Miscellaneous Each year we rent a vacation home for our February vacation. We can be fairly specific in our needs but I am usually swayed by terrific photographs and great reviews. As long as it has the key amenities – hi-speed internet; queen beds; linens and cleaning included, I can make a decision. Last year we were blown away by the photograph of the pool at Flying Toucans in Costa Rica – this year it was the view of the ocean from the windows at Pura Vida here in Eleuthera. Where to go? We hadn’t planned on the Bahamas this year – in fact we were open to anywhere that was warm and sunny and away from the Ontario freezer for 10 days in the coldest part of the winter. I’m not even sure how I found out about this paradise island – 100 miles long and hardly more than 2 miles wide – where you can cross from the Atlantic side to the Caribbean shoreline in less than five minutes. Once we learned a little more about the pink sand deserted beaches it was a snap….and then we had to find the perfect rental. And, as it happened that wasn’t difficult either. Reviews are key Trip Advisor does tend to be our first port of call when searching for a vacation home. The reviews are usually pretty accurate; in my experience they are rarely manufactured by the owner, and we are savvy enough to read through those that are clearly out to sabotage or are written by serial complainers anyway. The reviews from Pura Vida made great reading – they remarked on the owners as ‘caring and attentive’; the property being ‘as described’ and more, and the location just what we were looking for. We looked at a dozen others with similar characteristics and the pricing was in the right range, so we were away to the races. Communication matters From the start, the communication with Steve and Cindy, the owners, was terrific. We’d planned this vacation long before our granddaughter was born last August, so my son and his wife were not that sure what they would want, and plied the owners with questions and requests, each of which was answered quickly, and with great information. That responsiveness early in the planning process was welcomed and made it all so much easier as well as creating a lot of confidence in our choice. First Impressions Here’s a run-down of what has made this possibly one of the best rental experiences we have had to date: The Pre-Arrival Package was detailed and informative allowing us to plan much of our vacation before we arrived. The planning aspect is of prime importance to us – and to most vacationers – after all, who wants to be searching for places to eat, things to do or the best beaches to visit in the short time you are actually on vacation. We like to at least make a rough plan of what we’ll do while at a location, long before we go. So, we knew where to buy fresh veg; where to stop on the way from the airport for provisions, a few day trips we could take, and where the best beaches were for swimming and snorkelling. There was also comprehensive information on what was included with the rental. Arriving at Pura Vida was stress-free since Steve emailed us the day before to remind us where we would find the key, and to bring along the pre-arrival package which had the directions. We were also delighted to find the reality matched the photographs….actually it didn’t because as many of the reviewers say – photographs cannot completely portray the beauty of the property. It is more spacious than we had expected. Amenities One of the first things I do when we arrive at our vacation location is to hook up to the internet. We are vacationing at the start of our busy season in our rental agency business so I work daily while I’m on holiday. I get annoyed when owners tell me they don’t want to install hi-speed internet because as one said recently, “People are on vacation – they shouldn’t be wanting to get on the internet because they are here to relax”. What right does anyone have to tell me what I should or should not do on my holiday? ………oops I feel a rant coming on, so will leave that topic to another post or podcast. A great first night of sleep Climbing into bed on the first night of vacation is always wonderful….or should be. I never want to: · Make up the bed myself · See stained pillows or a mattress protector covered with hair · Feel cold or uncomfortable in any way · Have to get out of bed to switch the light out My first night here was in a supremely comfortable bed with side tables and lamps on either side; great pillows and high quality sheets, and a bedspread, or additional blanket in case we got cooler in the night. We slept so well and woke to a beautiful dawn. Magic! There’s more to come on this experience as we always learn so much when we are guests rather than rental owners. Walking in the shoes of our clients is probably the most important thing we can all do, as that experience gives the best feedback on how we can achieve the best and be the most professional owners we can be.
