Home Away from Home
Visiting the beach is always fun, but staying in a hotel has its ups and downs. Depending on the size of your family and how long you want to stay at the Jersey Shore, hotels don’t always work for everyone. But thanks to rental sites like Airbnb and VRBO, there are more options than ever for places to stay at the Jersey Shore.
Renting a house can be more relaxing than staying in a hotel since you have a lot more privacy. Having a whole house for just your family, instead of just a room in a hotel, makes everything less stressful. It also gives you the opportunity to cook meals, which can save money, and have your own game or movie nights after a fun day at the beach. Houses also accommodate more people than hotel rooms, so you can plan a big family get-together. Some houses even have extra amenities like pools, movie rooms, or pool tables. Home sharing sites have made the process of renting homes so easy, so why not look into it?
The best part about home-sharing sites and rentals is that there is a perfect house for everyone. Sites offer options for renting a room in a house, which is perfect for couples on a budget, or renting an entire house, which makes family vacations easy. Houses can range from $150 a night and a short walk to the beach, to $1,500 a night and right on the boardwalk. There’s massive mansions for rent as well as charming beach cottages, so there is always the perfect match for any group of travelers.
When booking on a rental share site, there’s a few things to keep in mind. Since you are on vacation, there usually is a cleaning service that will tidy up the house for you when you’re ready to leave. Most of the time, this means there’s a cleaning fee when you rent a home. Make sure to look at the fees the owner will charge you before booking a rental. If you want to bring a pet, that’s another place a fee can be charged. Reading the fine print before booking is a must to make sure you’re not unknowingly charged for something.
Another tip is to read the reviews of the host or the house. Most sites allow people to leave reviews if they’ve stayed in a house. These are the best way to see if the house really matches the pictures you’re seeing. There might be helpful comments there as well, like if the host is available in case of emergencies. Reviewers are giving their honest opinions of what it was like to stay in a house, so it’s a great resource for doing some research.
One final tip is to make sure to read all of the information provided on the listing before booking and again before going to your rental. It will contain all important info, like what time you can check in or whether there’s parking passes provided. Sometimes owners provide guests with info packets once they book and put down a deposit, but other times the info on the listing page is all you get. Info there can help you avoid vacation disasters, like forgetting to bring linens (most rentals don’t provide them), not having K-cups for the Keurig in the house, or not knowing about a special policy the renter might have.
When you’re ready to book a place to stay at the shore, renting a home could be a better option than a hotel for your family. Do some research on home-sharing sites before picking a hotel and keep your options open. There are plenty of homes to rent at all of the New Jersey beaches, but they tend to fill up fast (especially for summer months), so get looking today!