Whether you love or hate Home Away, they have done the vacation rental industry a great service by propelling it towards main stream status, and bringing the accommodation concept to the attention of millions of people who never knew it existed. When we interviewed for our office manager a couple of years ago, I was taken aback to find that most applicants didn’t know owners rented out their cottages and homes. We had become so entrenched in our little world of cottage rental with our strong client base, it was a big surprise to hear this. So, we have made it a goal to spread the word here in Ontario that there are alternatives to hotels and resorts, and now see that a new venture by globe- trotting travel writers, Lara Dunston and Terry Carter in partnership with Home Away, is taking this many steps (and miles) further.
Tagged “12 Months, 24 Destinations, Countless Experiences”, Lara and Trevor will stay in holiday homes on their stay rather than the hotel rooms they are used to. This is from the profile on their blog, Gran Tourismo
In 2010, globetrotting travel writers Lara Dunston and Terence Carter, in partnership with HomeAway Holiday-Rentals, will trade hotel rooms for holiday homes as they embark on a contemporary grand tour of the globe. They’ll be travelling slowly, living like locals, doing and learning things, and giving something back at each destination they visit. Their mission is to explore more enriching and authentic ways of travelling, and make travel more meaningful and more memorable.
This is a great opportunity for vacation rental owners to find out what our rental guests really feel; what they enjoy (and what they miss) in a holiday home. I’ll be an avid reader of Gran Tourismo and look forward to hearing about their travels and experiences as well as the places they stay.
You can follow Lara and Trevor on Twitter too.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
The world is fast catching onto the idea that homes are more fun than condos or hotels, especially as the homes are in many cases better equipped than the average rental “unit”.
I’m so glad you like the Grantourismo blog, thanks so much for your support of our project :0). Every follower, comment, tweet and re-tweet will help us spread the word about the benefits of rentals. Four years ago, I myself like your office manager interviewee, had never even heard of this concept, or realised that people could holiday in this way. But now, and not just because I work for HomeAway, I really am a strong convert to rentals. As Lara & Terry say, hotels of course will always have their place, but I have stayed in many rentals now and I really do love it. I have stayed in some gorgeous properties too, from a cute studio in New York, to a beach-side apartment in the South of France and most recently a picture-perfect cottage in the Lake District with family to celebrate my Mums 65th. She didn’t want to leave, and now has aspirations of a cottage there herself!
Please do continue to ‘follow’ Lara & Terry around the world with us, there are lots of exciting adventures (and lovely properties to nosy at!) to come.
Sarah
The idea of renting someone’s home for my vacation has never entered my mind, but i suppose it is a very good idea you get to see how the locals live and experience their cultures.
I think i will be looking at the prospect of the rental of someone’s home for my next vacation, tell me in terms of cost how does it compare to staying in a hotel for 2 weeks ?