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The Good Life at Packwood White Pass

By Veronica Garten
Published: 12/27/10 Topics: Comments: 0

Of course I am prejudiced. Having lived in the city for a long time I knew what I was getting into.

I let my hair down here! Timberline Chateau

In July of 2010 I moved lock stock and barrel to the small town of Packwood in south central Washington State, just outside the entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park. My new job was to be manager of the Chateau Timberline Hotel, then being taken over by my company Sunspot Resorts.

The entire area has a population of just about 1,000 smiling people. And my new abode is located about 4 miles East. Drive another 10 miles and you find the newly expanded ski resort of White Pass. It has always been a wonderful but hidden destination for winter outdoor sports. Now with 700 acres of new terrain and 500 additional vertical feet the secret is out.

All around town the mountains jut skyward making visitors feel like they are in the deep valleys of the Swiss alps. Mount Rainier seemingly hangs over the town as a constant companion. Most morning I am greeted by an elk herd that frequents my front lawn. There is something about their calm countenance that makes me smile.

In summer the weather can be sunny and hot. Outdoor and backroad activities are constant. In winter snow comes sporadically to the valley and always to White Pass.

Packwood is located at the intersection of US Highway 12 and Gifford Pinchot National Forest Road 52 called Skate Creek. Driving up and over that road to the village of Ashford is a trip back into time. Deep forest, high mountain bogs and almost no traffic.

Packwood is located between Mount Rainier National Park to the north and Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument to the south. Tatoosh Wilderness, Goat Rocks Wilderness, and William O. Douglas Wilderness are to the north, southeast, and northeast respectively, all surrounded by the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

The town is situation in the upper Cowlitz river valley, just downstream of the confluence of the Clear and Muddy forks of the Cowlitz. It was first established as Sulphur Springs but later renamed in honor of William Packwood, a Virginian pioneer and explorer of Oregon and Washington.

Along with James Longmire, the two were assigned by the Washington Territorial Legislature to chart a pass over the Cascade Mountains, after several delegates to the first legislative session were killed going over the mountains elsewhere.

Perhaps the best part of living in Packwood is that its not Seattle, not Portland and not even Olympia or Yakima. The highway provides a steady but sometimes slow stream of travelers most of whom stop in Packwood for gasoline or meals.

In the Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends the town hosts the largest flea markets in the Northwest, a big boost for tourism and the local merchants. (PackwoodFleamarkets.com)). The affair is a curious blend of unorganized chaos and confusion with vendors setting up so densely on the highway that traffic can be backed up for miles.

Packwood is unincorporated and has no mayor or city council. The local Destination Packwood tourism group (DestinationPackwood.com) promotes the area but even they don't oversee the markets which disappear as fast as they arrived on the last day. It may be the Northwest's last true unorganized festival.

Of course Packwood is served by all the technology you might like from hundreds of cable TV channels to high speed Internet. But much of that seems superfluous to me now as I oversee the hotel and settle into the kind of laid back and in touch life style that I have longed for over the years.

It could happen elsewhere I suppose, but for guests who want to get close to nature, enjoy the seasons and yet be an easy driving distance from the major metropolitan areas, Packwood is a favorite spot. And now its one of mine. I can't imagine living anywhere else.

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Author: Veronica Garten, Packwood Sunspot
Blog #: 0164 – 12/27/10

Bill Gates' Favorite Burger Joint

By William May
Published: 12/01/10 Topics: Comments: 0

Over the decades there have been numerous stories here in the Northwest U.S. about how the favorite restaurant of Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, was an old fashioned burger stand not far from Microsoft's campus.

You might like it too.

University District Burger Master

Learning From The past

Based on its altered construction, Burger Master looks like it was once a "Happy Day's" type car hop joint from an era well before my day. You remember Happy Days, the icon of 50's cliché, with Ritchie, Potsie, Ralph, Joanie and of course the Fonze.

I'm not sure if Burger Master had roller skating carhops long ago but maybe.

About 10 miles west of Bill's Burger Master there is another Burger Master just off the University of Washington Campus. Its been there so long, that the carhop motif was stripped away decades ago, leaving it with a big handy parking lot and a menu more like a diner than a burger joint.

I found myself driving past one morning recently and, having missed breakfast, rolled in to see what they serve at that hour of the day. I entered a time warp.

The menu behind the counter was to be expected. But when I chose the eggs dish I was sent back in time. The clerk said, "How would you like your eggs?" I was immediately suspicious of the question.

They don't ask you what kind of eggs you want at McDonalds, "Scrambled?" I guessed.

The clerk was a well dressed 55 year old man. The cooks were adults and there wasn't a teenager in sight. Nothing against kids, but the owner of Burger Master was paying these employees a real wage. Huh.

"And would you like Ham, Bacon or Sausage?"

Another trick question, you don't hear at McDonalds. "Link sausage," I said quickly in case he would remember that offering customers a choice wasn't normal.

"And to drink?" Ok here we are on normal ground. "Coffee, orange juice, tea?

"You have tea?" I mussed.

"Earl Gray, Darjeeling, English Breakfast, Chamomile... "

I cut him off, "Earl Gray please."

"Toast, Pancakes, Cinnamon Roll, or . . . "

I cut him off again, "Do you have biscuits".

"Two biscuits. How would you like your hash browns?"

"Crispy. No make it extra Crispy."

"Can do," he said. You won't hear from a teenage clerk at McDonalds. "That will be hash browns, link sausage, scrambled eggs, biscuits and tea."

Burger Master Breakfast

And Service Too

I must have been looking uncomfortable, because he said, "We'll bring it to you, sir." Now it was really getting weird. Sir he called me. The price was only a bit more than McDonald's. I'm suspicious. I'll bet they'll even want a tip too. And in a burger joint.

The dining room was very large and very clean with big windows. I grabbed the free newspaper ($1.00 at McDonald's) and crawled into a booth. Before I got through the first page, the food appeared. It was on a real plate, with real utensils. A big napkins and was delicious.

The hash browns? Crispy. The sausage? Jumbo sized and tasty. The biscuits - melt in your mouth. I read the whole paper. I didn't want to leave.

There is a lesson to be learned from Burger Master, for any business. Offer a better product. Provide a few extras, give good service and set a reasonable price.

Burger Master was packed at 10AM on a Wednesday morning. It was standing room only actually and probably has been for decades.

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Author: William May, MayPartners Advertising
Blog #: 0167 – 12/01/10

VRA Compares Renting Long Versus Short

By William May
Published: 11/01/10 Topics: Comments: 0

Across the globe major change is taking place. Thousands of long-term rental homes have switched. They now only accept short-term vacation rentals.

The reason is simple. Vacation Rentals are safer, quicker and can greatly increase income. Plus owners get to use the home whenever they like and make money when they do not.

Trouble with Long-Term

Long Term Rentals sound easy but they are more difficult. Here are some of the reasons:

• Tenants are often lower income.
• Rental Agents are no help long-term.
• Laws give renters control of the property.
• Long notice is required to inspect the house
• Tenants can require costly repairs.
• Tenants can stuff in extra family members.
• Causing greater wear and tear.
• Move In-Outs, are harsh on the property.
• Property Managers collect rent only and
• Seldom inspect homes or evaluate tenants.
• Bad tenants can trash the home
• And no one knows for months.
• Tenants can skip out on rent
• Or refuse to pay for months.
• Evictions take many months
• Requiring Lawyer & Court costs
• Long Term Horror Stories

Stories of long-term Tenants who trash homes, don’t pay rent, can’t be evicted and then actually sue their Landlords are everywhere.

Those are virtually unheard of in the Short-Term market. Good Vacation Rental Managers collect rent in advance, deny occupancy to non-paying or troublesome guests, inspect homes frequently and provide quick onsite service.

Property owners love having their home carefully watched instead of infrequently cared for. They use the home when they like. And they get more money at the same time.

Vacation Rentals Benefits

Property owners, who live in desirable destinations, are flocking to the vacation rentals market. Here is how it compares.

• Guests are higher income & more desirable.
• Lodging Managers are with you for the long term.
• Lodging laws protect the property.
• Guests do not have Tenant rights.
• They bring only their clothes & food.
• Vacation Managers inspect homes weekly.
• Occupancy can be greatly limited.
• Properties are used less, reducing wear & tear.
• Damages are infrequent and insignificant.
• Costs can be charged to the Guest.
• Guests pay in advance,
• Eliminating Collection Problems.
• Guests are required to follow strict rules.
• And can be evicted immediately.

Balancing Both

In some cases houses should be rented short-term during high seasons, and long-term during slow seasons. Vacation Rentals are adept at both while long-term property managers fail at short-term. They are used to renting the house once every few years, while lodging managers are highly skilled at finding and renting homes weekly.

For properties that need a combination of long and short term stays, a Vacation Rental Manager is the best solution. They can even apply their kind of tight hands-on guest oversight to long-term tenants.

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Author: William May – Volunteer, Vacation Rental Association
Blog #: 0189 – 11/01/10

Nothing Beats Chateau Chocolate Cake

By William May
Published: 10/01/10 Topics: Advertising, Marketing, Packwood WA, Radio, Selling Comments: 0

Years ago when I operated an advertising agency we sure thought we worked long and hard. Not to reveal my age, but I remember when we had to "spec" type, courier the details to a type setter and then wait days while it was set and returned to us. We then had to paste the galleys onto art board along with photos or other art to arrange the desired final ad.

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Author: William May, MayPartners Advertising
Blog #: 0161 – 10/01/10

Removing the Pain of Hot Tubs

By William May
Published: 06/01/10 Topics: Comments: 0

Yes they are a lot of trouble. They are costly to operate, expose you to health claims, require constant maintenance and repairs and-- in general-- are a pain in the butt. (We own six of them).

However - However - in many locations such as ski resorts, mountain getaways and even lake front homes hot tubs almost always pay off.

In some areas, guests expect them and in others it will convince them to rent your home and not a competitor's.

In one location identical side-by-side townhomes produced dramatically different results. The one with the hot tub grossed $40,000 a year. The one without, just $26,000.

Don't be fooled into buying the biggest and fanciest. Guests don't demand such things. Buy a nice big basic hot tub. Get the simplest controls because guests won't operate complicated ones correctly. In fact, they'll touch the controls even if you tell them not to, the water will get cold, and they'll want a refund.

And price doesn't equal quality. In case you haven't shopped recently most tubs come on a skid and have everything contained and all hooked up. All you need is 220 volt power (in the US) setup by a licensed electrician.

Yes you can do it yourself but that opens more legal exposure. And don't buy a 110 volt model- they take too long to heat.

Next - learn all about your state, county or city's health department rules and follow them diligently. Hot tubs can be bacteria incubators if not attended to faithfully.

Buy only the right chemicals and, by the way, you simply must invest in an Ozonator - a little device that increases cleanliness, limits the amount of chemicals you must use and decreases that chlorine/bromine smell.

And after all these details, what's the payback? In those identical townhomes a $4,000 hot tub plus maybe $1,000 a year in maintenance produces $14,000 more in rental. You don't need a calculator to figure the return on investment.

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Author: William May – Volunteer, Vacation Rental Association
Blog #: 0159 – 06/01/10

Mother Giant Radio Station Trounced Websites

By William May
Published: 05/01/10 Topics: Comments: 0

KJ Radio Disc Jockeys 1973

Prior to the lodging industry, I had a perfectly normal life in the media and advertising industry. I worked at radio stations and publications and owned an advertising agency. Then I started, invested and managed some publications and a radio station.

While news, information and entertainment are the product of media companies, it is advertising sales that fuel the organizations. My first big job was at the "Mother Giant" radio station KJR-AM in Seattle, Washington in 1973. Fresh out of college I got to work with my heroes who were as eccentric as human beings are allowed to be when not locked up in prison.

I had sold newspapers ads while in college but the Radio Experts taught me a lesson about selling advertising - 'Don't sell it if it won't create sales for the advertiser," said Mr. Shannon Sweatte my boss. "This business must be built upon return advertisers. If you fail for them once, you'll never get them back."

Sales Perspective

Of course, the advertisers we dealt with were big and smart. They were stingy with money, and spent it wisely. As I started my career, calling on these tough negotiators, I began to get sales fright. What if I sold ads that didn't work?

Pat O'Day Manager KJR Radio

I wanted to know and one day, got up the guts to ask Mr. Pat O'Day, the station manager who was then and later became a legend in the radio station business. (That's him in the photo.)

"You can tell your advertisers, that money spent with us will always make their cash registers ring, " said Pat in response to my question.

"But what if they don't?" I asked.

"Then we'll just run some more ads for free until customers come streaming in." He answers. "Or we'll do promotions if we have to. Or we'll have the Disc Jockey's visit or do live on-air commercials. We'll just figure it out. Do what it takes."

Retailers Know the Score

Many of these clients represented retail store owners who were notorious for asking clients how they heard of their stores, why they came in that day, and on which radio stations the customers had heard their store's ads. Expecting these clients to buy ads without knowing whether they worked, would be like thinking a mama Grizzly would let you run off with her cubs. "Ain't gonna happen," I said to myself.

Pat O'day could have just taken the money and run and probably would have gotten away with it for a long time. However smart business people know better. Perhaps that is why, all these years later I am so amazed by some of the dominant Vacation Rental Directory websites.

In today's recession, does it strike you right that HomeAway announces their revenue is up Forty Percent last year? Anecdotal feedback from VRA members, tell us that inquiries are down and the cost per inquiry and cost per booking is up hugely. Is it right that FlipKey gives away free ads, then demands reviews and then ratchet up the cost?

Yet HomeAway benefits by pitting one advertiser against another, by taking an ever increasing number of listings, even if it cannibalizes the results they provide for current advertisers. Consumer advocates could easily claim that paid ads from media should know they can not justify their costs to clients and could be accused of "Unfair and deceptive" tactics.

Desperate Advertisers

Some Advertisers track and can justify their purchases. Others buy more ads and fall for the gimmicky ad ones of photos to push up rates because they are desperate for inquiries - any inquiries.

Where are the smart website publishers who understand their craft as well as conventional media do?

Dennis Miller, Past President of Publicist of the West, (The Ad Agency who wrote the nefarious Super Bowl Commercials - well after Dennis' Departure from Publicist) says, "Media buyers who place ads for big companies would eat a newspaper, radio or TV station alive for boasting of such an accomplishment when their clients were hurting." Dennis is on the Board of VRA. "Aren't these guys smart enough to understand that?"

Penny Taylor, Former Manager of Northwest Cable Advertising (A $50 million dollar joint venture of Viacom and TCI communications, and now vice president at VRA as well as Sunspot Resorts) agrees. "For a hundred years, smart media operators have justified their existence by the results they can produce for clients. Being new to media, these techies and venture capitalists are making up their ethics as they go along. Failing to put client's needs first is going to bite them in the behind."

Websites and other new media have been a boom to the travel and lodging business. Today, they command a dominant aspect of the industry by usurping owner and manager advertising with their own Search Engine Optimization and big pool of capital.

But will website publishers ever learn what conventional media outlets have learned over so many years, or will they figure it out over time? Will they prosper regardless of their ethics, or will advertisers stop being victims and start demanding results?

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William May is President of Sunspot Inns, Resorts & Vacation Rentals and volunteer Executive Director of the Vacation Rental Association (www.Vrai.org.). KJR radio is still on the air, but now as a sports station. KJR-FM now places oldies music. Its not much like the old KJR-AM Top 40 hit station, but make listeners happy just to see the call letters still in business.

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Author: William May, MayPartners Advertising
Blog #: 0149 – 05/01/10

Vacation Road Trips Start at the Dentist

By Gail Adair
Published: 04/01/10 Topics: Comments: 0

A Trip to the Dentist

I casually picked up a magazine while in the waiting room for my morning dental appointment. Coffee in one hand, I picked up "Seattle Metropolitan", Road Trips, a magazine with subject matter which sounded worthy of noting, and a great way to get my mind off of dental procedures in general.

Quickly I turned the thick, colorful pages, afraid my name would be called before I had a chance to pause on something appealing. An article that appeared short, to the point, and within the time frame before I was to be called into the chair, caught my eye. "Sequim in a Sports Car", was the title by Christopher Werners. Hmmm, I thought. I could picture myself already half there.

Dust Catcher Car

You see, I had the sports car. It’s a dazzling retro Ford Thunderbird blue 2-seater convertible. Normally, it is a dust catcher in our garage. I had always wanted to visit Sequim, Washington State to see what the "banana belt" was all about. The dentist’s office waiting room gave me my chance. I breezed through the article before the hygienist called my name. Then, while under a gentle dose of nitrous oxide, I told myself I had to make this trip a reality.

When we saw a hermit crab looking for a "larger house", amongst the snail shells, this further enveloped us into their small world stage. This was the only world they knew. We engaged fully into the activities within the simple life of a tide pool. The simplicity desired by many, in an ever complicated life, will bring us back to a Sequim vacation rental again and again.

From there, it was off in our sports car to the Hoh Rain Forest within the Olympic National Park. We might have visited on the only day it didn't rain. It was even a warm day. Our convertible top was let down and we drove through the forest able to look straight up into the moss covered branches which umbrellaed the road ahead of us. We were able to get up close and personal with 600 year old trees. What a road trip!

We completed the loop back to Seattle through the destination of Ocean Shores, convertible top down most of the way stopping only to take a long walk on the sandy ocean beaches. Hard to believe it was April and 72 degrees.

We will definitely be looking forward to our next Washington Road Trip, enabling us to visit unique vacation rentals in towns that welcome this tourist option. I don't think there is any better way to travel whether you’re reading about it in a dental office or making the trip an immediate reality.

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Gail Adair, is Vice President of The Vacation Rental Association (Vrai.org)Vrai.org in charge of Legal Affairs. She is also a vacation Rental Owner. VRA is a worldwide not-for-profit trade association comprised of Owners, managers, Suppliers and Website Publishers worldwide.

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Author: Gail Adair, Moses Lake Vacation Rentals
Blog #: 0155 – 04/01/10

Sunbanks Resort - Little known Secret Location

By Penny L. Taylor
Published: 03/31/10 Topics: Comments: 0

The weather warmed up so I took a drive over to Banks Lake a few days ago. Never heard of it? Well I would like to introduce you to a location you might never know about but really should visit one day. It is a really stupendous summer destination. Let me give you the details:

• Sunbanks Resort is smack dab in the middle of Washington state. An easy drive from Western Washington and anywhere in the Northwest.

• On a lake the size of Lake Washington. A Mecca for swimming, water skiing, personal watercraft, fishing and power boating.

• The terrain looks like the great Arizona desert destinations with sheer granite walls all around.

• Summers are toasty hot, but the big draw is that the lake water is amazingly warm. Far warmer than Lake Chelan or the Columbia River lakes.

The resort has big new villas, cabins and even some camping. And you can see them all at this website (SunbanksSunspots.com)SunbanksSunspots.com. >There are photos from every angle and good rates. Give Sunspots a call 8am and 8pm everyday of the year. 888-628-8989.

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Author: Penny L. Taylor, Istay Organization
Blog #: 0146 – 03/31/10

Become a Vacation Rental Angel

By William May
Published: 03/01/10 Topics: Comments: 0

Operating a vacation rental business can be fun and profitable but it is also an opportunity to do some good in the world. Now property owners and managers can do that by participating in a public program that offers unused vacation rental nights to charitable causes through the Vacation Rental Angels Website.

The program is administered by the Vacation Rental Association (Vrai.org) a not-for-profit trade association offering membership services to owners, managers, suppliers and website publishers.

"Every now and then we see a property or manager who is inaccurately portrayed in the media", says William May, President volunteer Executive Director of VRA, "And we thought it was high time that the public understands the millions of dollars that owners donate to good causes."

VRA offers inspections and verifications of properties to assure the traveling public of property quality. Members of VRA subscribe to a Code of Ethics and the vast majority of properties are well run, even luxurious. Guest complaints are almost non-existent for VRA members, who take their responsibilities seriously.

Participation in the Angel program is open to all VRA members and there is no cost or rigid rules for donations. Members who agree to offer at least one week per year free to charities may join the program and have their properties and their donations listed on the VacationRentalAngels.com website.

"Limiting how and when donations, or forcing owners to use the site for giving, would only serve to lessen donations," said May, "And that would defeat the entire idea. This program says give first and then get a little recognition later".

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Vrai.org operates the world's first Multiple-Listing-Service (MLS) for Vacation Rentals at www.VRMLA.org. VRA member can easily post their property to the VacationRentalAngels.com website along with subscribing to many other paid and free websites. Vacation Rental Owners and Managers, not already VRA members, can join the group and become Angels by visiting www.Vrai.org to join.

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Author: William May – Volunteer, Vacation Rental Association
Blog #: 0138 – 03/01/10

Become a Vacation Rental Angel

By William May
Published: 03/01/10 Topics: Comments: 0

Operating a vacation rental business can be fun and profitable but it is also an opportunity to do some good in the world. Now property owners and managers can do that by participating in a public program that offers unused vacation rental nights to charitable causes through the Vacation Rental Angels Website.

The program is administered by the Vacation Rental Association (Vrai.org) a not-for-profit trade association offering membership services to owners, managers, suppliers and website publishers.

"Every now and then we see a property or manager who is inaccurately portrayed in the media", says William May, President of Sunspot Resorts and volunteer Executive Director of VRA, "And we thought it was high time that the public understands the millions of dollars that owners donate to good causes."

VRA offers inspections and verifications of properties to assure the traveling public of property quality. Members of VRA subscribe to a Code of Ethics and the vast majority of properties are well run, even luxurious. Guest complaints are almost non-existent for VRA members, who take their responsibilities seriously.

Participation in the Angel program is open to all VRA members and there is no cost or rigid rules for donations. Members who agree to offer at least one week per year free to charities may join the program and have their properties and their donations listed on the VacationRentalAngels.com website.

"Limiting how and when donations, or forcing owners to use the site for giving, would only serve to lessen donations," said May, "And that would defeat the entire idea. This program says give first and then get a little recognition later".

Vrai.org operates the world's first Multiple-Listing-Service (MLS) for Vacation Rentals at www.VRMLA.org. VRA member can easily post their property to the VacationRentalAngels.com website along with subscribing to many other paid and free websites. Vacation Rental Owners and Managers, not already VRA members, can join the group and become Angels by visiting www.Vrai.org to join.<p/P

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Author: William May – Volunteer, Vacation Rental Association
Blog #: 0141 – 03/01/10

Sponsor: VRAI – The Vacation Rental Industry, a not-for-profit organization, offers member services to owners, managers, suppliers and website publishers worldwide, including the world's first Multiple-Listing Service (MLS) for Vacation Rentals. Membership from $49 per year, insider knowledge and dozens of free advertising opportunities. – VRIA.org

Do's and Don'ts for Vacation Rental Listing Websites

By William May
Published: 02/01/10 Topics: Comments: 0

We are revisiting how Vacation Rental Listing Directory Websites operate. In the last issue, their successes and failures were outlined. (Go to the Newsletter Directory to read the first part in this two part series).

You were promised a list of do's and don'ts that we would like to see them all adopt.

So here is that list but let's not hold our breath. Change comes slow no matter how obvious the need.

ALLOW TWO EMAILS: Advertisers need to have one email to receive notice of administrative matters from the website and a second email that guests use to make inquiries. Even small companies segregate bookkeeping from sales. Forwarding both types of messages to the single allowable email address is just plain dumb.

SILLY PHOTO EDITING: VRBO's faded borders were out of date 10 years ago. Holding on to that look makes them look stodgy and outdated. And now we see websites prohibiting the user of brands.

DO NOT HIDE ADVERTISERS: In some states it is against the law to run ads that do not disclose the name of the real estate broker. And yet most of these sites do it as a matter of course. Guests want to know who they are dealing with. If they presume it’s the website, that gums up the world for all involved.

KILL THOSE SCHEMES: Have you seen how websites are limiting direct communication between guest and advertiser? Can you imagine a radio station running ads for a car dealer, extolling the virtues of each auto but refusing to name the dealership? Preposterous.

The latest trick is that some websites now assign each advertiser a new phone number which transfers to the advertiser's phone. They do this to measure results so they can prove their worth to advertisers. But it further distances the guest from the lodging provider. Prior to the Internet, advertiser's were forced to measure their own results. It was a better system and more honest too.

DO NOT LIMIT LINKING: What makes the Internet work (and is absolutely required to gain good Google page rank) is links into the advertiser's website. Yet many directories forbid links back from listings to the lister. They do it for purely selfish reasons of course, but it’s a disservice to advertiser and guest alike. It proves they know that we need them more than they need any single one of us.

IS RE-DISTRIBUTION GOOD? Frequently managers are noticing that ads submitted to one site appear on scores of others. The websites and software companies are becoming incestuous in their polygamous relationships. Distribution is good, very good, but after awhile no one knows who really produced the results.

DISCLOSE DUPLICATION: Re-distribution has resulted in a good number of websites that accept submissions from multiple websites and software companies. It is not uncommon for an advertiser to open a new website and see multiple listings for each of his properties. This is certainly confusing to guests and serves no constructive purpose. Websites need to disclose where they are re-distributing their content.

WAKE UP GOOGLE: Today, the major vacation rental directories get the lion's share of their traffic from Pay-Per-Click advertising. They employ PPC Search Engine Optimization (SEO) experts to run their ads higher up in the rankings than owner and manager can achieve. There is no good purpose for Google to allow large directories to usurp top position from people who actually provide a product. Guests want to talk to the operators. They don't want to be shuttled through other websites to find what should be listed first on Google: local vacation rental providers.

PROFIT MOTIVE: Of course, the only reason software companies and websites have created this convoluted heavily proprietary system is to make profit. They should be congratulated. But they should be condemned for making the industry less competitive than it could be.

LIMIT THE DATA SET: Having key features be searchable is a fine idea. But it takes so long to upload listings to some of these sites, even the free ones that many advertisers simply opt out. As an industry can we agree to a standard set of information and then make it uniform.

That doesn't leave much room for competing sites to build a better mouse-trap, but comprehensive yet, restricted data sets have been the norm in Real Estate Multiple Listing Services for decades. It works well there and serves everyone equally.

EMBRACE A MULTIPLE LISTING SYSTEM: This point may sound selfish because VRA has already created the world's first Multiple Listing Service for Vacation Rentals. We did so because advertising is too expensive, administrative time is far too great and the for-profit companies have wrested control of the industry from those who actually perform the work: property managers and owners.

For-profit entities are so proprietary that they have refused to establish a cooperative database. That means the only way this will be done is just how it was done in Real Estate Brokerage: by not-for-profit organizations owned and managed by Managers and Owners.

MLS's are the backbone of the entire real estate brokerage industry. They could not exist without them. They are effective and affordable in ways that Vacation Rental websites are not. A single central database of rentals is desperately needed in the vacation Rental business.

Until that happens industry participants are going to spend their time competing with each other instead of working together to grow the industry, take business from conventional lodging and provide a superior product to guests. In case you were wondering, VRA is not asking to be the center of that database Universe.

We are ready to deed control of the database to an open-membership of those who are the foundation of this industry: Owners and Managers. That can be done under the auspices of VRA or any other forum that gets the job done. If you would like to participates, please call today. Time is short.

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Author: William May – Volunteer, Vacation Rental Association
Blog #: 0135 – 02/01/10

How Vacation Rental Listing Websites Get It Wrong

By William May
Published: 01/01/10 Topics: Comments: 0

Vacation Rental Advertising just keeps getting more and more complicated as new listing websites appear almost every day. VRA is now tracking approximately 785 Vacation Rental Websites. I say approximately because the number changes so often. Some sites, presumably when they have insufficient revenue or the operators tire out, just disappear. But new sites keep taking their place.

Surprisingly, this constant churning must delight the larger, older websites. They hang onto their existing viewers and let the little guys dilute the rest of the market significantly. Every now and then something really innovative pops up.

For example (Rentability.com)Rentability.com is a graphically intriguing website with nice tools. Advertisers pay on an affordable per-inquiry basis. Whether it can gain any traction in the market, we've yet to see, but their efforts need to be applauded. There are many others like Rentability who are moving technology forward far better than the fat cat websites.

In a way, the Vacation Rental Association is contributing to the roll out of new websites. VRA's multiple listing service (VRMLS.org)VRMLS.org makes it easy for local associations and geographic areas to put up their own sophisticated listing websites with very little time or money.

Specificity is the future of vacation rental searches. More is not always better. Newspapers are a good example. Giant metropolitan tabloids are struggling for readership and advertising revenue while many local newspapers march right along. And why you ask? Because they offer a more concise view of the world. They print both news and ads relevant only to their geographic area.

Plus the big guys do what big guys do - especially in the Internet. They begin to suffer from feature bloat making it ever more complicated for users to utilize their products. As a parallel example, when Google's AdWords service started, placing ads was simple and straight forward. Kudos to them for attempting to better segment their ads but today, reviewing and placing AdWords requires lots of time and expertise.

Vacation Rental Listing Websites are doing the same thing. HomeAway has launched various programs such as their Vacation Rental Manager "Pay Per Inquiry" (PPI) service but have gummed it up with restrictive rules that do nothing to enhance manager use. At the same time they refuse to share all listing data between (VRBO.com)VRBO.com and their second tier sites like (HomeAway.com)HomeAway.com and (CyberRentals.com)CyberRentals.com. Don't be mislead; their refusal has nothing to do with technology and everything to do with squeezing every possible dollar out of advertisers. They will only offer features which pad their pockets.

Big websites continue their march toward oligopoly where the top few websites control the market sufficiently to limit acceptance of lesser websites which causes vacation rental owners, managers and guests to do things their way - or else.

Sometimes it’s the little things that drive us crazy about using various websites. In the next issue we'll outline a check list of do's and don’s that we would like to see all Vacation Rental Listing Directory websites follow.

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Author: William May – Volunteer, Vacation Rental Association
Blog #: 0133 – 01/01/10