How to Save up to 12% On Your Next Vacation Rental by eliminating the service fee!
For the past six years we have used VRBO/HomeAway to market our vacation rental property in Atenas, Costa Rica. We have a spacious 4 bedroom, 3 bath Villa that comfortably accommodates up to 8 adults and 2 children. Last year VRBO/HomeAway was purchased by Expedia and immediately, they began changing their business profile. In February of last year, they started adding a service fee of 5 – 12% to our rates, all of which was passed on to you the renter. At the same time, we could not determine any benefit to you for that fee. According to VRBO/HomeAway the service fee charged is a percentage of the total amount of the reservation excluding taxes and refundable fees. They also state the percentage rate may change from time to time.
Earlier this year we made the decision to develop our own vacation rental website so you the traveler, have the choice to book direct with us. This allows you to work directly with the owner and avoid those fees by taking advantage of our “Booking Fee Free” experience. You will also find additional information on our website about Atenas, Costa Rica, along with lots of photos, guest reviews of past visitors, and our new Costa Rica Vacation Guide Blog of attractions and events happening in the Central Valley of Costa Rica.
Here are Three Steps to Save Money by Booking Direct with Owners or Property Managers:
1. Always try and book direct with the owner or property manager.
If you want to book our property, please visit our website www.AtenasVacationVilla.com, call us at 855-556-3848, or email us Dianne@AtenasVacationVilla.com with your questions.
2. Search on Facebook for the name and location you want to visit to see if some of your favorite properties have a website or a Facebook page. From there you can contact the owner/manager directly. You can like our Facebook page by doing a quick Facebook Search “Costa Rica Vacation Guide”.
3. Search for your perfect vacation rental on any of the many listing sites. Identify your top choices, noting the property’s name and location. Use your search engine (i.e. Google) to search for the property name and city and possibly the owner’s name to find their booking-fee free website.
Taking these three steps can possibly save you hundreds of dollars in Service Fees f you choose to use the big-listing websites. Working directly with us owners or our property managers allows us to build relationships and to have open communication between guests and owners. And, more importantly, it allows you to avoid those Service Fees.
If you have any questions about the changing Vacation Rental by Owner market, you are welcome to reach out to us with your questions. We are online every day and are here to help you. Please also take the time to “Like” and “Share” our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Costa-Rica-Vacation-Guide-Central-Valley !
Your Atenas Vacation Villa Host
Steve and Dianne Doughty
Posted by Dianne
First posted at atenasvacationvilla.com/
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