Whistler Accommodation - Serve Yourself for Less
The mention of Whistler usually elicits thoughts of endless terrain, soaring peaks and vibrant village life. Unfortunately most also imagine their hard-earned dollars, pounds, yen or euros evaporating in a flash. The truth is that burning through your bank account doesn't have to be reality. Smart and savvy ski fanatics have been doing Whistler for less, for years. It all starts with reasonably priced, self-catering Whistler accommodation.
Give a Little
As the saying goes, if you want the best, be prepared to pay for it. There's no getting around this one. If you want to stay at a five star hotel, with daily maid service and round-the-clock room service you're going to pay through the nose.
At the time of publication, a room at the Four Seasons in January was going for $395/night. Want to visit over Christmas or New Years? Be prepared to shell out $895/night with a minimum stay requirement of seven nights. Now keep in mind that these rooms sleep 2 people and you need to add 15% in taxes to your total.
Five Star Hotels are fabulous, but how much are those daily services worth to you? Can you pass on the pampering if it means you can vacation twice as long or pay half as much?
Get a Lot
Now compare a one-bedroom self-catering condominium, rented directly from its owner. There are hundreds of them available in Whistler and they can be a much cheaper and spacious alternative.
Just like hotels, there are a wide-variety of options from basic to luxury owner-direct rentals. If you live for five star accommodations, not all owner-direct vacation rentals will be for you. Some owners spend a lot of time and money on the upkeep and renovation of their vacation properties, others not as much (but they do hold up to maintenance and hygiene standards).
At the time of publication, we were finding one-bedroom condo rentals in January starting at $155/night and Christmas/New Years starting at $225/night. Most of these units sleep up to 4 people and some don't charge any taxes.
Maybe you've got a larger group? Whistler owner-direct accommodation rentals are available in all shapes and sizes. The larger your group the more you tend to save with the nightly rate spread amongst more people (just don't pack in more than the bedding allows - this is a strict no-no).
The money you save on your Whistler accommodation bill isn't where it ends when you book your Whistler accommodation owner-direct. Condominiums, town homes or chalets all come with kitchens. Every meal you make yourself means less money spent. You may even find you don't need to be heading out on the town every night of your vacation. As opposed to hotel rooms, owner-direct rentals usually have separate living areas for socializing.
How to Find Whistler Accommodation Rentals Direct from Owners
There are many websites that list vacation rentals directly from owners. Unfortunately, there are some rental management sites hidden/disguised in the mix - this means an owner is paying a big rental management company to do the work for them, usually meaning higher rates for you. Know how to tell the difference: In addition to a support phone number for the website (if applicable) you should have an email address and/or phone number for the property owner directly.
Independent rental managers who take a smaller commission do exist and often advertise Whistler accommodation rentals at rates comparable to owner-direct so don't discount them. What it really comes down to are the hard numbers and if their rates stack up then that's all that matters.
Internet searches for "Whistler direct rentals" will likely result in the most options but you can also find direct rental listings in local newspapers or on classifieds sites such as Craigslist.
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