There was a time when choosing vacation accommodations for my family was easy. We fit into the standard two-bed, one-bathroom hotel room without any difficulty so it was just a matter of choosing a hotel that appealed to us in a neighborhood we liked. Those days, however, are long behind us. Nowadays, we like to have more space to spread out, which often means booking a vacation rental home instead of a hotel.
As kids head into the teenage years they take up more space, want more privacy and develop interesting sleep patterns—all of which impact the way a family travels. My daughters are now 16 and 9 and for the last few years we have gravitated toward more spacious accommodations that include multiple bedrooms and bathrooms. We also like to have a kitchen where we can prepare some of our own meals as opposed to eating three meals a day in a restaurant. Renting a vacation home is an ideal solution for us as we get the home-away-from-home that makes everything easier and less costly than booking at comparable hotel. Thankfully, finding a vacation home to rent is much easier than it once was.
One of the newer options for travelers searching for a vacation rental online is Wantizen. They asked me to take a peek at how they work and share my thoughts with you. Wantizen advertises itself as your vacation rental matchmaker with a twist. At Wantizen, prospective renters can select relevant search criteria for their vacation such as destination, dates, and number of guests as well as details such as internet access, pool and so on. A list of properties that match the search terms will then be displayed. Renters can elect to either book a property OR request that property owners bid their best price in order to seal the deal. This interesting twist makes it possible to rent at less than the advertised price if the owner is eager to rent the vacation home and willing to make a deal.
Property owners pay a fee to list on Wantizen but there is no fee for vacationers who wish to rent a property. Currently there are over 30,000 vacation properties listed on Wantizen with more being added daily and the properties run the gamut from cozy apartments in France to luxurious Cape Town villas to Spanish beach houses.
Browsing websites like this always stokes my travel dreams. South Africa has been at the top of my bucket list for as long as I can remember. I imagine my family spending a few days at this two-bedroom apartment on Bantry Bay outside of Cape Town that I found on Wantizen. Since I’m day dreaming, we would spend a few relaxing days enjoying the sea views here after an adventurous wildlife safari where we have had numerous sightings of the Big Five.
View from a Wantizen rental on Bantry Bay in South Africa
I also love exploring European cities and renting a home in a neighborhood is my favorite way to get to know a city. I haven’t been to Venice yet but I’m fairly certain that renting an apartment with a canal view would rate high on my list of best experiences. Just imagine sitting and sipping a morning espresso at an apartment like this while watching the gondolas float by—life can’t get much better than that.
Canal view from a rental apartment in Venice
Since I’m daydreaming, I can drool over properties listed on Wantizen that are way out of my price range like this luxurious apartment in central Manhattan that looks more like a posh hotel suite than someone’s home. I could take my daughters for walks in Central Park, shop on 5th Avenue and spend our evenings at hit Broadway shows enjoying a perfect New York City vacation.
Luxurious apartment in central Manhattan
My dreams of vacation homes may tend toward the more luxurious but Wantizen has a large selection of properties that are reasonably priced for family holidays. With a rapidly growing list of properties, there is a home to suit nearly every taste, budget and dream.
If you could book a vacation rental home anywhere in the world, where would you go? Let us know in the comments below!
A Note from The Spunky Travel Mama: This post was made possible by Wantizen. As always, all opinions are my own.
All photos taken from Wantizen.com.
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