Best Company to Book Luxury Villa in Scottsdale AZ?

December 7, 2023 2:33 AM

A friend in the UK wants to book a luxury villa in Scottsdale AZ in Feb-March 2024. She'd like to know which company to use. Would you recommend VRBO or some other agency/service?

My friend, her mum and her sister want to book a luxury villa in Scottsdale AZ from February 27 to March 11. They are looking for a 3 bedroom, 2 or more bathroom, non-smoking villa with a private pool and on-site parking.for one car. Do you recommend VRBO, AirBnB, or some other agency? Are you aware of a reputable local realtor who handles such properties? Are there any local rules and regulations regarding rentals or covid safety which they should be aware of? Any advice and suggestions are greatly appreciated. Many thanks for helping them have a memorable holiday

posted by LeftMyHeartInSanFrancisco to Travel & Transportation around Scottsdale, AZ (5 answers total)

I've rented a few vacation homes, mostly in the Caribbean, but I'd think my strategy applies to US properties as well. I always use VRBO, never AirBNB. I've always been happy with VRBO's customer service and how they work with property owners/managers. They offer a way to send messages without exchanging personal emails.

I look heavily at ratings from previous visitors. The property should have a 4.0 average, the closer to 5.0 the better. There should be very few 1 star ratings, and I read each one. If they're mostly silly complaints like "I couldn't find dish soap in the kitchen and the blender was underpowered" that's one thing. But if the complaints are things like "neighbors blasted music until 2am" that's another.

I also look at how the owner expects payment. The good ones won't ask for the entire payment up front, something like 25% down now and the rest a month before the visit. The refund policy is a good sign of a stable owner. If they offer 100% back if you cancel 4-6 weeks ahead, that's a plus. The owner/manager should have an actual name and picture in the listing. If those are missing, red flag. If you google that name and they're a property manager for a number of homes in the city, that's a good thing. It's their full time job to support any problems you might have during your stay.

Examine every picture in the listing, look for anything that seems out of the ordinary. VRBO will also show you the exact location of the property on their 'map' thingy, switch to Google Street View and try to find the house there. Then you can look around for other red flags.

Since your friend is looking for a villa/detached home I wouldn't worry too much about COVID restrictions. The property should be fully cleaned and vacant before they arrive. Communicate with the owner to see if they offer a mid-visit cleaning or not. Some insist on it, not only to keep the place clean but to keep eyes on the property. That's not a bad thing.

If things go badly during the stay, at least it's Scottsdale and there are hotels around. So I'd think this should be an easy trip to book and a single-family villa is totally a great way to vacation. Best of luck!
posted by JoeZydeco at 6:31 AM on December 7, 2023 [6 favorites]

Correction: I had the ratings wrong. VRBO goes 1-10 and you should be looking for 9.0 or better.
posted by JoeZydeco at 6:39 AM on December 7, 2023 [1 favorite]

I've had great success with VRBO and use similar tactics to screen properties as listed above. I've booked dozens of homes this way and I've never had a bad experience. The only issue I see with your friend's plan is that Feb-March 2024 is coming up very quickly, and that's sort of peak time for rentals in Scottsdale. I don't want to discourage you from looking, as you might find something that works perfectly, but I just last week reserved a home in Palm Springs, CA for March 2025--most of high-demand homes in that area are fully booked or mostly booked for Spring 2024 already.
posted by shornco at 7:54 AM on December 7, 2023 [1 favorite]

Vacasa, owner of VRBO , has a high penetration rate on the West Coast, AZ included. I prefer them to VRBO because their billing is easier and they're slightly more upscale and have local managers for properties like a hotel or proper rental management company. They usually have a good array of basics in the rentals as well.
posted by fiercekitten at 8:03 AM on December 7, 2023

We have also used vrbo many times. In addition to the above guidance about using vrbo, I read all the reviews and look for consistent themes, which can often point you to red flags. I just ruled out a place where several reviews mentioned the "gentrifying neighborhood" or even that they "always felt safe". I also avoid, on principle, places that have obvious corporate owners and professional management companies because they drive up surrounding housing prices, but YMMV.
posted by DrGail at 8:04 AM on December 7, 2023 [1 favorite]