Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
who ends up renting a home, you'll save 10 percent on your next visit. All of his
homes are smokefree, and no pets are allowed.
For those looking for a slightly more upscale, decor-forward choice,
Las Vegas
Retreats
(
%
888/887-0951 or 702/966-2761; www.lasvegasretreats.com)
has the
goods. “We've gotten extremely selective,” says Linda Logan, co-owner. “The
homes need to be in a safe, beautiful neighborhood, and the property must be
clean, bright, and airy. We want people to walk in and have the first impression
be one of, `Wow, this is great.' And if you think Pottery Barn and West Elm are
the be-all and end-all in home goods, you'll probably agree. One example, a two-
bedroom condo located at the southern end of Las Vegas Boulevard, has leather
furniture, deep pile carpeting, and a high-definition plasma TV in the family
room. With two queen beds and a queen-sized sleeper sofa, there's room for up to
six people. Guests get access to the complex's community pools, fitness center, and
tennis courts. The condo rents for $249 per night ($169 Sun-Wed), which is
about $100 more than you would pay for the basic, two-person room at the
Hilton Garden Inn down the block, but those are meant for couples not sextets.
If you're willing to move further out into suburbia, Logan has a number of
attractively appointed family homes with as many as five bedrooms. Most of the
homes include pools, spas, sunken tubs in the bathrooms, and top-of-the-line
kitchen appliances. Pillow-top mattresses are de rigueur as are sheets that always
have a thread count of 250 or more, combination locks on the door (ideal for
large groups), pools in every backyard, and a thorough inspection of each prop-
erty before use. Free local and long-distance phone service is also included. Upon
arrival you'll also find a welcome basket, which typically includes soft drinks,
salted nuts, chips, and salsa. “It's just so people don't get off the plane and get to
the house and have nothing,” Logan explained.
Her price point is a bit higher than Kerhaw's, though not for the larger houses,
so compare and contrast the two when you're looking.
The other two major players in town are
Southwest Management
(
%
702/
871-5177; www.southwestmanagementgroupinc.com)
and
Housing Helpers
(
%
877/752-5452 or 702/456-7368; www.housinghelpers.com),
but neither Emily
nor I can comment on their properties as they didn't return our calls. I don't know
if I can ascribe that to poor service or to the fact that these companies are trying
to hide the fact that they arrange vacation rentals. As I said earlier, there is a law
on the topics forbidding this sort of rental. I guess that makes these companies
nervous even though ever this law is never enforced; thousands of people rent
short-term homes in Vegas each year, and vacation rentals are common through-
out the United States.
Many Vegas visitors also turn to the Internet's direct-from-owner sites such as:
u
Vacation Rental By Owner (www.vrbo.com)
u
Cyberrentals (www.cyberrentals.com)
u
Great Rentals (www.greatrentals.com)
u
A1 Vacations (www.a1vacations.com)
u
Rentalo (www.rentalo.com)
Though prices will sometimes be lower at these sites (as there's no commission
involved) and the variety of choices is infinitely greater, there are some risks to
booking over the Web in this way. The homes will not be vetted, as there is no
