normally due, the full amount is required at the time of booking.
The average rate paid is calculated by taking the average revenue of all booked units within your market. This is the average rate for properties that aren't currently booked for the corresponding stay date. It's calculated by taking the average nightly rate of all available properties on that date.
Introduction: My name is Melvina Ondricka, I am a helpful, fancy, friendly, innocent, outstanding, courageous, thoughtful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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