Save Money on Your Ontario Cottage Rental By Booking Direct
It’s crazy how far the cottage rental business has come. From the old days of being asked to bring your own everything and clean the place before you leave to the joy of arriving at a spotlessly clean cottage and packing up on the last day without having to scrub floors and clean a toilet.
Booking has changed too.
It’s easy to grab your phone, bring up Airbnb or VRBO, pick your dates and pay.
But did you know booking a vacation rental on one of those sites could cost you 10-15% more than if you booked direct with a rental agency?
There’s a lot of advantages to booking direct.
Location Knowledge
There’s over 250,000 lakes in Ontario, and while we cannot claim to know them all….we do know our stuff – and we have personally visited every cottage we represent.
We’ve driven the cottage roads and can tell you if they are good for cycling or walking your dog; been to the local villages and towns and tried out the restaurants, and tested out the water to make sure the description is accurate.
You can’t call Airbnb and get a personalised recommendation on what cottage would be right for you.
But you can call us and speak to Sandra who’s spent a week at Stay and Play, or ask Cathy about Dobson’s Dam or Paradise in the Woods, or let Kaitlyn tell you about her vacation at Bancroft Lake House.
That’s right! We want our staff to experience cottage country themselves so they can tell you whether the beds are comfortable or the water pressure in the shower is good, and that Netflix doesn’t buffer!
Trying making a call to VRBO and asking that.
Safety and protection
The online travel companies will tell you it’s safer to book with them because they have ‘guarantees’ and will refund you if a property isn’t genuine or not as described.
This is great if you don’t mind arriving at a place to find it doesn’t actually exist. Yes, they will look after you then and probably refund your money but you’ve still gone through the stress of a ruined vacation.
Alternatively, when you book direct with an Ontario cottage rental agency you can be guaranteed the property has been inspected, evaluated and listed accurately.
Look out for the TICO logo on genuine agency websites – this means your vacation is protected under the Travel Industry Council of Ontario regulations.
Best Rates & Special Offers
You will get the best rates by booking direct – it’s simple economics.
The online travel agencies charge service fees to guests and they also charge owners and agencies a commission on each booking. Guess who really gets to pay that commission?
Yes, you – the guest. The rate will be hiked enough to cover that commission.
It’s a double whammy.
When you book direct, you will get the best rate, and you’ll be the first to hear about special offers and late availability deals.
Customer Service
The big sites are just a marketing platform for owners and agencies. They might declare they they offer 24/7 customer service but when you have questions before during or after a booking no-one at their call centre will be able to help.
They can’t help if the toilet backs up or if something breaks down. They’ll just redirect you back to the owner or agency to answer any questions.
So, when you really think about it, why are you paying “service fees”, when it doesn’t necessarily create a better experience for you?
Instead, booking directly with a cottage agency such as CottageLINK Rental Management will put you in contact with a person who can answer all of your questions about the property from the start.
Let us walk you through the booking and make sure you have all the information you need before you book your dream cottage vacation
If you have any questions about OTA sites or would like to talk to one of our excellent cottage specialists, give us a call on 866 323 6698 or email at info@clrm.ca
