We are going back this August....in need of advice please

[kitch50]

Personally I think the villa you choose can make or break your holiday, we have been so lucky as we always go to Caroline's lovely home so I would say that is the one part of the holiday that I wouldn't try to get for a bargain. You can always try to get cheaper flights etc to try and even out the cost but the villa, I think, is a vital part of the holiday as it is not just somewhere to lay your head after a busy day at the park it is your home for the length of your stay and it is a place for you to relax and also have fun and charge your batteries..... [msnsmile]

[FraserLynn]

A slightly different view....

We have rented about a dozen villas in Florida and probably twice as many again in other parts of America, Europe and the Far East. I have never found a direct correlation between price and the quality of the product. In florida, the best one we stayed in was mid price and the most disappointing one was a very expensive villa we rented in Reunion last year. Those in the top 10% and bottom 10% in terms of cost where muddled in terms of quality. I suspect that there is probably a price which is too low and therefore risky, but otherwise I wouldn't take it as any measure of what you are likely to get.

The one big differentiator, which in my view, has had a direct link to the product has been the helpfulness, honesty, openness and level of communication from the owner. When these have been high, the product has always been better. The level of love and care the owner puts into both their product and the service they offer is (in my experience) not linked to the price.

Not sure I buy Snapper's version of you get what you pay for. In the examples (IMHO) you are paying for the hype over the functionality. iphones are fine, but is it worth paying twice the price for the same functionality? For some yes, but they shouldn't expect more for their money. The difference goes to Apple's huge margins. Jimmy choo's (from my limited knowledge of ladies footwear) appear to be style over substance to me... you are paying for the brand and an enormous margin for the seller. I imagine most people who buy them do so to show that they are, which is equally fine and I choice I sometimes make myself, but shouldn't be confused with quality in a £ per quality ratio.

In the case of Mercedes vs Fiat, you are clearly paying for something very different. Every component is different and so is probably more like comparing the price of a small condo to a large villa in Reunion, they are just not comparable.

So, my advice would be talk to the owner and let that interaction be your first, second and third consideration in making your choice.

[caroline]

Personally I think the villa you choose can make or break your holiday, we have been so lucky as we always go to Caroline's lovely home so I would say that is the one part of the holiday that I wouldn't try to get for a bargain. You can always try to get cheaper flights etc to try and even out the cost but the villa, I think, is a vital part of the holiday as it is not just somewhere to lay your head after a busy day at the park it is your home for the length of your stay and it is a place for you to relax and also have fun and charge your batteries..... [msnsmile]

[high5]

[E. Cosgrove]

A slightly different view....


The one big differentiator, which in my view, has had a direct link to the product has been the helpfulness, honesty, openness and level of communication from the owner. When these have been high, the product has always been better. The level of love and care the owner puts into both their product and the service they offer is (in my experience) not linked to the price.


So, my advice would be talk to the owner and let that interaction be your first, second and third consideration in making your choice.

I agree wholeheartedly with this piece of advice.
i have just posted in the villa advertisers area about my current experience of villa renting. We have been looking for a villa in The Scottsdale or Chandler area of Phoenix and came up with a short list of 3. We have actually ended up with our third choice based on the owners responses to our enquiry and the timeliness of those replies. An owner who is interested, helpful and stays at their property regularly enough to be able to tell you all its little details is usually an owner who values their home enough to take good care of it!

i do love Steves analogies though and I think he has a point.........maybe because I drive a Mercedes![]