Vacationers choose homes over hotels - from The Orlando Sentinel

Orlando Florida Vacations Guide from David & Fran's Orlando Lakefront Villa
Closest to Disney! 5-bed Lakefront Rental Home with Fabulous Resort Facilities

More tourists opt for cheaper accommodations in houses and condos


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Enjoy visiting Florida, and stay at our luxury 5-bed 5-bath Orlando Lakefront Villa with private pool and spa, on the lake at  the Windsor Hills resort near to Walt Disney World in Florida.
 

Only 2 miles to Walt Disney World main gate, and within easy reach of Universal Studios and Sea World, our luxury lakefront villa home is close to family restaurants and shopping. With all the facilities of a vacation resort, our lakefront villa is a great place for a family vacation in Orlando.
 

Laze in the private pool and spa of our villa on the lakefront, overlooking the lake and conservation area. Relax in the comfort of our luxury villa with two master bedrooms, three twin bedrooms, and all the conveniences of home. Our luxury pool home lakefront villa accommodates family groups of 4 - 10 in comfort.

 

 

Vacationers choose homes over hotels.
More tourists opt for cheaper accommodations in houses and condos.

Some of the hottest vacation accommodations in Central Florida are hiding in plain view, cloaked so completely in the commonplace that they are in a sense invisible.

Thousands of single-family homes, town houses and condominiums clustered in newly built subdivisions near Walt Disney World are in fact vacation homes available for short-term rental. They cater to economy-minded group travelers who can save hundreds of dollars in hotel bills by renting an entire home instead of a number of adjacent rooms.

In the past two decades, vacation rentals have moved from the fringes of the region's lodging industry to its mainstream. The Central Florida Property Managers Association, which represents rental agencies, estimates that there are now 20,000 to 25,000 rental properties in Polk, Osceola, Orange and Lake counties, most clustered near the theme parks.

"We like to call it a cottage industry, no pun intended," said Ted Garrod, Osceola County Zoning and Code Enforcement director. "It started as an unregulated business 15 years ago and has grown to include 205 communities at last count."

More and more such short-term rentals are in the market. Garrod said that almost every new subdivision near Disney World now includes at least a section of vacation rentals.

Britons helped launch the industry in Florida. Renting vacation homes is far more common in Europe than in the United States, but management companies say Americans are catching on. The business is young, and like many new enterprises, it is far from consolidated.

Osceola and Polk counties have special zoning for rental subdivisions. There are whole neighborhoods in Osceola and Polk that are composed entirely of rental homes. Many are packed with bedrooms, most with baths and televisions. A lot of people today want the privacy of their own pool, and you can't get that at a hotel.

Kendall Griffin of Chicago rented a vacation home in Kissimmee this month. "Our experience is wonderful," said Griffin, who shared the house with his girlfriend and two other couples. "Cost is the main reason -- it's a lot cheaper than renting hotel rooms. And the communities are clean and safe. And you don't have to go out and eat every night."

Houses and condos that rent for four days or more typically are fully outfitted. It's all about what average customers can get for their money. You can rent a vacation home for an amount similar to a hotel room, but you get a whole house with a pool. That has an appeal.

from The Orlando sentinel, 16 Jan 2007 by Christopher Boyd