Experiencing a Vacasa Rental in Vail, CO

A few weeks back I took my extended family to Vail for a wedding. Because I was hitting the road with my infant son and my parents, I was looking for a property that could accommodate us all in one space that was larger than just a room, but adjoining hotel suites were out of my budget. I considered Airbnb, because I’ve used them before, but I also didn’t want to deal with the hassles that I’ve experienced with this peer-to-peer booking system: on one trip, for example, the key we’d been given to a home didn’t work and I ended up spending a few hours waiting for the owner to solve the mix-up. When you have a small child and three other adults this kind of mix-up becomes more than just annoying and can make or break the mood of a short getaway.

So I was excited to check out Vacasa, which launched at the same time as Airbnb, but uses a different management style. Instead of being self-managed by owners, the properties listed on Vacasa are professionally managed by the company. They’re also vetted in advance and the company takes care of the cleaning, servicing and maintaining the homes, which means you end up with a seamless, hotel-style experience from booking to checkout. But in a private home.

“At Vacasa, we also offer listing and booking services, but we also provide a full-service, professional experience from start to finish,” Vacasa CEO Eric Breon said. “Booking with Vacasa, you can rest assured knowing a professional property manager. This means that the check-in process will involve a lockbox rather than a coffee shop meetup, and that every home is legally compliant with local regulations. Guests can also expect our homes to be stocked with essentials like towels and bath products, and our professional guest services team is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to resolve any potential issues during a stay.”

And booking was really easy. I loved being able to search for a property with high quality images and a realistic virtual tour, and also getting confirmation from the site reviews that what I am seeing is what I will get when I checked-in. Searches can then be narrowed by the number of people and the bathrooms you want. The staff was also super responsive. I e-mailed to check if a home was dog-friendly and got a response back within 10 minutes, which made it easier to make a final decision. It also presented peace of mind that if something went wrong onsite, I’d know I could reach someone right away. The pricing was also very fair. My unit was priced at just $180 per night during the time of my visit, and it was only two miles from the center of Vail.  

Upon arrival, I was thrilled the house was clean and well-decorated, resembling the home I’d seen advertised to a tee. I’d specifically picked this property because it had a back porch, backing up against a creek, which I’d envisioned as a good spot to hang out with my entire family as the sun went down, and it did not disappoint. The kitchen was well appointed, and allowed us to cook together, while the living room was perfect for winding down at night. And then there was the laundry room, which is a must when traveling with a baby, and definitely got a lot of use.

Overall, I loved my Vacasa experience and will be booking with them again.