Blog Posts

The vacation rental industry has been humming along now for nearly a decade, but 2013 is poised to bring with it more changes than any year prior. From legal issues to increased competition to newly emerging traveler segments, owners will have their hands full as the new year epitomizes how this... Read more

As you probably know, HomeAway’s mission has always been to make finding and booking a vacation rental as easy as booking a hotel. With our latest product release, I believe we’ve made great strides towards achieving that goal and am pleased to announce the introduction of online... Read more

Thanks to every customer and partners who took time away from their busy schedules to join us in Las Vegas in September for three days of networking, fun and tons of learning.  At its heart, RezFest is about educating our software customers on how to get the most out of their investment in our... Read more

Over the last couple of days, I was (as I’m sure many of you were) glued to the television with much anticipation to see how Hurricane Sandy, appropriately named “Frankenstorm,” would play out.  After ripping through the Caribbean, the storm barreled straight up the east... Read more

Since vacations are expensive and families often only get to take one or two a year, deciding where to go and what to do on your next family trip might feel like as big of a challenge as a presidential debate. Trust me though - it doesn’t have to be. Unlike our next “big... Read more

As always, I want to thank our customers and the loyal users of this Community for using our products, providing feedback, and helping us understand your marketing needs. I recognize the last several months have been frequented with change for our customer base, and change can be scary.  I... Read more

To the HomeAway and VRBO user community:   In the past few months, there has been a steady drumbeat of concern rising in these forums from the owners and managers who use HomeAway and VRBO. In the past few days since we launched our quotable rates, it’s risen in intensity and frequency.... Read more

Given that we now have four, yes FOUR (see sidebar) kids under 7 years old we have realized that we don’t want to, or should we say we are not able to, travel with strollers, highchairs, pack ‘n plays, Bumbos and a separate suitcase for toys and dress-up clothes. Guess what?  Our... Read more

Here’s a scenario that every vacation-rental owner faces sooner or later: The day before your guests are due to check in, they call with bad news. One of them is too sick to travel. Or there’s been a death in the family. Or a major ice storm has brought down power lines and closed the... Read more

It used to be that vacations were supposed to inspire you to unplug. Now, technology has become part of how we relax and it is integral to making travel easier. It is common to get email and text alerts for flight delays, check for traffic snarls and get walking or driving directions through a map... Read more

Many of you may have read my article this past August, My Absolute Best Marketing Idea of 2012, in which I experiment with a "Groupon-style" deal offering $500 of credit towards a stay at our rentals for only $250. By offering this deal to all my previous guests, I was not only rewarding them for... Read more

When my Husband suggested Montauk, as in, the beachy tip at the very end of Long Island, for our summer vacation my first reaction was, “That’s too close to home! We can’t go there for vacation.” (We live in Manhattan.)   Then, the beauty of vacationing near home hit me... Read more

You can totally pack two kids in one suitcase for your family vacation!   Ok, well I don’t mean packing the actual kids in the suitcase, but you get the picture! We’re talking about packing light when traveling, and in my experience, I can pack everything both of the Littles need... Read more

I’m excited so many people are taking advantage of vacation rentals. They are an especially great option for families because they offer much more space for the money than is available in a hotel. That means you can invite the grandparents or family friends to join!   You also have all... Read more

Sometimes I feel like a mad scientist. More mad than scientist because the large majority of techniques I try fail miserably. Ever seen the Red Bull Flutag challenge where teams of everyday people try to build homemade, human-powered flying machines and pilot them off a 30-foot high deck in hopes... Read more