2011 World Series of Poker WSOP Vacation Rentals

We have begun to accept advance reservations for the 2011 World Series of Poker. There is little doubt of another sellout, as this year the customers started calling us first. We have already taken reservations on our most popular WSOP vacation rentals and expect the trend to continue and increase.

If you are considering booking a vacation rental for 2011 WSOP, keep in mind that you will be reserving for the entire six week period and will be expected to put down a non-refundable deposit. This is because all vacation homes and condos will be booked for the World Series of Poker well in advance.

When you choose your vacation home, pay close attention to where your home is. Nearly every home on Las Vegas Retreats is a good choice for lodging during WSOP, but some are better than others with respect to distance and potential traffic issues. Also, saving a few dollars by renting something out in the northwest Las Vegas area is going to cost you in commute time. Keep that in mind, future winners. ;)

Vacation Home Rentals On The Las Vegas Strip?

When I lived in the Bay Area there was this radio commercial for "Berkeley Farms". At the end of the ad, this voice would say "Farms? In Berkeley? Mooooooo". That's the case with vacation homes on the Las Vegas Strip as well. There are none.

When a customer books with someone else because "they have homes on the Strip", we cringe just a little bit. We know that we've just heard from yet another customer that's been hoodwinked by somebody. It's difficult to lose business because you are honest. But more importantly, it's difficult to watch someone get taken and not be able to do anything about it. All we can really do is keep educating visitors about Las Vegas.

So here is some education about Las Vegas. There are no houses on the Strip. There are some homes located on Las Vegas Blvd., but they are several miles away from the casinos. The area called "the Strip" starts on the south end right about where McCarran airport is. You cannot walk there from ANY vacation rental home unless you are coming to Las Vegas to practice for your next marathon.

There are many vacation home rentals in Las Vegas that are reasonably close to the Strip. For example, a 5 to 10 minute drive or taxi ride away. Vacation rental homes in Green Valley are a great choice, as are those in the South Strip area. A little farther away will afford you newer homes at lower rates, such as the areas of Southern Highlands and Summerlin. There are also vacation homes in the actual City of Las Vegas that are a great choice if you want to experience classic Las Vegas living and be close to the Downtown/Fremont Street area.

Finally, be careful when you rent your vacation home in Las Vegas. If you want an actual home, be prepared to have a way to get to and from the Strip and the other places in the valley as well. Do not plan to walk. It is too far too hot and too dry. Taxis are fine, limos are fine, and both are inexpensive and plentiful in Vegas.

If you are going to be here for more than just a couple days, get a rental car. That would be the least expensive of all the options, and the most flexible. One of the biggest advantages to having a rental car in Las Vegas, is that it opens up the entire area as a possibility. Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Red Rock Canyon and even the Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce Canyon can all be accessed easily with a rental car. And don't forget, valet parking is free in Las Vegas!

Homes That Sleep Up To 30 People?

Think about that for a minute. Someone is advertising that they have vacation homes that can sleep up to 30 people. Can you imagine living next door to that house? With large groups of people moving in and out all the time? How many cars or taxis and limos would you see? Parties? It's bologna like this that gives our industry a bad name. It's reputation we fight against all the time. It becomes more difficult to run a legitimate business, needlessly.

Be realistic when you shop for vacation home rentals in Las Vegas. If you have a big group, consider getting a couple homes close to each other. This is a better approach than putting 5 people in every bedroom and taxing the plumbing well beyond its intended use. To say nothing of impacting the neighborhood in a really negative way.

A reasonable expectation for ANY vacation rental is TWO persons per bedroom. This simple rule of thumb applies to both homes and condos. Therefore a 6 bedroom home sleeps 12 to 14 people, not 30. The variable is for small children who can certainly share a bedroom with old kids and adults. There is a simple reason why "2 people per bedroom" works out so well. It is what was used to design the home in the first place.

In keeping with that reasonable expectation, it is also worth noting that closets are not bedrooms. Yes, I know that seems obvious. And yet on more than one occasion we have seen this very thing. Closets are not bedrooms, bedrooms are bedrooms. Why is this important you ask? Well, aside from the blatant misrepresentation of the vacation rental and what it is, there is the little issue of safety. Especially fire safety.
One reason that "two per bedroom" number is so important is because that is how the home was approved by the fire department and health and safety inspectors.

In short, don't play games to save a few dollars. It's not that much anyway and the results can be anywhere from uncomfortable to disastrous. Plan for 2 people per bedroom, no more.

Watch Out For Vacation Rental Companies With Multiple Personas

One thing we have seen recently in Las Vegas is a rash of vacation rental companies portraying themselves under multiple identities. Not because they want to attract different kinds of customers, but because they are trying to distance themselves from their own soiled reputations.

In the age of the Internet, it is easy to go out and buy a new domain, transfer your old website to it, and redo the identity so you have a whole new look for the same old information. This is a quick and easy way to get away from the fact that customers have been complaining about you. You simply move along to your new website and viola! Problem solved!

It's also really creepy and definitely not how people should be treated. We think customers have a right to know who they are giving their money to and a right to expect what they pay for. Treating people badly or ripping them off and then running from the problems you have created is the cowards way.

As always, be careful who you rent from. Don't let you pursuit of the ultimate lowest price cloud your better judgment. There is always someone ready and waiting to do and say whatever will get your money.