Since day one, our philosophy has always been to protect the interests of our renters. For this reason, we instituted our Security Blanket Guarantee for both renters and property managers/owners when we launched our service in July 2007.

Our Guarantee protects both renters and property managers from unforeseen circumstances. Specifically, we provide a free night’s stay at an equivalent or better accommodation if renters are unable to access the rental property they booked through PickPackGo in a timely manner.

We’re pleased to see others in the vacation rental industry following suit. In a press release today, a vacation rental listing site announced a renter guarantee. While its version doesn’t protect owners, it does support the vision we have always had of making sure the vacation rental industry is safe and secure for all of its participants.

It’s nice to see our ideas moving the vacation rental industry forward. If there’s something you’d like to see us do to provide even more peace of mind, email us.

Posted: September 24th, 2007 under Travel, Vacation Rentals.
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As a developer, I spend time thinking about how to get the layout of our vacation rental search site pages to look as perfect as possible on all of the popular web browsers and how to pack as much information about properties into the most concise format.

As a Dad, I spend time thinking about where we’ll go for our next fun outing. Last month, it was Oregon. Naturally, I prefer to rent houses or condos when I can because they are just as affordable and a lot more comfortable than hotel rooms. It’s been awhile since I’ve rented a vacation home (what with all the work around here!) , so I decided to take the opportunity to see what some of our competitors websites are like.

I began searching for houses near my destination, and before I knew it, I was no longer checking out the buttons and layout of their pages as a web developer, but rather I was a customer; a prospective renter looking for the perfect vacation rental. I took that feeling with me back to our own site and it was almost like I was seeing it for the first time. My perspective had completely changed. I wasn’t seeing buttons, colors and layout. I was truly experiencing what it was like to be a user on our site.

As a developer, I’ve always known that to develop a good product, you need to use the product yourself. It’s called “eating your own dog food” by people in the software industry. I’ve done this before, but this time I made the transition from developer to user more completely than ever – probably because it was my own vacation after all.

I’m happy to say that I was pleased with what I experienced. It was easy to browse through houses that I liked and convenient to have maps, rates and photos right there. The “favorites” feature was really helpful for marking properties that I was interested in, and going back to compare them later. I made an inquiry, and the same day rented a place that turned out to be great for us.

During my search, I also discovered some things we could improve. For example, once I found a house that I was interested in, I sent an inquiry asking for confirmation that the house was still available and that the estimated rental fees were accurate. It would have been nice to have some idea how long I was going to have to wait to hear a response from the owner. I’m working on that one. Stay tuned. Maybe there are things about the site that you think we could improve. If so, let me know.

And for anyone going to Oregon, I highly recommend Sunriver, especially:

• Horseback riding at the Sunriver Resort
• Sightseeing at Crater Lake
• Canoeing and swimming in the Deschutes River

Ok, time to get back to work…

Posted: September 17th, 2007 under Family Vacation, Technology, Vacation Rentals.
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Did you read The Perrin Post today about Brook Wilkinson’s Lake Tahoe Sailing Cruise (and a Bike Ride)? How fun! While she was sipping chardonnay in the sun, I was cozying up to my computer to plan our winter family getaway there. You gotta love Lake Tahoe. It’s one of those amazing places that is equally fun in the Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall.

If you’re planning a family getaway there this winter, here are some things our local City Host and I recommend:

North or South Shore? You won’t be disappointed no matter which side of the Lake you choose. The North Shore offers a little more low-key atmosphere with smaller towns and a slower pace of life. For example, Tahoe City has a walkable downtown. The South Shore is the more populated side of the Lake. Though still providing a small town atmosphere, it is definitely a bit faster pace, and if you’re going for the gaming, go South Shore.

Affordable accommodations? Lots of travelers, particularly families, prefer to stay in Lake Tahoe-area vacation rental homes. Many offer all the comforts of home, including a kitchen, wireless Internet, cable TV and more. Plus, they’re often more affordable than renting multiple hotel rooms if you need more space.

Ski schools for kids? Most of Tahoe’s mountains offer family programs and ski schools for kids, but these are some standouts: (North Shore) NorthStar at Tahoe’s family ski program consistently gets rated well by Ski Magazine and others. The tiny Diamond Peak in Incline is also extremely family friendly and perfect for first-timers. (South Shore) Heavenly’s ski program is great. It offers tons of instruction and a special ski school area away from crowds. If you want to travel a little off the beaten path, try Sierra at Tahoe, which also has a good program.

Activities beyond skiing? The Tahoe Vacation Guide provides a lot of information for activities with kids, including:

• Snowshoeing. You can pretty much snowshoe anywhere you can hike—it’s great exercise and a beautiful way to spend the day. Bike trails are a great place to snowshoe around Tahoe, and many local ski shops and resorts rent snowshoes.
• Ice Skating. On the North Shore, Squaw Valley has two rinks: The Olympic Ice Pavilion, Olympic Valley, and the Resort at Squaw Creek, Olympic Valley. On the South Shore, The Heavenly Village at Stateline has a small outdoor ice skating rink in the new Heavenly Village shopping center. There is also the NHL-sized South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena and a smaller Village Ice Rink located at the Kirkwood Ski Resort Village.
• Sledding/Tubing. There are many snow parks around the Lake to enjoy this activity. Beware, however, every year there are sledding accidents.
• Shopping. Go shopping in Truckee, a cute little town with great shopping and eating; or at the Heavenly Center at Stateline, a brand new center with some cool shops and eateries; or visit the Squaw Valley Village another great venue for wandering.
• Shows: Experience some great entertainment at the casinos. The showrooms offer a wonderful small venue to see some big name acts.
• Spas: The Resort at Squaw Creek, The Hyatt in Incline, The Reflections Spa at Harrah’s, and Trilogy Spa at the Village in Squaw Valley are all good options.
• Dogsled rides. From the North Shore, try Dog Sled Adventure. From South Shore, check the Tahoe Vacation Guide for more information.

Where’s your favorite getaway destination and what’s there to do there? Let us know!

Posted: September 10th, 2007 under Family Vacation, Travel, Vacation Rentals.
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Putting together mutually beneficial relationships is part of our DNA. In our careers as investment banking, Internet and enterprise software professionals, we quickly learned the value of taking time to put together the right deal, not just any deal.

When international travel companies (American Express, United, American Airlines and others) wanted their customers to have information in the palm of their hands—any time, any where—members of our team sat down to determine the best way to structure deals that would accomplish their goals with mobile technology.

You may have noticed an announcement this week about our partnership with Instant Software. Partnerships like this are key to the growth and evolution of the vacation rental industry.

While Internet-based advertising has become one of the most cost-effective means to acquire customers; it requires time, money and expertise to make it successful. Property managers and owners need easier to use tools that integrate with existing applications to make them successful at leveraging the power of the Internet to market their properties, so the entire marketplace can expand.

We are focused on one critical piece of the puzzle and want to work with other companies to perfect the experience for renters who are searching for, comparing and booking a vacation rental. If you’ve got an idea for a unique partnership, I’d love to talk to you about it. Drop me a line or see us at:

Instant Software RezFest 2007
(Sept. 26-28 in Aspen, CO

The 23rd Annual Vacation Rental Managers Association (VRMA) Conference & Showcase. (Oct. 13-17 in New Orleans)

Posted: September 6th, 2007 under Travel, Vacation Rentals.
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