Originally posted by Madonna del Piatto: I know this is a silly detail, but I avoid all places where I see no reading lights close to the beds.
My reasoning is that if they do not even bother with this basic confort, then they do not bother with the rest.
If I am not sure,I ask them.
Actually I thought there was some kind of law against reading in bed in Italy.
This is a cultural thing. Most italians don't have reading lights by the side of the bed.
After renting multiple times through VRBO my warning sign is cutesy name. Captain's cottage, Hacienda del soul for example. Translation is falling apart furniture, bugs, and either hotter than the hinges of hades in the summer or colder than the Arctic in the winter.
Pictures can tell you a great deal. If the sofa is covered with somekind of throw I don't even bother. Also kitchen chairs, if they are just folding chairs it is a warning sign. And if the only seating is a futon - ciao baby. You don't realize just how much time you do spend in a rental. Particularly if the weather is lousy. Admittedly the place in Rome we rent just has a futon but Tom is OK with it and I just sit in my wheelchair.
Calendar - as an owner I gotta admit - I am not the greatest about putting my bookings on my calendar. Additionally we don't rent in the summer so anyone looking would think that I have no bookings when actually I don't want any bookings.
Also this year - I gotta tell you the economy sucks. We have only 2 rentals so far this year. Usually we book solid through February and March. And a lot of people don't write reviews. VRBO does allow owners to remove negative reviews but I would keep a review that said "needs more drinking glasses" or "would have preferred more chairs in dining room".
While we are on the topic - I'd appreciate people looking at my listing and telling me what they think I could do that would improve it.
This is a cultural thing. Most italians don't have reading lights by the side of the bed.
May I disagree: most italian rentals don't have reading lights by the side of the bed.
This is like the shower curtain/Shower cabin myth: most Italians do not have shower curtains.
What people does at their homes has often nbothing to do with what property owners/innkeepers do for/against their guests.
Of course it might be that you know a few people in Italy that do not have bedside lamps, I can assure you that I know lots who do. Even my parents who never read in bed had reading lights in the early '60! and shower cabin for as long as I can remember.
Absolutely!!! I suppose when you furnish a house where you do not live, you end up forgetting stuff. We have reading lights both at home and at the rentals. And extra pillows, otherwise reading in bed is painful! ...I like reading in bed... had you figured!?
I think one important question is whether or not a rental is also a vacation home for the owners, or simply a rental. I suspect a second home would avoid many of the issues folks here have been complaining about (overlooking the dump, etc) and is likely to have more of the creature comforts travelers tend to look for than a "pure" rental.
Pictures can tell you a great deal. If the sofa is covered with somekind of throw I don't even bother.
I think this is a bit of a harsh judgement! Have you ever tried cleaning melted chocolate off cream covers? I put throws on (perfectly clean) sofas in order that people can relax a bit more and it is so much easier to wash throws than the entire sofa, especially if there is a tight turnaround. Those visitors who know they look after things and won't have spills can take them off if they don't like 'the look'. They will find pristine covers underneath.
ummmmmm...I don't have reading lights buy my bed at my primary home in the US...never, ever thought I wasa in the minority (!) it's not that I never read in bed...but I just use the normal cielinig light and don't really think anything of it...so...on that note...never thought to put 'em in my VR either really...
although...must say..the BIG PROBLEM with BOTH homes is that they are OLD - my house here was built in the 1800s...in Italy, it dates back to the middle ages - although, no clue when the actual structure that is there now was constructed...a while ago though ;-) so...the problem is, when you live in old homes, there ARE NO PLUGS near the beds always...so...would have to run a cord accross the room (!) (in my US home, there is actually no plug at all in my entire dining room...annoys the you-know-what out of me)Electicity and plumbing work is fairly major when you have to go through big, honkin' stone walls (!)
will happily bring over clip-on-the-book-type lights for guests ;-) 'casue can't think of another solution (although, to some - like me I guess - not a real hardship...you can just reach over and turn off the over-head light from the switch next to the bed)
Anyway...my point :-) I guess is what others have said...there will always be compromises...depends what is important to you and what you are willing to be flexible about...and certainly waht you are not!
(but, persoanlly, would not think an owner is uncaring in any way, shape or form if they didn't have bedside lamps! would not even enter my head)
but, personally, would not think an owner is uncaring in any way, shape or form if they didn't have bedside lamps! would not even enter my head
Musetta, I did mention it was a silly item but I have seen endless pictures of rentals or guesthouses that present really bare rooms, in fact the bedroom has hardly any furniture except the bed and may be a cabinet, not even a chair where to put one's clothes. Every time I try to rent something on the seaside here in Italy I see hundreds of those rooms and they are not inviting.
If I rent something with a bedroom I do not want to camp. I do not need a four poster bed and not even a splendid view, I have plenty at home, but a bit of decent lighting is basic confort.
For me the bedisde lamp is a must because while on holidays I might want to read for a couple more hours while my husband ( and if it is a hotel room my daughter) might want to sleep. This is not so easy with the ceiling lamp glaring on everybody. I think this must be a pretty common need, in addition to the fact that only one person might wake up in the middle of the night and be faced with the choice of either waking up everybody with the central lamp or stumble in the dark to the bathroom.
As for old buildings, I am sure there are solutions to bring electricity to the beds. We live in a 500 years old house and all our beds have side lamps plus one central lamp in the room and two lamps in the bathroom, one central and one over the mirror.
Of course this is my humble opinion and it is not intended to detract from the efforts that one might have made to put together a rental.
Interesting discussion about lights by the bed. I don't read in bed, but my husband likes to. The light annoys me and therefore I deliberately don't have reading lights by the bed at home in CA or Venice! But Letizia has presented a clear and compelling argument... and so I'm putting reading lights on my rental to-buy list.
I agree that strictly vacation rentals can be a bit spartan. Second homes tend to have little extras; we've left things like a good hair dryer, plug adaptors, a sewing kit, first aid basics, and so on. You have to strike a balance between unwelcome personal clutter and usefulness.
Linda, I agree totally with you! There is a fine line between personal comfort supplies and what some might think of as clutter.
Personally, I like all of the little things...needles and thread, waxed paper/tin foil/plastic wrap...that kind of thing. It's not clutter to me, it represents comfort to me. "Just in case I need it"...that kind of thing.
I own 3 condos that I rent out, and they are loaded with everything possible that I'd like in a rental...some of the features are: Wireless internet Satellite TV service All linens, bed/bath/kitchen with good quality linens, 400 thread count sheets and lots of everything Appliances, both large and small...bought a blender for one guy, no one has used it since! Liquid hand soap in every sink area, plus lots of extras underneath the sinks in the vanities All paper products possible Starter kit of food in the fridge and staples in the cupboards Litres of bottled spring water in the fridge and more stored in the pantry Post-it notes, pens, pencils, rulers...all those goodies.
I'm also totally open to anything the tenants want...I had a guy ask for a chair in the bedroom for him to hang his clothes on. I had provided a wall-to-wall closet with closet organizer and scads of hangers, as well as a clothes butler in the corner. BUT, he said he likes to hang his clothes over a straight-back kitchen chair, so I gave him one! I think, "Why not?" If it makes him more comfortable, why ever not?
My tenants are immensely happy with their lush, deluxe homes-away-from-home, and that's what matters to me. It's not about whether I think it's necessary to have this or that...if the renter thinks it's necessary, it is! To him or her.
There are vast differences in our many and varied customs, cultures and locations, and I rent to many people from many different countries who are here on a consulting or educational basis in the oil and gas industry...the most important thing I try to do is to give the client what they need to make them comfortable while they are staying in my condos. The feedback I get tells me that they are more than happy...and when they aren't, I do what I can to provide. Can't do more than that!
“On vacations, we hit the sunny beaches where we occupy ourselves keeping the sun off our skin, the saltwater off our bodies, and the sand out of our belongings.” ~ Erma Bombeck Brenda
but I just use the normal cielinig light and don't really think anything of it...so...on that note...never thought to put 'em in my VR either really...
The older you get the more light you needs for reading and close work. The ceiling light used to be sufficient for me also. as for the throws on the sofa, they don't bother me. I am Ms Clutz and am always spilling something. A cream sofa might actually make me nervous
Posts: 4355 | Location: St Paul, MN | Registered: 10 February 2006
but I just use the normal cielinig light and don't really think anything of it...so...on that note...never thought to put 'em in my VR either really...
The older you get the more light you needs for reading and close work. The ceiling light used to be sufficient for me also.
ahh - will keep that in mind :-)
BTW - I didn't mean to suggest it was silly or unimportant...just that it had never occured to me before (!) which, probably IS silly :-) but...as for this : quote: Originally posted by Madonna del Piatto: "I know this is a silly detail, but I avoid all places where I see no reading lights close to the beds.
My reasoning is that if they do not even bother with this basic confort, then they do not bother with the rest."
have to disagree - I care very much about basic comfort...and I'm sure there are plenty of other owners who do with or without bedside lamps (and those who really don't bother with comforts even though they DO have bedside lamps) OTOH...if it raises flags for some people and keeps 'em away from rentals without...more availbilty for me I guess ;-)
As for adding outlets...of COURSE it can easily be done..for a price...however, obviously, in my own home here I wouldn't bother becasue it doesn't bother me and I'm the only one who lives here ;-) and for our vacation home...everything is relative...dosen't bother ME when I'm there...and if I paid to have new outlets, would have to raise the weekly price, so...some things are nice and certainly wanted...but just not realistic. Obviouosly, if it is an important feature, someone would not stay in my place (and that's ok too!).
I still don't think it is something that is a "warning sign" of a fishy scam (or just icky) vacation rental.
I always want to see one of those good 2-3 dimensional maps highlighting exactly where the accommodation is, particularly in cities. Then you know where you are with transport etc. In large cities such as Paris I like to be within a short walk to the metro because it is the best and easiest way of getting around. Also by being near a metro you can be a bit further out from the high cost tourist areas and save a lot of money far better spent on seeing the attractions rather than a fancy room. Also a good agency will highlight the facilities close by such as shops, eating etc.
A suggestion for Rome Addict with his calendar problem is to mark off the summer weeks you use yourself so they are obviously unavailable and also give the impression of high bookings.
Posts: 391 | Location: Melbourne, Australia | Registered: 16 January 2007
I still don't think it is something that is a "warning sign" of a fishy scam (or just icky) vacation rental.
Musetta, you are absolutely right and in fact I apologize if I gave you the impression that I thought that the lack of reading lights was a sign of a fishy treatment. Not at all.
What I meant is based on my experience with a variety of accommodation not only in Italy, but in several other countries. After extensive traveling I have observed a correlation with the lack of bedside lamps and the lack of other basic confort in the room. That's all and no offense is meant to anyone who has a lovely rental but no reading lamps!
This has been a really interesting thread. One thing I haven't seen mentioned in this thread is one of my keys to picking rental properties.....pictures of the bath rooms. I don't mind small bath rooms, and when deciding between properties that are equal in other respects, I will generally pick the one that has pictures of the bath rooms over one that doesn't.
Maybe this thread should be split into two: - warning signs of lying-cheating rental websites, and - what info we like to find on a website that an advertiser often omits, for whatever reason.
Originally posted by Fibonacci: is one of my keys to picking rental properties.....pictures of the bath rooms. I don't mind small bath rooms, and when deciding between properties that are equal in other respects, I will generally pick the one that has pictures of the bath rooms over one that doesn't. Bill
very interesting - I was JUST adding my listing to a large rental site today...and one of the FIRST things they say in their "tips" is:
"DO NOT SHOW a photo of the bathroom and toilet"(!) ha! maybe they should read this thread ;-) anyway...I have one on my own site...so..hopefully interested people look there anyway for more info. - but would explain why you do not see bathroom shots on most of the listing sites.
Letizia - none taken ;-) actuallly it wasa realy good to know how important they are to people (!)and should be moved up the priority list where possible to add!!
"Maybe this thread should be split into two: - warning signs of lying-cheating rental websites, and - what info we like to find on a website that an advertiser often omits, for whatever reason."
I agree.
As a vacation home/rental owner, I am interested in both concepts. We are always trying to make our place in Casperia more comfortable for our guests (as well as ourselves) and it helps to know what people (i) expect and (ii) would like. We don't want to accidently turn anyone off, either, so I'd like to know what those of you think on that score as well.
When we were deciding what we wanted in our apartment, we had rented a nuumber of places in Tuscany and Umbria over the years, so we felt we had a good handle on whatwe wanted and what our renters would want: reading lights (we fall into the can't go without them category); a well-equipped kitchen where you would feel comfortable cooking most anything you felt inclined to cook (only complaint so far has been the absence of a knife sharpener, and that will be rectified when we are there next month); and a LARGE shower that doesn't make it a contortionists nightmare to pick up a dropped bar of soap). We have a photo of our bathroom on the web site because we think it is a selling point.
We want to be comfortable while we are there, and there's no reason for our guests not to feel the same. That's the reson for my earlier comment about whether or not the rental is only a rental or if the owners also use it. I have found that makes a big difference.
On the topic of warning signs, I really would like others to expound on their experiences.
Chris, Here are a few of my experiences that made me feel like I was renting the best place on earth!
1. Florence apartment...fell in love with it on the web, better by a country mile in reality. Bright sunny rooms that were clean-clean-clean Loaded with bed linens and lush towels for the bathroom Starter kit of food in the pantry and fridge...bottled water, bread, jam, pasta and sauce and all the little things like salt and pepper, sugar, condiments. Good kitchen set-up, sharp knives, excellent pots and pans, dishes and cutlery. My contact was amazing...picked me up at the airport, gave me a good tour of the apartment and neighbourhood, answered all of my questions. He also provided me with complimentary museum tickets, booked my train to Pisa and helped me with everything that mattered.
2. Paris apartment...fell in love with the apartment on the web, better again by far than the website. Brand new rental, all shiny and clean, fresh paint, new dishes, towels, linens... Starter kit of food in fridge and cupboards...jams, packaged soups, bowl of fresh fruit on the kitchen counter, bottle of wine in the fridge...nice! My contact was also excellent. She was ill with a really bad 'flu, so we never met in person, but she was available by phone, like a trouper. She arranged a few extra days for me in the apartment when I needed to stay longer because of a theft, and no charge for them, either.
3. Rome apartment...loved the website and the reviews on Slowtrav. Better by far in person..a gorgeous rental. Immaculate apartment, clean as a new penny, loaded with thick, fleecy white towels and spotless bed linens. Kitchen had a good starter kit of basics, a huge basket of local information about restaurants and cafes, bus schedules, shopping. The contact arranged transportation to and from the airport for a reduced rate, met us at the apartment, gave us an introductory tour of the apartment and the neighbourhood and a cell phone so we could make local calls or call her if needed.
4. Venice apartment...loved the website and had a personal recommendation by a friend who had stayed at another apartment listed on this site. Huge apartment overlooking the canal, only 2 doors down from a gorgeous supermercato/deli and a block from a good restaurant. A very ordinary apartment with a small terrace. Kitchen had full fridge, stove and a good selection of dishes, pots and pans. Bedrooms were good, one very small with an ok bed, the other with very comfortable queen bed. Bathtowels were linen variety...I'd rather have had terry towels, but these did the job. The contact was wonderful to work with, helpful beyond the beyond, answered all of my questions.
Hope this is what you are looking for, when you asked for more feedback on my experiences in rentals, Chris!
“Actually, this seems to be the basic need of the human heart in nearly every great crisis - a good hot cup of coffee.” ~ Alexander King Brenda
While we are on the topic - I'd appreciate people looking at my listing and telling me what they think I could do that would improve it.
OK, since nobody did, I will take the courage and answer. Mary, I think you have a very nice ad with a detailed description of your property, things to do in the area and plenty pictures.
I guess that you have taken the pictures yourself beacuse there are no funny angles and they show exactly what one needs to see.
These picurers for me are completely adequate, but I think that having pictures with natural ligh and possibly sunlight in the rooms would be a better selling point than having several pictures with artificial lights on.
When people looks for holidays in the sun they want to have the feeling of sunny places everywhere!
I have been struggling myself with this for a long time as I only have time to take pictures of my rooms in the winter! I have a very nice living room area, but I cannot render it with good pictures because of the odd way natural light gets into it.
While we are on the topic - I'd appreciate people looking at my listing and telling me what they think I could do that would improve it.
I missed this. Unfortunately, it's also bordering on a business discussion.
I would suggest that any of our rental owners who are interested in feedback on their sites, to contact the members they feel may be able to provide such feedback privately via e-mail or Private Message.
I'd also like to thank everyone who provided their insights into vacation rental website warning signs. I'm going to start the article this weekend. Will let you know when it's completed.
WOW--caught this thread by accident and did not realize that some of my comments about another post had set the cat among the pigeons as they say-- most comments much more astute than mine which echo most I read...
I find I read the photos first--don't even bother with the copy except for specific info that I want to know--I don't need to be SOLD a rental--and so try to avoid all that hyperbolic send up...I am much more likely to go for HONEST than ADVERT if you know what I mean...
The size of photos--and I prefer a larger size of photo like 3x5 vs 2x3 is usually predetermined by how the web site itself is constructed since posters usually have a formatted page to add their copy/photos to-- How the photos are taken can affect how they are pasted/posted into the listing site--- I think that older photos (and you can almost date some of them) is a dead giveaway that you will find the actual rental that dated--dingy, worn, probably not that clean. For people to say they will post new photos soon is just a giveaway that they don't want to show things haven't changed...
Mismatched furniture, futon bed--hate them--even as couches--no photos w/natural light or with open windows--try to avoid those--
Something I think to take into account is that people who are not doing this for a business--i.e. someone who is perhaps renting out a single condo as an individual and listing it on VRBO or another owner-site vs an owner with one or several extra condos as investments who uses an agency rental site might not be as "glossy" or upscale with production values but might be the better landlord during an actual rental situation==because they have only one chick to watch over. I am sure there are exceptions to that idea on both sides.
