Tara Del Sol – on point with the Condo Trends of 2011

02/23/2011

For Immediate Release

Condo-hotels is the new travel trend of 2011

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico, February 23, 2011. While the past two years were among the worst for hotel business in decades, there are signs of recovering occupancy rates and new trends, and the consumers are now expecting more value for the money. Value is delivered in the form of luxury condo-hotels that have sprung up during the last decade – in the US and abroad – and have recently joined the tough hotel market more daringly than ever. Vacation rental market is predicted to grow 13.1% in 2011 by Vacation Home Rentals, LLC, the largest independent vacation rental site in North America, and AOL.com lists luxurious condo-hotels as one of the top “Travel trends for 2011.” After all, condos can offer more space and more privacy, with 5-star hotel amenities and services, but the price of one traditional hotel room.

For example, instead of getting an average hotel room, guests of four boutique Condo Hotels Playa del Carmen, situated in the premier beachfront zone of Playa del Carmen, Mexico, stay at posh suites with living rooms overlooking the Caribbean Sea, enjoy multiple spacious bedrooms, each one of them with its own marble bathroom, and lounge on personal terraces or rooftops.

Jack Perlman, the developer and former New Yorker, says that “instead of being cramped in one hotel room and sharing beds, families can relax and enjoy the privacy that the separate bedrooms and bathrooms can offer.” Many of his condos feature private outdoor heated Jacuzzis and pools, and rooftops at all four properties boast high-end kitchen appliances and outdoor BBQ grills. Having an option of cooking one’s own home-made dinner and enjoying it on a terrace overlooking the beach adds to the home-like experience a vacation rental can provide.

Similarly, the home-like environment is offered by other condo-hotels around the world, such as at Tara Del Sol vacation rentals on San Pedro island, Belize. “Lounging in a luxurious living room during those down times, getting up and going to the kitchen that you’ve stocked with your favorite snacks and treats…well, there’s something to be said for that,” says Lara Goldman, founder of Romantic Travel Association of Belize. “Here on Ambergris Caye, the vast majority of properties are condo-style, which is reflective of this trend,” she affirms.

“Home-like experience” and “more room” are listed as top reasons why vacationers think condo-hotels are more attractive than traditional hotels in a research done by HomeAway, Inc., the world’s leading online vacation rental marketplace. Other advantages of vacation rentals are listed as “more privacy,” “better value,” and “more authentic travel experience.”

There is no surprise then that the rental occupancy is steadily growing – for example, occupancy rates at Condo Hotels Playa del Carmen are already up by 50% compared to the last year. Similar research in the US shows that, for instance, Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals, a vacation rental provider for the high country of Colorado, had a 139% increase in annual sales from 2009 to 2010, and Tara Del Sol in Belize has seen a steady growth in the last year as well.

All of these properties, however, do not only hand keys to their guests. To their own varying degrees, they offer the same that any upscale hotel would. Condo Hotels Playa del Carmen, for example, are vacation rentals that are no different than any 5-star hotel. The properties have a 24-hour front desk, concierge, security, indoor parking garage, room service and daily maid service. “We have started developing our properties fifteen years ago as condos with 5-star hotel services,” says the developer, “and that takes us ahead of other rental properties that are currently in a rush to install hotel-like services and amenities so that they catch up with the trend – even such big chains as Ritz-Carlton and Fairmont now offer vacation rental option.”

As it would be at a hotel, all units at Condo Hotels Playa del Carmen are equipped with luxury toiletries and fine linens. Guests can even get the services of a private chef, personal shopping, baby sitting, and transportation in luxury cars. The upscale beach club is complimentary for guests, and everyone receives passes to a modern fitness center. On site, there are two gourmet restaurants, a health café, a luxury Spa, a beauty salon, a gourmet deli & market, and a scuba shop.

Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals and Tara del Sol function more as vacation rentals with hotel-like services. For example, the Colorado properties offer 24-hour maintenance, pool & Jacuzzi access, housekeeping, ski lockers and parking, and can plan their guests’ entire vacation, including lift tickets, activities at a discount, and even dinner reservations at the best restaurants in town.

Of course, there is also the cost to consider, and condo-hotels are on average at least 50 percent less expensive per square foot than hotels. For example, rates at Condo Hotels Playa del Carmen start at around $180 per night per one-bedroom condo suite during low season. At Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals, a one-bedroom Vail condo apartment with hotel services starts at $350 per night, and at Tara del Sol in Belize, rates for two-bedroom condo start at $225.

That way, in addition to offering more for the money, condo-hotels also bridge the gap between staying at a fancy hotel, where everything is sterile and not-to-be-touched, and a relaxed home environment. It seems they are quite successful at their task – for example, Condo Hotels Playa del Carmen are currently #1 on TripAdvisor.com among all Playa del Carmen hotels, and that doesn’t only include vacation rentals.

To find out more about Condo Hotels Playa del Carmen, please visit www.condohotelsplayadelcarmen.com.

Other links: www.rockymountainvacationrentals.com; https://romantictravelbelize.com/select-properties/ambergris-vacation-rentals.