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.

Check The Southern Nevada Better Business Bureau

We frequently check to see how well our competition is doing. Not only to make sure we are giving our customers a good deal, but also to see how well they are taking care of their customers. To find Las Vegas vacation rental complaints, we use the Better Business Bureau website and do a quick search to see who is listed and how the BBB rates their reliability.

There are two primary ways to get listed at the BBB. One is to call and sign-up. The other is because somebody complained about your business. The listings shown in this picture illustrate the difference between the two very well. Our listing is blue because we are Accredited Members of the BBB. The other listing is not a member.

Many companies wont commit to the level of service required for BBB accreditation. Their profiles on the BBB website, if they have one at all, usually reflect their lack of commitment to customer service, as illustrated by their ratings. This is the primary reason the BBB exists at all, to help steer consumers towards legitimate and reliable vendors. If you are not one, then you wont want to participate. It's that simple.

It is not hard to find Las Vegas vacation rental complaints. One of the dilemmas we face in Las Vegas as a legitimate business is that there are a lot of individuals and companies who are willing to do anything to get someone's money. Constantly presenting themselves as something they are not.

One local company reminds visitors on its website of how important in is to deal with a honest company. Then they proceed to refer to a post office box as their office. Don't you wonder what kind of vacation home you can rent from someone who can't tell the difference between an office and a P.O. Box?

Even worse, many so called "honest" companies are simply ripping people off and ruining their vacations and business trips. It not only hurts people, it hurts our business as well. We encourage our customers to be vigilant when renting vacation homes in Las Vegas. Take 5 minutes and check the company you are about to rent from. It can make all the difference in the world. Here are some helpful links to begin your research...

• Southern Nevada Better Business Bureau
• Ripoff Report
• Vacation Rentals Watchdog
• Vacation Rentals Community
• Complaints Board

Barry Manilow At Paris

Just a quick post this time to let you know that Barry has a pretty darned good show going on at the Paris Casino. Though admittedly not a huge fan (unlike Peter, Cleveland, Joe and Quagmire) I had a great time and enjoyed the show. Barry sings as well as he ever has and his showmanship is simply top deck.

One interesting side note was that the show was going on during the live MDA Telethon. Barry sent a live feed from his stage in Las Vegas, performed a song for the telethon, and then continued on with the concert. Impressive, to say the least, he never skipped a beat. Bravo Barry!

If you're coming to Vegas, whether you are staying with us or not, we highly recommend Barry Manilow at the Paris Casino.

As always, play safe and gamble smart!

We've Joined The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce

Since we are now officially located on the Las Vegas Strip, we thought it was about time to join the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce and make ourselves more visible businesses. It's funny, even in this day and age, how so few people are aware of the vacation rental business.

On the one hand, it seems like many people consider the option for their own vacations. Yet we find that in the business community, few people seem aware that vacation home rentals are readily available. We find that this is especially true in Las Vegas, and we hope that by becoming active members we can help to educate and enlighten other companies to the many advantages of lodging in Las Vegas vacation home rentals that professionally managed and supported.