Beachfront Only’s Weblog

Vacation Rentals May Hold a Key to Vacation Savings

beachfrontonly — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:25:13 +0000

CNBC.com posted this article about a month ago explaining how renting a vacation home for the entire family just might be the most cost friendly option for your summer vacation. Read the story here.

“Save our Summer Vacation Movement” – Sign Petition Now!

beachfrontonly — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:16:06 +0000

Homeaway.com’s current S.O.S. Vacation Campaign has started a “save our summer vacation” movement, which will petition congress to declare August 7th as a “National Vacation Day. Do your part and Join the Movement! Afterall, August needs a national holiday, and this sounds like a great one to me.

Need a Vacation? Win a $10,000 Vacation Rental from Homeaway.com!

beachfrontonly — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:04:52 +0000

Enter into Homeaway’s Vacation contest and you could win a $10,000 vacation prize! All you have to do is tell them why you are in need of a vacation, and why you deserve to be bailed out. You have until July 2 to submit your story. You can have friends and family vote for you, and then the top 15 stories will be presented before a panel of judges. There will also be two runner ups each receiving a $5,000 vacation. See complete details below. Good luck!

Contest Description

Tell us why you deserve to have HomeAway save your summer vacation!

Whether you’re stressed out, tired of hearing about the gloomy economy or simply want to escape, HomeAway is searching for the person who is most in need of a vacation.

If that sounds like you, we want to hear your story. Submit a text entry, a photo essay or a video explaining why you deserve to win the $10,000 getaway complete with a stay in a HomeAway vacation rental. If your story doesn’t top the list, don’t worry: two runners-up will each receive a $5,000 trip.

The contest runs until July 2, 2009 and is followed by two rounds of judging. On July 2, voting opens up to the general public: that’s your chance to get your friends and family to vote for your entry. The top 15 vote-getters move on to the final round which is judged by our panel of experts.

The three winners will be selected on July 28, 2009. It’s time to get moving, so good luck!

Additional contest information

ENTER NOW!

4th of July in San Diego – Best of the Firework Shows…

beachfrontonly — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:26:25 +0000

Fourth of July is quickly approaching, and the one question every year, besides “which beach will we park ourselves at from 9am til 9pm?” is “where can I watch the best fireworks this year?” Lucky for all San Diegans and visitors alike, we are in a city that has been named one of the top ten places to celebrate Fourth of July…so no matter where you end up, I don’t think you can go wrong. Shows seem to always change, and it’s fun to see a new one each year, or perhaps situate yourself in a location where you can view several shows at once. If a clear day, the coastline would definitely be a wise choice, with views of Oceanside, the Del Mar Fairgrounds, La Jolla, and maybe even all the way down to Downtown San Diego at the Embarcadero or Coronado. Although I prefer to be right where the action is, laying down with an unobstructed view to the sky above, where it feels as if the fireworks are going to fall on top of me. If this is your plan, arrive early! Parking always seems to be the major issue at these different show locations.

Take a look at the posting from SanDiego.org for some of the best shows in the area.

Here is the article from Shermans Travel on the top ten places to celebrate the 4th of July…San Diego happens to be the only location on the west coast.

San Diego County Fair at the Del Mar Fairgrounds is Back!

beachfrontonly — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:06:12 +0000

It’s that time of year again…time for deep fried s’mores, endless infomercial demonstrations, and queezy rides. Whether this is your cup of tea or not, this is an annual San Diego event that should not be missed…for the people watching alone. And yes, anyone, young or old, is bound to have a good time, from the food to the gadgets, from the beer gardens, live music, rides, games, animals, and art shows, there truly is something for everyone. And what better location to have a fair than in the gorgoues North County setting of Del Mar, situated off of Highway 101, right on the ocean. My favorite “to do” is the Ferris-wheel at sunset….the views are breathtaking of the Pacific Ocean coastline.

Tip: Purchase fair tickets at any San Diego participating Albertson’s store and receive $2 off of admission, and if you can make it to the fair on a Tuesday, tickets are only $2 total!

The theme this year is “Music Mania”. Fair opens on June 12th and will run through July 5th. For more information, visit the official website at www.sdfair.com/fair, or use links below:

Beachfront Only Vacation Rentals – TOP 10 in Customer Satisfaction/Ratings!

beachfrontonly — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 21:30:36 +0000

Press Release: Escapia Names the Top Ten Vacation Rental Satisfaction Superstars

By Kris Lande, Product Marketing Manager

It’s no secret, at Escapia we LOVE guest reviews. We feel that guest reviews are one of the most powerful tools vacation rental managers have to differentiate themselves from the rest of the pack. Guest reviews drive additional bookings by giving online travelers the confidence they need to book your vacation rentals. In fact, our data shows that the ratio of bookings for units with reviews is 41% higher than for those without reviews.

That said, we wanted showcase some vacation rental managers that are guest review superstars, so we compiled a top ten list of vacation rental managers who are getting the highest satisfaction ratings from past guests. The ratings, done using the EscapiaOne ratings and review system, are 100% verified to come from past guests and reflect the opinions of more than 50,000 guests.

And the winners are…(drumroll please!)

Mountain Vista Luxury Rentals (Gatlinburg, TN)
Cannon Beach Property Management, Inc. (Cannon Beach, OR)
Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations (Oakland, MD)
ResorticaHawaii.com (Kamuela, HI)
Sliding Rock Cabins (Ellijay, GA)
Coastal Escapes (Cambria, CA)
BeachFront Only Vacation Rentals (San Diego, CA)
The Vacation Company (Hilton Head, SC)
Palm Island Resort (Cape Haze, FL)
South Padre Beach Houses & Condos, Inc. (South Padre Island, TX).

Congratulations to our winners; and job well done for taking excellent care of their guests and giving vacation rentals a great reputation!

Click here to read the entire press release.

NEW – Dedicated Vacation Rental Page on TripAdvisor.com!

beachfrontonly — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:23:11 +0000

Tripadvisor.com now has a dedicated vacation rental search page! There are some great resources on the site as well, especially for people that are new to vacation rentals. Check them out below;

What is a vacation rental?

What are the benefits of staying at a vacation rental?

How does a vacation rental work?

Reviewing Vacation Rentals

Five Stars ***** Beachfront Only Receives Great Reviews!

beachfrontonly — Thu, 14 May 2009 21:33:52 +0000

At the end of all of our guests’ stays, surveys are automatically sent out via Flipkey.com so that the guest can review the beachfront home they stayed in, as well as Beachfront Only as a management company. Ready below to see what some people are saying about our company and our homes! Click here to read all of our reviews.

“This beautiful home is perfect for a large group of friends or several
families! We were very pleased with the location and proximity to the
pier (close but not too close!). The house is huge with a great layout.
The bedrooms were all very nice and the beds were extremely
comfortable! The supplies they provide in the kitchen, the bedding,
the towels, everything was perfect! Even the artwork throughout the
house was great! We would highly recommend this property and hope
to go back again ourselves!” (823ALL)

“We didn’t know what to expect. We took too much stuff, they have everything! We have decided that we are going to try to do it every year. We want the same place around the same time. They even called durning the stay to find out if we were having a good time. Great place. Thanks” (817B)

“The house was absolutely beautiful! Beachfront thought of everything. We had a great time lounging on the patios, hanging out with friends, relaxing in the jacuzzi, and playing on the beach. We laughed, ate, talked for hours and enjoyed the beautiful scenery and relaxing atmosphere! thank you” (1023)

“MY HUSBAND, I AND OUR 4 KIDS STAYED AT THIS PROPERTY. WE HAD A GREAT TIME. THE LOCATION IS WONDERFUL AND THE CONDO WAS STOCKED NICELY AND WAS VERY CLEAN. WE ARE PLANNING TO GO BACK NEXT YEAR WE LOVED IT SO MUCH. WE RECOMMENDED IT TO OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. THANKS FOR A GREAT VACATION.” (1029)

“We planned a reunion trip for 10 buddies and their better girlfriends/spouses and couldn’t have asked for a better location or home to spend a weekend at the beach. In fact we all loved the house so much we are planning on going back sometime this summer or fall. Much thanks to the property manager for making the stay exactly what we hoped for.” (1733)

“Romantic, quiet, and first class” (813A)

“This newly remodled unit was beautiful and exceptionally clean. Our family loved the hot tub and the kids especially enjoyed roasting marshmallows on the firepit. A great location for a family! Right on the beach with lots of shopping just down the road.” (817B)

“This property exceeded our expectations. The view is amazing and the inside is great as well. We never wanted to leave to go siteseeing. San Diego is less than 30 min by car and there is a commuter station close by for a train ride in. There are plenty of things close by if you don’t want to go into San Diego. Property management was very responsive. We had a question when we arrived and it was not only answered over the phone but we had someone come by within an hour to make sure the problem was solved. We watched surfers all day and dolphins in the evenings. We will go back if we get the chance.” (1086)

“I was so pleased to share this wonderful home with my grandchildren. My grandson asked me “Gramma, are we in Hawaii?” And when I said no, he asked me “What country is this?” Thanks again for offering such a beatiful home!” (811A)

And many, many more…

San Diego Beachfront Wedding Location – New Beach Wedding Venue!

beachfrontonly — Thu, 14 May 2009 20:47:57 +0000

Looking for a beach front wedding venue for the Summer of ’09, or any other time this year? We have the place!

Located on South Pacific St. in Oceanside, this venue can hold up to 200 guests for a oceanfront wedding ceremony and reception. There is a large paved patio area right on the ocean, perfect for a ceremony. Directly behind there is a lawn area, which can accommodate tables, dance floor, etc. There is no venue like this in southern California! Have the beach wedding you have always dreamed of a with quaint and charming garden-like feel to it!

Along with the venue space, there are also three units that are included which can be used for bride and groom dressing and prep rooms, staging areas, space for caterers, guest bathrooms, etc.

For more information >> Beachfront Only Weddings

San Diego Vacation Rentals – 2 Night Minimums Year Round!

beachfrontonly — Thu, 14 May 2009 20:28:03 +0000

San Diego Vacation Rental Rooftop Spa

Originally uploaded by Beachfront Only Vacation Rentals

Want to get away for just a couple nights? Now you can, even during the summer! We have reduced our nightly minimum to 2 nights, year round, summer included. Whether you want a 3 night stay in the middle of the week, a 2-night weekend getaway, or a 10 day super family vacation, we can accommodate you! So check your calendars and find a few days to get away and enjoy all that beautiful San Diego has to offer! Check for availability and rates at sandiego.beachfrontonly.com.