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We are looking at booking our holidays for this summer,we have been to Florida many time and love it, but have a few questions.
Do all villas have private pools and why is there such a difference in the prices between the different houses advertised?
Welcome to the forum. I think most of the villas on this site will have private pool although not all - they will say in their descriptiong. Townhouses usually have a shared community pool.
Prices vary on villas due to their size, what extras have been added, standard of furnishing, general upkeep etc. As they are all privately owned it depends on the individual owner.
The best thing if you are interested in a few villas is to make an enquiry and chat to the owner about what their specific villa has. You will find the villa owners on this site more than happy to chat with you to help you decide.
Hi and welcome, well done for thinking about a villa you can't go wrong choosing one from this site as all the villas have had there existance verified by the administators who run this site.
Angela has summed it up pretty well,"you gets what you pay for".
Decide on what your priorities are, how many beds, what sort of facilities what location you prefer. If you are unfamiliar with the locations look at the community map. Any villa owner will be happy to dicuss with you the distance from the themeparks or your favourite retaurant etc. Once you have decided what you want, do a search on the
3 affiiated sites and see if there is anything that takes your fancy. You can put in an enquiry to a specific villa or a general enquiry.
Happy Hunting[msnsmile2]
Welcome to the forums, Groover. As has been said, almost all the villas on offer have private pools, since this is a big draw. But if you're going this summer, you'd better start using the link above asap since they get booked very quickly. You'll find that a lot of the replies you get are from British owners who know the sort of things that you need during a holiday and will be happy to help. All the villas booked through this site are registered and checked out; the admins are always at hand to help if the need arises.
The price differences might be related to the size of the villa, number of bedrooms, attached loos etc. Also, certain amenities like games room, playstation facilities, PC terminal etc might come into play. Some owners include the cost of pool heating in the initial quote while others wish to keep it separately. You should read the terms of every quote and ask the owner relevant questions.
If you like a particular villa but feel it is surprisingly cheap or too expensive, you can always make a private query with John Rooke, the 'boss' of this outfit. He will advice you as appropriate.
Thanks for your quick replies, one other thing I am confused by are the terms, 'Luxury' and 'executive' I understand the difference in the English language, but when in comes to villas I can see no difference some are better, some are not. Is there a set definition between the two when it comes to villa adverts? or is it just missused jargon?
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Groover
Thanks for your quick replies, one other thing I am confused by are the terms, 'Luxury' and 'executive' I understand the difference in the English language, but when in comes to villas I can see no difference some are better, some are not. Is there a set definition between the two when it comes to villa adverts? or is it just missused jargon?
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Grover,
no set definition, just liberal use of the language for advertising purposes although I'm pretty sure B.A. uses or use to use these definitions in there brochures to separate betwwen villa standards( and charge twice as much as private owners;their charges of per person make the villa rental cost astronomical.)
andrew
So are the prices I see on here, not per person??
There are no official grading systems for villas so each is described as their owner feels appropriate so it would be wise to read on down the advert to see if you think it's what you're looking for rather than taking too much notice of the 'luxury' or 'executive' descriptions.
All the prices are for the villa per week and the adverts will tell you if they include taxes or whether these need to be added to the price.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Groover
So are the prices I see on here, not per person??
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Per villa! Extremely good valus compared to B.A., Virgin etc wouldn't you say[msnsmile2]
andrew
Does the price include airport transport aswell as flight?
That great, I can believe I have managed to find this site, What a saving over a hotel.
Not "misused" as such, just how each villa owner chooses to describe their own particular villa as their are no "star" ratings for villas.
As Andrew says whatever you choose will be value for money when looked at in terms of cost per person.
People who advertise their villas privately quote the cost of the whole villa
I can tell you that in general when companies advertise the villas, then executive is usually 5* whilst luxury is 4*
You get a chance to clarify matters with the owner or others in the forum. For example, Is the pool south-facing, is it reasonably private, how far is the villa from WDW or the nearest supermarket etc etc. You can ask these questions from the owner beforehand and clarify other unrelated doubts from the forum members afterwards. But you must move quickly if you are going this summer.
I was thinling of booking, but there are so mant late availabilty offers on the front page of the site I am tempted to wait till nearer the time to try to save a bit of money
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Groover
I was thinling of booking, but there are so mant late availabilty offers on the front page of the site I am tempted to wait till nearer the time to try to save a bit of money
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But won't you run the risk of limiting your availability and perhaps not be able to get quite what you want? Summer is a popular time and people often book well over a year in advance. If you read some of the other posts, there are those who are booking for 2006 or even 2007 now!
The last minute approach is a tempting one Groover but it can cause hair loss.
You spot the villa you want, but then can't get flights. Then you find a flight, but the villa has just been booked, so you find another villa, but this isn't available for all the days you want, so you need to find different flights, then this villa gets booked, ...
I'm sure that most people on the forum would agree that the best approach is to book early and get everything sorted. Then you can spend the time looking forward to your trip rather than biting your nails over ever increasing flight prices.
"Does the price include airport transport aswell as flight?
That great, I can believe I have managed to find this site, What a saving over a hotel."
Grover
Your price quoted is for accommodation only, most people find a signifcant saving by booking the elements of their holiday separately eg flight, car hire, accommodation and of course attraction tickets so you can tailor make it to suit your own needs.
The other thing to consider when you make your booking is when you want to travel. Whilst it may be true that there are some late availability at the moment you must remember we are just approaching February, if you want to travel in March the choice will be much more restricted and similarly school summer holidays.
The number of flights from the UK is finite so even if you do find a villa with availability it may well be that it is only because people have difficulty getting flights to fit as they's have already been booked.
If there are only 2 of you travelling and its off peak and you are flexible on dates then you may save by booking late, but wouldn't you rather have the anticipation of knowing when and where you are going, and be abe to enjoy the planning.
The prices of villas vary so much as does hotel accomodation, think Bed and Breakfast room and five star hotel suite. They both provide accomodation and somewhere to sleep but the difference is obvious.
Executive and luxury is something you can decide for yourself when you look at individual villa adverts and replies. There is something for every purse out there but you will find quality and well maintained villas on the 3 sites here and are worth the asking prices, many of them are sold out months in advance. Someone was looking for 2008 prices the other day!
Happy hunting.:D
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Cruella DeVilla
The prices of villas vary so much as does hotel accomodation, think Bed and Breakfast room and five star hotel suite. They both provide accomodation and somewhere to sleep but the difference is obvious.
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IMHO, there is a little more to that difference than meets the eye. When we book and go into a hotel, our expectations are different, often one of a rather impersonal comfort or luxury where we are almost always sensitive to 'getting our money's worth'. With a villa, there is that relaxed 'home away from home' atmosphere that one can never get even out of the best 5-star hotel. That feeling puts one in an excellent frame of mind for a holiday, particularly something like Orlando and vicinity.:)
Grover,
there is some good advice here, especially from snapper, I would certainly book early, so you can then sit back with peace of mind knowing it is booked.
As for the luxury and executive phases, I have seen these used in tour operator adverts, but as far as I know no tour operator owns any villas, they rent from Management companies who are the people over there who look after the villas for private owners.
Why not cut out the middle man? book direct and get the full value, there are 3 links at the top of these pages for homes that are all privately owned and varified by the site owners to ensure this fact.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Groover
I was thinling of booking, but there are so mant late availabilty offers on the front page of the site I am tempted to wait till nearer the time to try to save a bit of money
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One of the big things about renting a villa.....is getting the one you want.....not just getting the cheapest....I would look through all the villas you can....and you'll soon work out what makes a luxury and executive villa.....and they are worth the extra money...
Here is a cost example for you: -
November 4-18th 2000 - This was booked at a High Street Travel agent, a villa (no pool heating guaranteed - and we didn't get it!!) This cost £3,900 for a family of four 2 adults 2 children, and this was a special offer, we were getting two weeks for the price of one!!!!
October 24 - 7th November 2002 Flights £456 x2 £256 x2 booked through the link above.
Villa £900 + £250 pool and spa heat
Car £380
October 26 - 9th November Flights £444 x2 £244 x2
Villa £825 + £180 pool and spa heat
Car £320
This year we have booked EVERYTHING through this site and couldn't recommend it enough.
I can recommend a villa wholeheartedly, theres nothing like coming home from the theme parks or shopping etc. and chilling out in your own private pool, heaven!!
Anita
That's an AMAZING price difference, when you are buying exactly the same thing - same plane , same car hire company same size of villa.
Plus , you get to choose your exact villa which has everything YOU want in it , located near where YOU want to be!
Why would you do it any other way??[msneek]
I have only just started renting our villa, but love helping those who have booked get the best out of their stay and answering all their queries. Thomas Cook can't do that as well as we Florida lovers can.[msnwink]
For the first time we are booking a villa and we are really looking forward to having more space, our own pool and being able to have a bbq in the evening. Also, the children can have a bedroom each and more importantly we have our own room too.
We have booked flights with BA and that is £1000 for two adults and two children, 8 nights in villa with pool heating is £500 and 7 nights with Discovery Cruises in Bahamas is £480, car hire for the 9 days we are in Orlando is £170, this includes cdw and all the other bits you have to pay for. We think this is incredible value and as we are travelling over half term we think we have a bargain. I hate to think how much this would be if we booked through a tour operator. Okay it has taken me a bit of time researching everything, but it is not a chore, in fact it has been great fun.
I think because you work so hard planning you buy into the holiday more, and it becomes more enjoyable.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by ringwood1
For the first time we are booking a villa and we are really looking forward to having more space, our own pool and being able to have a bbq in the evening. Also, the children can have a bedroom each and more importantly we have our own room too.
We have booked flights with BA and that is £1000 for two adults and two children, 8 nights in villa with pool heating is £500 and 7 nights with Discovery Cruises in Bahamas is £480, car hire for the 9 days we are in Orlando is £170, this includes cdw and all the other bits you have to pay for. We think this is incredible value and as we are travelling over half term we think we have a bargain. I hate to think how much this would be if we booked through a tour operator. Okay it has taken me a bit of time researching everything, but it is not a chore, in fact it has been great fun.
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Thats great news and adds to your holiday because you have done all the research and booked it all yourself. We tend to do this now with our holidays and it is always a sense of schievement when we get exactly what we paid for.[msnsmile2]
I agree with Ringwood, half the fun is in the planning. As well as our Florida holidays we are lucky enough to have another big holiday every year and I just love planning it, thank goodness for the internet, I just wish there were more sites as good as this one covering the rest of the US [msnwink]
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by E. Cosgrove
I agree with Ringwood, half the fun is in the planning. As well as our Florida holidays we are lucky enough to have another big holiday every year and I just love planning it, thank goodness for the internet, I just wish there were more sites as good as this one covering the rest of the US [msnwink]
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OK Liz where are you off to on your other big holiday?
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Cruella DeVilla
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by E. Cosgrove
I agree with Ringwood, half the fun is in the planning. As well as our Florida holidays we are lucky enough to have another big holiday every year and I just love planning it, thank goodness for the internet, I just wish there were more sites as good as this one covering the rest of the US [msnwink]
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OK Liz where are you off to on your other big holiday?
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Ooh yes Liz, spill the beans![msnsmile2]:D[msnsmile2]
California. Fly into SF{ my favourite US city) 22nd July 3 nights on to Sequoia and Kings Canyon 3 nights,( passing through Gilroy....ENORMOUS premium outlets here:D)Yosemite 4 nights and finally Lake Tahoe 7 nights. Paid $2200 to rent here so it shows what good value for money Florida is. Kings Canyon and Sequoia are the only places we haven't been to before so it's a case of returning to all those places we promised ourselves we would visit again![msnsmile2]
Sounds wonderful Liz, Ray & I are going to San Fran on the 24th August for 3 nights, his 40th birthday pressie from me. Will have to get some tips from you when you get back as to places to eat etc.[msnsmile2]
Groover,
A lot of good advice has been given already. If you wait, you maybe able to get a late availability offer but it may not be the villa that you really want. School holidays are obviously the most popular times and although some villas may have availability at the moment, this may not be the case in a month or so time. My advice would be as others have said to book early.
i dont think you could ever book too early! just do it!:D
Hi Groover,
Why not make a wish-list of your 'wants'?
e.g.
Direction of Pool & Spa
How many Master Suites
Computer in the Villa
Distance from Disney
etc.
This will help you choose from the fantastic Villas on offer.
If you're still uncertain, many owners will be more than happy to answer any questions or send you some extra photographs or testimonials from previous guests.
It's your holiday - go for the best, you won't regret it!
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by E. Cosgrove
California. Fly into SF{ my favourite US city) 22nd July 3 nights on to Sequoia and Kings Canyon 3 nights,( passing through Gilroy....ENORMOUS premium outlets here:D)Yosemite 4 nights and finally Lake Tahoe 7 nights. Paid $2200 to rent here so it shows what good value for money Florida is. Kings Canyon and Sequoia are the only places we haven't been to before so it's a case of returning to all those places we promised ourselves we would visit again![msnsmile2]
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I love San Fransisco, there is just a buzz about it.[^]
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:[i]Originally posted by Cruella DeVilla[/i
I love San Fransisco, there is just a buzz about it.[^]
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Same here. All those yummy snack places along the waterfront. SF has a European flavour to it.
My 3 favourite American cities (for the sake of city character and so Orlando does not really count in that sense) are San Francisco, New York and New Orleans.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Nostromo
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:[i]Originally posted by Cruella DeVilla[/i
I love San Fransisco, there is just a buzz about it.[^]
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Same here. All those yummy snack places along the waterfront. SF has a European flavour to it.
My 3 favourite American cities (for the sake of city character and so Orlando does not really count in that sense) are San Francisco, New York and New Orleans.
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Sounds like you might have some tips of where to eat too Nostromo.[msnsmile2]
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:[i]Originally posted by Ray&Sarah[/i
Sounds like you might have some tips of where to eat too Nostromo.[msnsmile2]
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Of the snack bars along the SF pier? No. They are little more than stalls or small establishments with a few tables. You tend to eat there and forget about it the next day. But there are some 'proper' restaurants further up in Chinatown.
Fishermans Wharf is great, some cool eateries.
China town is worth a visit.
If all else fails they have a great HRC!