How to Save Money on Your Vacation in 2025

Save Money in 2025 – Part 2

We at Abalone Bay want to help you save money and to book vacation rentals safely whether you stay with us or others. We have prepared a three-part series on how to do that.  In our previous blog post we shed light on guest service fees and the booking fees you should expect for Abalone Bay.

This blog post explains in great detail how to save money when booking directly. Our last post in the series, 14 Brilliant Ways to Book Vacation Rentals Safely guides you to booking vacation rentals online securely.

 Best Tip to Save Money for Your Vacation in 2025

It’s not too early to plan for your next vacation. And naturally, you want to do all you can to save money when booking that dreamy vacation holiday home.

Well then!

Have I got the VERY BEST TIP for you to save money on this year’s vacation!

Simply book directly with the owner or property management company to save money on the vacation home of your dreams.

That’s right!

You could save up to 15% of the cost on a vacation home when you book directly on your favorite holiday home’s website. 

Online Travel and Booking Agency Site Ripoffs

All online travel agencies (OTAs) charge added guest service fees. These include Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking. com, TripAdvisor/FlipKey, and many more. 

Outrage by all increased in 2016 with Vrbo’s increased amount of  guest fees charging anywhere between 6%-10% travelers fees at checkout on all their properties listed in their online booking sites. This action initiated the #BookDirect movement by owners and property managers.

Airbnb has long charged guests booking fees now “under 14.2% of the booking subtotal” and hosts pay 3%. If you booked through them before you probably never even noticed. They simply did their magical math trick by tacking on their percentage and sending you the bill without it listed for you to see.  Now with continued outcry by guests Airbnb has now begun to show all fees prior to checkout.

Flipkey, part of TripAdvisor, charges its guests up to 16%!

Want to know how much extra has been pocketing of your hard-earned vacation savings?

…Are you sitting down?

 

 

What You Get for YOUR Money

The online travel agencies (OTAs) and booking sites would have you believe that you get added security with 24/7 support. See the pop-up text next to the fees you would be charged when you complete this booking on Vrbo:

 

Mind you this fee does not assure the home you have booked is functioning well, nor will it help you deal with the raccoon that has entered the yard, or work with you to set up a special surprise for your anniversary. According to AirBnB’s help site in 2024 the fees go, “To help Airbnb run smoothly and to cover the cost of services like 24/7 customer support...”

Their premise is that they will guarantee you won’t be scammed and that you’ll be refunded if you are a victim. But as Airbnb scrambles to pay fines and taxes to various cities and countries, one wonders where hosts and guests sit in their repayment schedule.

Will There REALLY Be a Refund?

Maybe…maybe not. Who knows if you’ll receive the full refund.

Vrbo in the past acknowledges that the company sometimes creates settlement agreements, which include non-disclosures to protect both parties.

Even Expedia (now the parent company of HomeAway and VRBO) admits to falling victim of phishing themselves (read more here: Expedia, Travelocity, Hotels.com Warn Customers of Phishing Scam.

Yes, it doesn’t matter who you are or how big you have become. Scammers will scam, phishers will fish.  

And in the end, it is you who loses one way or the other.

OMG- Who knew!

We did!

And now you do too.

With this powerful knowledge along with the tips below, you’ll be able to safely book and save.

You will also become personally connected to insider information about your vacation spot and the direct support by your host that assures your stay is really wonderful.

Simply put – Trust Direct to Save You Money

That’s the trick- pure and simple.

Just directly contact the property, then email and/or call the owners or property managers to book.

Many vacation rental owners vested in their homes and their businesses have their own websites.

They also have social media links such as Facebook pages that allow you to book your stay directly with them.

By booking directly, you avoid the middle man (online booking agencies-or OTAs- like VRBO, AirBnB, FlipKey). The money you save could be as much as 15% of the total booking price!

Further, you are now communicating directly with the owner who cares that your experiences are the best they can offer. You’ll not only save money, but you’ll also be getting great personal service.

You’ll be unfettered and free to ask all the questions you may have about the home and the area without having to operate through the OTAs.

To put money back into your pockets just locate owners like us who have an online business presence for their vacation rentals.

Sea Ranch Abalone Bay Online Presence

For instance, our online presence includes among others:

• Abalone Bay’s website describing its amenities, recommendations for not-to-be-missed experiences for you, your children, and even your dog.
• Contact Us page provides you a form to reach us directly.
• Our Booking link sends you directly to our property manager
• Our newsletter informs you of what’s new in Sea Ranch–And if you haven’t subscribed yet now’s the time!
• Blog posts that allow you to comment
• Verification of ownership: Donna Martinez, Owner of Sea Ranch

Sea Ranch Abalone Bay Social Media

Our social media presence is also wide and also allows you a means of direct contact and/or booking.

Here’s a sampling:

• Facebook page with nearly 1700 fans. Are you one?  If not- become one now! You can also book directly on our Facebook page.
• Google + for Sea Ranch Abalone Bay and for me, its owner, Donna C. Martinez
• LinkedIn
• Twitter @AbBayVR
• Instagram @SeaRanchAbaloneBay
• Pinterest @SeaRanchAbaloneBay
• Tumblr @SeaRanchAbaloneBay

How to Find Information

You’ve got booking Abalone Bay directly covered!

But maybe this year you want to travel further north to enjoy one of the houses on Manzanita Beach, Oregon. How about something more Caribbean like a  villa in Curacao or closer to home in Florida’s Anna Maria Island?

What do you do when you don’t have their direct contact information?

Airbnb, HomeAway, VRBO and all the other OTAs will not share it with you.

Even some property managers will not give you the direct contact information of property owners using their service.

No worries…We gotcha covered!

You’ll just need to do some easy detective work with then use Google, much as you would doing online comparison shopping.

Once your property is located it’s simply a matter of booking wisely to save some serious money for your trip.

Select your home

Online Travel Agencies(OTA) like Vrbo or Airbnb serve as a convenient resource service. They provide you a plethora of homes you can view and compare.  

It’s useful as a resource.  No argument there!

In other OTAs you may be lucky to discover the phone number when you click on “show phone number” in the owner’s information box. In that case, call them directly and ask if they have a website where you can book directly to save money on the guest services and travelers fees.

I can assure you they’ll be delighted and eager to work one-on-one with you.

Warning: Look- BUT DON’T CLICK 

When seeking direct contact information on a booking site be careful that you do not contact the owner by clicking on the “Book It” or “Request to Book” buttons on sites that charge service fees.

Once you have clicked that box and have put in your credit card information, you are charged the guest service fee the moment you check out to secure your booking.

That charged fee cannot be reduced, removed, or refunded by the owner. It is non-refundable, lost to the booking site to build up its profit margin and dominance in the online search services.

Internet Search Engines and Comparison Sites to Save You Money

Discover the Best Pricing on Vacation Rental Comparison Sites

We recommend that you first check for comparison prices on a vacation rental comparison site such as HiChee.com. These sites allow you to search for savings for over millions of listings across Airbnb, Booking.com and Vrbo, plus alternative booking platforms and direct-to-host websites.  Owners charge extra to compensate for the fees both you and they are charged for the use of the OTA’s website. As the photo above shows, you save over $1000 when you book Sea Ranch Abalone Bay directly!

Do an Internet Search to Compare

Doing a search on your favorite search engine (e.g., Google, Yahoo, Bing, even Ai such as ChaGPT for a direct booking vacation rental website is a piece of cake. You already have the skills if you’ve ever done comparison shopping online.

However, there are many other ways you can search for a home’s direct booking website as well. We’ll use Google as our example, but the process is the same for all internet search engines.

How to Search on Google.com

Here are four ways to search for a property and it’s owner using Google.com:

Do a name property or owner search-

When looking through the OTA listings note if the property name is listed in the title or description.

For instance in our Airbnb listing you see “Sea Ranch Abalone Bay many times throughout the listing. See it highlighted in blue below in our Airbnb introduction.

1. Copy the property’s name
2. Paste it in the Google search bar ( other search engines will also work)
3. Look for listings that do not include the OTAs name in the URL or description snippet.
   For instance compare our Airbnb listing- https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/52875248 to our direct booking site: https://SeaRanchAbaloneBay.com
4. Click and check those listings looking for the one that gives you pertinent information about the owner, direct contact (not a link to the OTAs) and booking information.

Do a text search-

Many owners frequently use same text describing their property throughout their various listings both OTAs and personal.  Copy a snippet of the listing you found on an OTAs site then put in the Google Search bar. Then follow the steps above.

You may learn more here.

Do an image Search-

Just as the same listing text is used in many websites, most photos are also re-used. Google can help you find photos that are used on other sites, including the property owner’s site. This type of search is called a reverse image search.

1. Visit images.google.com (you’ll note a little camera in the search bar)
2. On your computer, click the image you want to search for. While holding down the mouse, drag the image into the search box (You may also right-click to find it’s URL)
3. Click on sites that do not have OTAs websites like Airbnb, VRBO in their URLs

Learn more here.

Do a Keyword Search-

What if you didn’t find a home on the OTA you liked or the owner didn’t list with Vrbo?

1. First, before you start, make a list of important, relevant topics based on what you know about your holiday location and what you want in a vacation property:
   -City or town where you want to vacation
   -Type of building: Condo, house, lodge, cabin, villa
   -Number of guests in your group including babies and small children
   -Number of pets and type: dog, cat
   -Dates for your trip: Fixed or flexible
   -Specific amenities you want or need: ADA accessible, hot tub, linens, other
   These terms and descriptions form your keyword list.
   
2. Now all you need to do is follow the search procedure as above using a combination of your keyword terms and phrases that describe those topics in the list above.
3. As you refine your search you may discover other related terms that will help you narrow your selections helping you find the perfect location.

Once you have your search results listed, scroll beyond any listings from OTAs This may mean moving on to the next page as the OTAs crowd on the first page.

Save Money with Loyalty Programs and Email/Membership List

As you discover owners who book directly we recommend you join their mailing list. Many owners also provide a loyalty program. For instance, Abalone  Bay’s Inner Circle newsletters inform you of exciting events and news for The Sea Ranch, surrounding”Mendonoma” area (Sonoma & Mendocino coastal region), and of course, special offers for your next holiday at Abalone Bay. Our Inner Circle members are the first to learn of newly released dates, receive special return booking codes for even deeper discounts!

Get Out Your Contacts and Call

Have you previously stayed at a vacation rental you really enjoyed?

Then it’s time to give them a call!

They may be able to book you directly through their own personal listing. But make certain they indeed have a direct booking system, not one through the OTAs. 

Check with your friends and ask for their recommendations for past holiday stays. They may have direct contact with the owners.

Contact Vacation Owners You Know

Wish to try a different location this holiday? Contact the owners of vacation properties, you’re familiar with to help you locate others with direct listings of their vacation rentals. You would be amazed at how widespread our professional connections are.

Last Steps… For Security’s Sake

The last step is to make certain your search results are indeed legitimate and safe. Once you have located a potential vacation rental business site look for evidence that they either manage or own the property such as:

• email address
• phone number
• statements they actually do own/manage the property (usually found in “contact us” or “about us” page)

You may discover that when you explore a vacation property owner’s site closer not only are you saving on the OTAs guest service fees, they also offer special discounts.

Be Doubly Certain

Still, you’ll want to be doubly certain that any unfamiliar vacation home is a reputable one. Do that by searching them further online.

• Look for other sites they have, their social media outlets, and other indications they are really who they say they are.
• Then check their reviews on their website and other review sites such as TripAdvisor, Yelp (remember not to book through those sites or you will once again face paying guest service fees).
• Next, check closely that their amenities listings truly are to your liking and meets your needs.
• Lastly, give them a call or email.  Ask them about specifics on their property.

This way you’ll be confident that they are who they are.

A Bonus Feature

Once you’re connected with the owner you can also ask them for insider tips about experiences and events not-to-be-missed.

By booking directly with the owner of your favorite vacation rental property you save money that is better spent taking your family to local attractions, dining, or saving for next year’s vacation!

Now- Be sure to share this article with your friends and family so they too may save money!

Read more:

Vacation Rental Booking Savings in 2016

 

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