We are leaving in 18 days for our 2 week Florida vacation. We are staying one week at the Sheraton Vistana Resort because my folks traded in a week of their Myrtle Beach time share for this vacation. The other week we are staying in a vacation home. We got a great rate ($600 for 8 nights which includes all taxes, plus pool heat) and the owners are being really good to us, even buying a new electric griddle because we asked if they had one and they didn't. Anyway, my question is: Do you tip at vacation homes? We don't expect housekeeping services, etc., but do you tip because you got a good deal or because the people were nice? This is our first time in a vacation home, so we are unsure of the etiquette.
Vacation Rental Homes Question
- Thread starter AKGMom
- Start date
Robinrs
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 7, 1999
I hate to say this but NOT having to tip is one of my favorite perks of staying at a vacation home! In other words, no.
I think tipping is a gratuity for certain occupations that serve and are usually dependent on them for income. I think it's really nice of you to consider it, though..
By the way, that's a great deal on the house. Where is it and how many rooms????
I think tipping is a gratuity for certain occupations that serve and are usually dependent on them for income. I think it's really nice of you to consider it, though..
By the way, that's a great deal on the house. Where is it and how many rooms????
Thanks for the response! It's a three bedroom on Montego Bay Blvd. in Kissimmee. According to my mapping program its very close to everything! I thought it was a great deal. We also got a great deal on plane tickets, too. 5 of us (2 adults, 3 boys) are flying from Boston to Orlando for $867.00. I learned a lot from these boards. Thanks to everyone!
Val
Val
AKG - no, tips are not necessary.
Montego Bay is a great location and about 10 mins to Disney. The homes are generally over 10 years old in this area and that may account for the great rate you've obtained.
As regards etiquette in rental homes - I could write a book
Have a great time.
Montego Bay is a great location and about 10 mins to Disney. The homes are generally over 10 years old in this area and that may account for the great rate you've obtained.
As regards etiquette in rental homes - I could write a book
Have a great time.
Lorilori,
One suggestion I read about and followed was to get a home within 5miles of Disney. Ours was 3 miles and it took less than 10min to get to the Main Gate entrance-west. We stayed in a developement called Rolling Hills. It was nice.
One suggestion I read about and followed was to get a home within 5miles of Disney. Ours was 3 miles and it took less than 10min to get to the Main Gate entrance-west. We stayed in a developement called Rolling Hills. It was nice.
Where to start ?
Firstly when booking a home you should consider why you prefer a home to a hotel ? What are the benefits and advantages ?
Secondly, price should NOT be the be all and end all.
Thirdly, location is very important as it will greatly affect the amount you want to do in a day.
Booking a home gives you certain advantages over a hotel, namely more space and more privacy. The price you pay for this is usually cheaper or equivalent to a hotel room price if there are more than 4 of you going. Very often we get guests trying to get better prices but consider the facts, all homes are owned by private individuls and not large companies. Mortgages have to be paid, running costs taken care of and management companies paid for their services.
The location is probably the most important factor if you are on a tight timeframe. There are 12,000 rental homes in the Disney area of which 7,000 are licensed with the DBPR. These are the homes you should be staying in....staying in an unlicensed home may prove cheaper but what happens if a) you have a problem or b) the licensing authorities find out . In the case of a) you are left high and dry and in b) they will close the establishment kicking you out in the process. Licensing is there to protect the public...it doesn't make sense to save a few dollers and take a chance does it ?
If you are on a tight timeframe I would suggest you look for homes only on the US 192 corridor. Anywhere within a 10 minute drive of Disney is the best location. There are numerous communities, some with better facilities, newer homes etc but really the choice is yours. If you don't know anything about these communities before you book....find out. If you have small kids it might be better to have a gated community where traffic is more controlled, if you are all adults it probably doesn't matter.
If you aren't on a tight timeframe you can look at homes further afield, eg. US 27 - homes are 20 minutes plus away from Disney and in the busy times can be over an hour if US 192 isdense with traffic.
When looking for a house establish who you are dealing with and are they reputable ? Are they members of Central Florida Property Managers Association, Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, etc. If it is an individual homeowner you are dealing with ask them the key questions; how long have they owned the house, rented the house, is it licensed, who do I turn to in case of a problem, who is the manager etc
Now that you've made your booking it's time to go ! Make sure you know where to collect the key, that you've made or got your final payment ready and that you have some idea of where you are going.
Once you've done all this, go to the home. Make a quick check to see that everything is in order - taking an inventory of the home isn't necessary. Most homes will have a small supply of toilet paper, soap, etc but remember this is self catering accommodation and you'll have to provide most of the things you'll need - supermarkets are always close by to save bringing everything with you. If you do find something wrong or not as you expected, call the management company and be polite. The number of times we've had rude guests call us is unbelieveable....think about it....are we going to be as inclined to help the rude person as much as someone who is nice ? Most MC's will go out of there way to help a guest as they want them to enjoy their stay and maybe recommend the house experience to their friends.
We all know folks can arrived stressed out after a days travelling so maybe wait until the following day to call the MC when you've had chance to recover is the better plan. On most occassions everything will be perfect or far better than you ever imagined. However, do remember that where you are staying, you are likely to be surrounded by residents. This means other folks who live in the community you are staying in......remember to show some consideration......screaming and shouting in the pool after 9pm is not going to go down too well with someone who has to get kids up for school the following morning. Whilst you may be on vacation, don't consider that everyone is ! The number one problem residents complain of is noise. No-one is going to complain about you using the pool as late as you want if you keep the noise down. Incidentally, number two complaint is trash - please remember to put the trash out on trash day and don't leave it in a huge mess in the garage for the cleaner!
Also remember that most MC's are family run businesses by husband and wife. They are not large corporations with endless resources. You wouldn't believe the number of times I've been paged at 1, 2 3 am with ridiculous questions. Most MC's have no problems with being disturbed late at night if there is a serious problem but on most occassions a little common sense can resolve an issue until morning. Having said all this, MC's are there to help you have a better vacation and are more than willing to assist....just remember they don't operate in the same way as a front desk at a hotel !
This is going on a bit now so I'll finish by saying, enjoy your vacation.....use your common sense and you'll have a great time. As far as etiquette goes, the house is yours for the time you've rented it......MC's don't expect anything other than you leave it in the condition you found it in. The security deposit is taken as a precaution against damage - I've only ever had to charge it twice - and one of those occassions was because two kids got into a fight and damaged a wall. It is not necessary to tip or to do the laundry, cleaning etc.......but it's always helpful to put the washer on with a load of laundry in before you depart .
Enjoy the space, enjoy your own pool and simply treat everything as you would treat it in your own home. Hope that helps.....the Frequently Asked Questions section on my web page may answer some of the things I've missed !
Firstly when booking a home you should consider why you prefer a home to a hotel ? What are the benefits and advantages ?
Secondly, price should NOT be the be all and end all.
Thirdly, location is very important as it will greatly affect the amount you want to do in a day.
Booking a home gives you certain advantages over a hotel, namely more space and more privacy. The price you pay for this is usually cheaper or equivalent to a hotel room price if there are more than 4 of you going. Very often we get guests trying to get better prices but consider the facts, all homes are owned by private individuls and not large companies. Mortgages have to be paid, running costs taken care of and management companies paid for their services.
The location is probably the most important factor if you are on a tight timeframe. There are 12,000 rental homes in the Disney area of which 7,000 are licensed with the DBPR. These are the homes you should be staying in....staying in an unlicensed home may prove cheaper but what happens if a) you have a problem or b) the licensing authorities find out . In the case of a) you are left high and dry and in b) they will close the establishment kicking you out in the process. Licensing is there to protect the public...it doesn't make sense to save a few dollers and take a chance does it ?
If you are on a tight timeframe I would suggest you look for homes only on the US 192 corridor. Anywhere within a 10 minute drive of Disney is the best location. There are numerous communities, some with better facilities, newer homes etc but really the choice is yours. If you don't know anything about these communities before you book....find out. If you have small kids it might be better to have a gated community where traffic is more controlled, if you are all adults it probably doesn't matter.
If you aren't on a tight timeframe you can look at homes further afield, eg. US 27 - homes are 20 minutes plus away from Disney and in the busy times can be over an hour if US 192 isdense with traffic.
When looking for a house establish who you are dealing with and are they reputable ? Are they members of Central Florida Property Managers Association, Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, etc. If it is an individual homeowner you are dealing with ask them the key questions; how long have they owned the house, rented the house, is it licensed, who do I turn to in case of a problem, who is the manager etc
Now that you've made your booking it's time to go ! Make sure you know where to collect the key, that you've made or got your final payment ready and that you have some idea of where you are going.
Once you've done all this, go to the home. Make a quick check to see that everything is in order - taking an inventory of the home isn't necessary. Most homes will have a small supply of toilet paper, soap, etc but remember this is self catering accommodation and you'll have to provide most of the things you'll need - supermarkets are always close by to save bringing everything with you. If you do find something wrong or not as you expected, call the management company and be polite. The number of times we've had rude guests call us is unbelieveable....think about it....are we going to be as inclined to help the rude person as much as someone who is nice ? Most MC's will go out of there way to help a guest as they want them to enjoy their stay and maybe recommend the house experience to their friends.
We all know folks can arrived stressed out after a days travelling so maybe wait until the following day to call the MC when you've had chance to recover is the better plan. On most occassions everything will be perfect or far better than you ever imagined. However, do remember that where you are staying, you are likely to be surrounded by residents. This means other folks who live in the community you are staying in......remember to show some consideration......screaming and shouting in the pool after 9pm is not going to go down too well with someone who has to get kids up for school the following morning. Whilst you may be on vacation, don't consider that everyone is ! The number one problem residents complain of is noise. No-one is going to complain about you using the pool as late as you want if you keep the noise down. Incidentally, number two complaint is trash - please remember to put the trash out on trash day and don't leave it in a huge mess in the garage for the cleaner!
Also remember that most MC's are family run businesses by husband and wife. They are not large corporations with endless resources. You wouldn't believe the number of times I've been paged at 1, 2 3 am with ridiculous questions. Most MC's have no problems with being disturbed late at night if there is a serious problem but on most occassions a little common sense can resolve an issue until morning. Having said all this, MC's are there to help you have a better vacation and are more than willing to assist....just remember they don't operate in the same way as a front desk at a hotel !
This is going on a bit now so I'll finish by saying, enjoy your vacation.....use your common sense and you'll have a great time. As far as etiquette goes, the house is yours for the time you've rented it......MC's don't expect anything other than you leave it in the condition you found it in. The security deposit is taken as a precaution against damage - I've only ever had to charge it twice - and one of those occassions was because two kids got into a fight and damaged a wall. It is not necessary to tip or to do the laundry, cleaning etc.......but it's always helpful to put the washer on with a load of laundry in before you depart .
Enjoy the space, enjoy your own pool and simply treat everything as you would treat it in your own home. Hope that helps.....the Frequently Asked Questions section on my web page may answer some of the things I've missed !
inkbouncLorilori
Gated communities :
Sunset Lakes, Lake Berkley & Cumbrian Lakes are the only communities thant spring to mind that are gated on the US 192 corridor.
All communities are within 10 mins of Disney and all are in excellent areas.
This link will give you more information on each community :
http://www.floridaleisure.com/locations.htm
Candygold....very glad you enjoyed your stay...see you next time.
Gated communities :
Sunset Lakes, Lake Berkley & Cumbrian Lakes are the only communities thant spring to mind that are gated on the US 192 corridor.
All communities are within 10 mins of Disney and all are in excellent areas.
This link will give you more information on each community :
http://www.floridaleisure.com/locations.htm
Candygold....very glad you enjoyed your stay...see you next time.
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