This web site (there is very possibly more like it) is my new way of hunting for holiday accommodation. It is international accommodation to suit almost any budget (apart from dorm room budgets) but at the moment Europe seems to be where most of the accommodation is advertised.
The basic ... Read review
Splendia, a unique selection of luxury and design hotels with character in the most beautiful locations: Marrakesh, Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Dubai.... Book directly online or contact our customer service available any day of the week.
SOL Spain On Line. Spain tourist guide and reservation center with over 3000 establishments in Spain, from budget to luxury. Online reservations and full information of each establishment with prices, photos and location maps. No booking fees.
Advantages: Cheap, comfortable accomodation Disadvantages: Dealing with private owners that may be unreliable
This web site (there is very possibly more like it) is my new way of hunting for holiday accommodation. It is international accommodation to suit almost any budget (apart from dorm room budgets) but at the moment Europe seems to be where most of the accommodation is advertised.
The basic idea
Private house owners that want to rent their properties to tourists set up an account and can advertise as many properties as they like. ... ...my girlfriend and I have just got back from over a month traveling through Spain. We did a lot of research on accommodation for rooms with a double bed and a private bathroom (we're a little old to be sleeping in dorm beds now). What surprised us about this form of accommodation is that it can actually work out cheaper than a room in a hostel and you get all the comforts of home. I'm talking about a washing machine, microwave and oven, dish washer ... more
This web site (there is very possibly more like it) is my new way of hunting for holiday accommodation. It is international accommodation to suit almost any budget (apart from dorm room budgets) but at the moment Europe seems to be where most of the accommodation is advertised.
The basic idea Private house owners that want to rent their properties to tourists set up an account and can advertise as many properties as they like. So how does this benefit the tourist? Well my girlfriend and I have just got back from over a month traveling through Spain. We did a lot of research on accommodation for rooms with a double bed and a private bathroom (we're a little old to be sleeping in dorm beds now). What surprised us about this form of accommodation is that it can actually work out cheaper than a room in a hostel and you get all the comforts of home. I'm talking about a washing machine, microwave and oven, dish washer and TV and DVD. If you have a family or traveling as a group then there is no doubt in my mind that this is the way to go. The money you save by self catering alone is huge never mind things like having a fridge and washing machine.
The actual website It's easy to use, free and has several features I appreciated and you only need to register once you've found something you're interested in and want to contact the owner. To start with when you begin your search of a country it tells you how many places are available in that country so you know straight from the outset whether you are wasting your time or not. Secondly once you have a list of accommodation in the area you are looking for each accommodation advert has photos, an availability chart, reviews from previous tenants and a link to a map so you can see where in town the apartment/house is located. This is really important if you have limited transport and intend to do a bit of sightseeing. Thirdly once you choose to try and book an apartment the owners contact details are displayed along with any other notes the owner might want potential visitors to know. As well as this it tells you what languages the owner speaks which as handy if (like me) all you've got is English.
The down sides Because they are private apartments and therefore private adverts, not all of the information may be up to date (such as the availability chart). Some of the photos are poor quality and therefore don't really give you a decent of idea of what your looking at. Booking the accommodation is between you and the property owner. The sight only provides you with the owners contact details and from there on in it's between you and the owner. I would have preferred not to have to rely entirely on the owner to get back to your emails and returns your calls.
Conclusion Going on the 3 apartments we rented out of the 12 or so places of accommodation we stayed in, this is really worth a look. Our experience showed us that the owners were polite, honest and actually really eager to make your stay as enjoyable as possible. Because this is private rentals you can negotiate price or airport/train station transfers and as long as it is not high season the owners are more than willing to consider offers. The longer you plan on staying in a place the more leverage you have for negotiating.
bennyboy1_5 04.10.2006
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Review of homelidays.com
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As an owner advertising my apartment on the Homelidays website, I want to assure potential renters that there is a stringent code of practise operated by Homelidays prior to your advert being accepted for publishing.
I find it upsetting that an owner would mislead a potential rental regarding their property and would image that this really is the exception to the rule. May I take this opportunity to assure renters that I personally demand a high standard and as I (like other fellow) owners use the property myself that I always make sure the advert is a true reflection of the property and spend a lot of money maintaining its standard.
Owner
El Dorado Apartments, Playa Las Americas, Tenerife. ...
citroen2cv 26.07.2008 (24.07.2008)
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Four of us recently (0807) spent 2 nights at Ferme Prevost de Courmiere in Capelle de Hesdin, Norde de Calais, home of Andre and Annie Lombardet. We received an exceptionally warm welcome at their delightful well appointed elderly large and spacious farmhouse and enjoyed a gourmet dinner prepared and hosted by them. We highly recommend Andre and Annie for their professionalism as absolutely excellent hosts. Our memory of our time there will be one of first class dining, hospitality and understated French style. ...
stclairmossy 21.08.2007
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Advantages: Easy to use website Disadvantages: Refuses to publish negative reviews of properties
My wife and I rented an apartment for two weeks in Tropea, Italy through Homelidays.com. The website stated that "98% of renters satisfied with their stay." The apartment we selected had received 100% glowing reviews from previous renters. When we arrived, we discovered the description the owner had given to the website contained major misrepresentations as to location, size and features. The apartment was totally unacceptable for our purposes; we ... ...return, I wrote a negative review for the property. Homelidays, however, refused to post the review, saying the owner disagreed with it and Homelidays had no way of telling who was right. No wonder there were only positive reviews! Nothing on Homelidays' website said negative reviews were not published. After this experience, I would tell everyone to avoid Homelidays. They are clearly only interested in renting property and not giving honest feedback ...
pkinias 09.10.2006
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Quick review of homelidays.com
I have found this website very very good
easy to use, with lots of information for all to see.
If I was looking to book I would use this site.
I do have a Florida Villa on there, (www.floridaletsadream.com) and the responce, from customer has been excellent, the bookings I have took have all been from Honest poeple, Who have looked after our villa. What more Can I say other than I have also reseived Excellet advice and support from the staff on the site.
From a very Happy Owner
Marie Bowen
www.floridaletsadream.com ...
mariebowen123 13.09.2007
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Advantages: Feedback from Homelidays Disadvantages: Feedback from Homelidays
Homelidays takes negative renter testimonials very seriously and following such a testimonial we contact the owner in order to gather more information on the stay in question and to give them the opportunity to reply to the renter's comments.
Following the owners response and after having looked at their personal dossier (for previous testimonials, history on the site, other renter stays…), we make a decision on whether or not to publish the testimonial.
... ...all testimonials written on a rental stay and they are never deleted from an owners personal dossier. Therefore, even if certain testimonials are not published, we can refer to them in recurring cases.
We ask renters and owners to justify the scores they give in their testimonials. They are not made non-validated simply because the scores are below 5, but a motive for non-validation is if the score is not justified by the renter's comments. The ...
Homelidays 23.08.2007
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