"It's much easier to have it all if you're not doing it all alone. Your spouse should be doing just as much with the kids and house as you are. Although if you can afford it, hire someone to clean your house. It's hard enough to keep the house straight let alone finding the time to really clean."
- Tracey K., Chicago, IL

Join the discussions at the WML blog. You can also create a free profile to share your own ideas, tips and resources with other working moms.




Planning to rent a Vacation Villa in Florida?
by John Macrea, 3/8/2008

Villa rentals are increasingly popular as family accommodation during a visit to the world's number one vacation destination; Florida! And this is no surprise. It’s like a home away from home. Florida villas (as opposed to condos) are normal family homes with 3, 4 or more bedrooms. They usually include a kitchen, a pool, a family room and separate dining area. A garage, laundry and other facilities are also included.

Benefits of a Florida villa rental.

The benefits of a Florida villa rental are huge. Normally, Florida Villa Rentals are priced at the same or much less than a Disney Resort room! That said, they are often so close to Disney that you can see the nightly fireworks from the pool deck! They certainly have much more space than the average resort hotel room! That's space that allows a family to spread out and have their own personal space. Much more than that, a Florida villa rental has its own pool to enjoy in private!

Another benefit of Florida villa rental is that there is a fully equipped kitchen available. Special meals for babies and young kids can easily be prepared; drinks can be chilled in the refrigerator. From these seemingly small advantages, it is possible to make big savings, since food and drinks in parks are really expensive. A drink in a park is sometimes over $2.50. With 4 people drinking only 4 drinks a day, you could save $280 in a week when you have the facilities of a villa rental.

Furthermore, a great benefit of renting a villa in Florida is the free internet access that often is thrown in. Guests can keep in touch with the office if necessary without the extra costs. Hotels often charge $10 or more per day for access.

How to find the right villa?

There a number of things to look out for when choosing a Florida villa rental. First of all, look out for someone that deals only with private villa owners who do not rent to wholesalers. Many villas are rented through management agencies to large holiday companies from all over the world. These companies pay low rates to the villa owners (but charge high rates to clients). This means that the villas get heavy traffic without the income to maintain them to a good standard.

Secondly, always ask villa owners when their photos were last updated. Often they have never been updated since the villa was new! This will help ensure that what you see is what you get! Note that a brand new villa is not automatically the best choice. More established neighborhoods are friendlier and mature. They often have great features that you would have to spend much more for in a new resort.

Then, take careful note also of the bed layout! Don't just choose by the number of bedrooms! A bigger villa is not necessarily more expensive. Some villa owners will allow small parties to occupy the villa and offer a reduced price to reflect the smaller number of rooms used! This means you can enjoy even more luxury in your Florida villa rental for less.

And last but not least, don’t forget to ask if the rental owner can offer reduced price tickets for the attractions. Many private Florida vacation rental villa owners do also special incentives like delivery of tickets to your villa after you arrive.

So in summary there are many advantages of staying at a villa rental for a Florida vacation. Florida villa rentals are excellent value for money, they provide ample space for guests to have some privacy and be at ease. Once you have spent a vacation in a Florida villa rental, you will never want to go on a hotel vacation again.

About the Author

John Macrea runs and owns the website: More-Vacation-Rentals.com. He also is the owner of private villa rentals in Florida. More Vacation Rentals deals only with private Florida villa rental owners who do not rent to wholesalers.

 





pia t., pasig city
Kid(s): jasmina
Occupation: agent
Best Quick Tip for Working Moms: "divide your time to all your work."
 
Kristin G., Minneapolis, MN
Kid(s): Grady
Occupation: Business Analyst
Best Quick Tip for Working Moms: "Do your job well so that the time away from your child is worth every moment. And leave your work at work if possible. Or work AFTER bedtime so you can get every possible second with your child that you can."
 

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 Digital Camera
This digital camera is on my wish list this year! It is easy to use, compact and full of features. 12.1 megapixel, HD movie and wide angle lense are what sold me! Check it out »
 
Canon PowerShot SX20IS Digital Camera
With a 20x wide-angle zoom, the 12.1-megapixel PowerShot SX20 IS offers intelligent, versatile shooting power. You can even shoot stunning HD movies! Check it out »
 
Apple iPod touch 64 GB
iPod touch has plenty of games, video, and music to spice up your workout or just to enjoy. Check it out »