LakePlace.com in the News

Finding The Perfect Vacation Rental: Step By Step
By Chris Welsch
Star Tribune. March 23, 2007.

Step By Step
Only a few years ago, word of mouth was the best way to find a suitable vacation rental. Now, the options are limitless. With a few clicks of the mouse (and dents in the credit card), one can rent castles in Ireland, villas in Tuscany, condos in Shanghai or housekeeping cabins on Pelican Lake. Here's a step- by-step approach to finding the best possible vacation rental for your needs.

Broad Strokes
Vamoose.com -- Start your quest with this site, which searches multiple sites for the biggest possible selection. Vamoose searches reach more than 250,000 rental properties, which means if you're looking in a popular destination, the problem may be too much selection rather than too little. As an example, entering Minnesota, Brainerd Lakes and Nisswa generated 38 rental cabins and condos.

Narrow The Hunt
Vamoose can be helpful in showing you which sites are strongest in a particular region. In my hypothetical Minnesota search, I found www.lakeplace.com to be the clear leader. (Based in Richfield, lakeplace.com lists more than 800 properties in Minnesota and Wisconsin, giving the site the most selection for our region). Most sites have very simple search engines; getting specific about location is usually the best way to narrow the selection. It's worth noting that homeaway.com is one of the few major players with an advanced search that works well (you can choose the type of accommodation, child-friendly, non-smoking, etc.) Most sites include a rental calendar for each rental so you can see immediately if your dates are open.

Pinpoint Favorites
After looking at photos and reading descriptions carefully, choose three or four options that come closest to your ideal. Then start asking questions. Most of the sites offer e-mail links or phone numbers for the owners; it's your responsibility to make sure any special criteria are met. How close is the beach exactly? Is the view obstructed? How close are the neighbors? Are kids a problem? How well equipped is the kitchen? Are condiments included? Towels provided? Laundry on site?

Make The Choice
Last but not least, talk to the owner on the phone. It's a good final check to gauge your compatibility, to get last-minute questions answered, and to close the deal.