melscuba said:
What homeowners and guests not staying through them can't have access to are: the kayaks, canoes, fishing, Camp Watercolor, bonfires, DVD Rentals, electric boat rides, golfing, etc.
That sounds incorrect on one account -- what about the WC homeowner who doesn't rent out their house? I believe they still have access to these things. I believe this information you mention applies only for guests who stay in a house not on the WC rental program. I don't believe these amenities are for guests only. I think they are geared for homeowners first, then WC rentals.
If you consider cost as your only reasoning behind not wanting to rent through WC, you may be missing the boat (no pun intended). Yes, you can save money renting through VRBO, but you may not have much recourse and you likely have inconsistencies and bad experiences which lead to perception that WaterColor is to blame, when it was the owner who was to blame. WaterColor rental provides on staff people to act as a concierge, check in, check out, can get housekeeping or maintanence there pronto when there is an oversite on cleaning, or if an A/C unit goes out on July 4. If the house has other renters in there from a double booking, there are options. With a VRBO, you don't get any of that. The owners are typically living in another state, and have no way to take care of things which could be a miserable experience. You pay for much more than a house when renting through WC. You are paying for a total experience, and are much more likely to leave feeling satisfied and as though you got something special.
An analogy might be Central Square Record store and Sundog Books in Seaside. You can go to those stores and pull out your iPhone and scan the barcode and order the music or the book, and save a few dollars by ordering online. That idea of saving money is most important to some people. However, both of those stores don't sell music and books -- they sell experience. They are your personal Amazon. You can ask the staff to play you samples of the music before you buy. You can ask the staff to recommend books and which book may be a better read based on your likes and dislikes. They know their business. They are in the people business, disguised as a bookstore and a music store. If you leave a bookstore or a music store with only an album or a book, you are shortchanged. When you leave Sundog Books or Central Square Records, you leave with a total experience of community, of other people caring about you personally, and respecting the work of the artists and writers.
I would think the same goes for renting a home through WaterColor -- you are buying something more than a rental house. You are buying a vacation experience. You are not having to worry about the VRBO owner getting foreclosed and selling off the furniture inside, or better yet, having an eviction and foreclosure notice on the door to the house you rent. Vacations are short and shouldn't be spent worrying about whether or not you are enjoying your vacation. Leave it to the pros to take care your vacation.
