At Least They Tell You Up Front That They Might Be Lying

The top of the page says "Get What You See, No Funny Business" but the fine print at the bottom says "By entering and viewing this site, you are waiving XXXXXX XXXXX LLC of any liability associated with any factual misrepresentation.". In other words, if you find out we lied, you can't hold it against us.

Sigh.... You know, when I was a kid, one of the first things I learned was to be wary of used car salesmen. My dad always said, "they will say just about anything to sell you a car". This was good advice, and as we all know, it isn't really just used car salesmen we have to watch out for. It's more a way of doing business to watch out for.

The goal is clearly to "Get your money!" and not "Earn Your Trust". But the truth is the opposite. Not only is the real goal to get your money, but these companies don't provide any real value at all. In many cases somebody decided to just setup a website and try to resell what is already available elsewhere directly from the owner or manager. Where is the value added? There isn't any!

Surely Las Vegas is just one of those places that attracts businesses that like to push the limits. Frequently that means pushing it beyond what is ethical and fair. And even more than that, they push it to the point of saying "we might be lying to you, so don't be surprised if you find that out". So even though they might be telling you how fair they are, they're covering their tracks just in case.

Friends, this is nonsense. The question isn't about whether someone is accurate or not. The question is, why state up front that your main attribute is accuracy, and then say you can hold it against is if we are not accurate? You can't have it both ways. And shame on you as a customer if you let this slip past you.

Look, it's not easy to deliver a great product. It takes a team of people who are dedicated to making it happen. And this is where accuracy comes in. When you run a company the way it's supposed to be run, not only do you know every single thing about your vacation homes and condos, but you know their up to the minute status as well. You don't have to tell customers "Well, the owners told us it was working" or "We didn't know there was a rodent problem" or the all time favorite "The water heater broke and caused flooding damage, so we had to move you".

One other little tidbit to consider is this, when you have great Las Vegas vacation rental homes then you don't need to over-represent them or lie about what they offer. You can simply let them stand on their own with what they really are and what they really offer. And you, the customer who is spending your money for the privilege of using them, can rest assured that what you see is really going to be what you get.

Happy Travels!

Best Summer Vacation Rental Deals In Las Vegas Start In Mid July

If you know anything about Las Vegas, then you've no doubt heard of the World Series of Poker. WSOP, as it is effectionaly called, is the annual gathering of the world's best poker players in Las Vegas, and the culmination of weeks of competitions around the world. WSOP will take place at the Rio hotel this year, as it usually does, for all of June and the first half of July.

Now, why should you care about that if you are not a poker player and you are not going to the Rio? Because many of the competitors will be choosing to stay in vacation rentals instead of hotels.

There will be over 10,000 players or more booking Las Vegas vacation home rentals near the Rio. Most importantly, that means if you are hoping to book a home during that period, you are likely to be faced with minimum booking period of a month or more. Most vacation rental companies and homeowners will be unwilling to take anything less.

If your schedule is flexible, consider vacationing in Vegas after mid July and during the second half of the summer. Most people will have completed their vacations by then, and the vacation home prices and selection will be much better then.

If Possible, Come When Homes Are Available Instead
Most of our customers do not come to Las Vegas just because a certain vacation rental home happens to be available. However, if you are flexible you can have a greater selection and a better chance at a discount. Many times you can save money by booking last minute. 

Although this is not exactly the best way to get the exact vacation home you want, it might end up saving you some significant money. In some cases, you might even get a better home than you hoped for at a price lower than you expected to pay in to begin with. However we recommend that you have a back up plan in place should everything be unavailable.

As always, Happy Travels! Best of luck!

 

Guest Assurance Is Important, Especially For International Travelers

When we make reservations at a hotel like the Bellagio or Venetian, we know that we're going to be taken care of well on arrival. Things will be just as we expect them to be, and everything will be as advertised. And these are reasonable expectations, and in fact they are exactly what will happen to the vast majority of guests at those places. But vacation home rentals are not the Bellagio or the Venetian, and the typical rental is not operated to those standards.

That's where we are different than most vacation rental companies in Las Vegas. We run our homes with the utmost of professionalism and attention to detail. We aren't trying to the like the Venetian, but we want our guests to feel confident and relaxed in knowing that we are doing our best to provide the good service they expect. We want our guests to enjoy their stay and not give a second thought to the home, the same way they don't give a second thought to their hotel room.

We love what we do for a living. Being in the vacation and travel business in Las Vegas is truly a fun job. People come from all over the world to visit us in Las Vegas. To many people it is like visiting the Land of Oz.

We want our customers to rave about our town and to rave about their vacation home. This is our primary goal all the time, including when it is not in our favor. We're looking for long term success, not short term gain.

We often rant about other companies in this blog. And it's true, we don't think they take this business as seriously as we do. But that's only because the evidence is all over the place, and we know that companies tend to act the way the act, good or bad, as a pattern. If they misrepresent up front, they're going to misrepresent ongoing. Whether it's calling their P.O. Box an "office" or trying to tell you that BBB accreditation a "liability", that's just the way it is. They hide from the truth and we hope you don't fall for it.

As always, be careful when you choose who to book a vacation home with. And if you are traveling internationally, there is no need to ruin your global travel when good and reliable Las Vegas holiday villas are available. Be extra careful to check the easy to find Internet references first.

Travel safely and have fun!

All Vacation Rentals Are Not The Same

Look Beyond Just Price
So you're looking for a good deal and you've been shopping around for vacation rentals in Las Vegas. Prices seem to vary widely, sometimes by hundreds of dollars or more per night.

But the goal here was to get a good deal, so you choose one that seems reasonable and book it. You feel good about yourself, because you just saved $300 by shopping around a little, and still got a decent 4 bedroom home with a pool and spa only a few minutes from the Strip.

Not Exactly What We Expected
When you arrive to begin your trip, the first thing you notice is that the home seems to be more than a few moments from the Strip. In fact, this neighborhood doesn't seem very welcoming at all and the house doesn't look like the one you booked online. But your code opens the front door, so this must be the place.

As you enter the home and look around, it is clear that this home has not been cleaned well. Surfaces are dusty, furniture is worn and tattered. Decorating is a combination of "whatever was available" and is not at all what was depicted online. When you call to bring this situation to the attention of the vacation rental company, there is no answer.

Swindles Are Nothing New
This situation is all too common in Las Vegas. We're sorry to say that many companies here have been getting away with this behavior for years. Enforcement by local authorities is only done in the most extreme cases.

Customers also have very little recourse with the Better Business Bureau because these companies aren't usually members to begin with. They're listed, usually with an "F" rating, because customers have complained about them. But because they're not members, they don't have to adhere to any customer service practices outlined by the BBB.

In a case like that, all someone can do with the BBB is file a complaint, after the fact, which we do recommend. Even if you can't help yourself, at least you can help save the next unwitting customer from becoming a victim as well.

What Was The Name Of That Company, Again?
Another way companies like to avoid their dark histories is by changing their name. They happily give up the advantage of creating brand recognition in order to tell some fake story about how they were just bought out our merged with any company. What baloney! All they did was replace the logo. They kept the same people, website, and crummy dishonest customer service.

It seems ridiculous to say, but even though complaints are easy to find, people tend not to look until it's too late. Once they've been taken advantage of, then they will go online and confirm the bad news other people tried to tell them about. Ratings matter and complaints matter. There is simply no excuse not to take 5 minutes and do a little research before you send your money to people you don't know. Be careful and considerate when you choose a Las Vegas vacation home rental. Just a little investment before you make the commitment can make all the difference in the world.

And as always, happy travels from Las Vegas Retreats!
   

Our Newest Team Member!

Las Vegas Retreats is happy to announce our newest team member, Lori Judd. Having worked for years in the Las Vegas travel business and especially as a high-level Las Vegas Concierge, Lori is an excellent addition to our already wonderful team. Lori comes with a wealth of experience and can assist with everything from choosing the right vacation home for your family or group, to setting up all the details of your Las Vegas Event.

With Las Vegas Retreats now strategically located amongst some of the best event space in all Las Vegas, Lori can help arrange your next wedding, party, reception or corporate event. Our new location at the Piazza Plaza affords easy access from nearly all our vacation home rentals. With 3 different event spaces at the Piazza and for as many as 300 guests, there is room for almost any sized event.

Call or email Lori for more information on our excellent vacation home rentals, and for your next Las Vegas event. She can be reached at 702 944-9978 ext. 103 or lori@lasvegasretreats.com.
 

BBB Accreditation is Cheap But Hard To Get

Have you ever heard the old saying "Winning isn't everything"? You know who says that? Losers. That's what you hear when companies can't get BBB Accreditation. They'll tell you it's expensive and that they would just have to raise their rates to cover the cost. What baloney!

The truth is that BBB Accreditation is practically free. Even the smallest of companies can afford it. It costs about the same as the P.O. Box those companies refer to as their "office". However, your company has to qualify for it. And that's where the real reason they are not accredited. In fact the BBB generally gives those same companies an "F" rating as well.

If you watch our blog, you know that the same companies who put forth these bogus reasons for not being accredited also have a string of complaints against them. The truth is, running an honest business is not an accident. We've seen lots of these companies come and go since we're been around. The lies are nothing new, though it does surprise is sometimes with how blatant they really are.

Las Vegas Retreats is a real company with a real reputation and real offices, right on the Las Vegas Strip. We invite you to come by any time and visit. We'll be happy to introduce you to the staff who will be assisting you with your reservation, and the customer service crew who will be ready to help during your stay. And maybe if you're lucky, you can also meet the cleaning crew and pool team and the home technicians. These are the people who see to it that your vacation rental is ready and waiting when you arrive.

We do not consider our team to be a luxury. A quality experience doesn't just magically create itself. It takes real dedication and caring for the customer. We struggle to see how anyone can expect a company to act that way when their entire premise begins with a big fat lie. Choose wisely and do your research friends.

Happy Travels!