Thank you for your suggestion. My only fear with vrbo or homeaway is if there is a problem, you are not dealing with an agency that has access to other properties on the off chance you need to be moved.

We use homeaway and vrbo often. We have always been happy, but I usually have a back up plan incase, so I understand where you are coming from. You can get vacation rental insurance thru vrbo and homeaway. Homeaway use to offer for free, now it is about $39. In ST there is Esencia, which has 1-2 bedroom cabinas with a basic kitchen and the benifits of a hotel. In a pinch, if the house you book in ST is really bad, you could always run over to Esencia and see if they have any places available.

Have you booked vacation rentals before? Some people expect the same type of service you get from a hotel. Also things happen in a house, appliances breaking, leaking plumbing. Just like at home. It isn't like they have a bunch of hotel rooms to move you into, so if something breaks you will probably have to deal with it and hope the owners are fair. I just got back from a trip. We rented a condo and loved it. Another poster was also renting a condo from the same owners and had a fit that one of the two TVs didn't work and the wifi was iffy. Everything else was top notch and high end. The condo rentals were 1/2 the price of what a hotel or suite would have cost in the same location, but some expect the same type services no matter what they book. I guess what I am trying to say, is if you are looking for perfect, a vacation rental may not be for you. It is difficult to complain and get a quick resolution if there is a problem.

http://www.pacificasurfstudios.com

Not sure what type of accomodations you are looking for? But the above mentioned are typical accomodations. Small kitchen, nice patios/balconies, great location, comfortable beds, pool and A/C. The units are new and right in town but not directly on the main street. We stayed for several nights and were very pleased. If you have never been before you are in for a treat, what a great beach!

Many vacation rentals are owner-occupied for part of the year. That provides additional assurance that there's nothing seriously wrong with the property. If you read carefully and/or ask you can determine whether that's true of one you're considering. There are also reviews available on some sites (e.g. at Flipkey, a TA affiliate). Google Earth can give you an aerial view of the neighborhood. Given the information now available and insurance options, I personally think vacation rentals present a small risk well worth taking, particularly for a family or for a couple that would use the kitchen.

Hi:

we rent houses directly, if is a help for you, you can visit www.almadecostarica.com , new domes totally confortable, regards

Rodrigo

Pd: without pool, sorry.

We have rented a bedroom house near Dominical in the Escalares area, from VRBO next moth have had excellent service from the owner, so far. This rental is very large and there will be 5 of us staying in it. Our nightly rate is $285.00, tough to get 2 hotel rooms for that price. We are really looking forward to being there. Hope you have good luck in Santa Teresa.

I've used VRBO without a problem, but if you are concerned, here's the trick. Look up the listing on VRBO then find the villa name (like Villa Monkey or what have you), then type in "Villa Monkey" in your favorite search engine and you'll most likely find a number of actual agencies that are also trying to rent the same villa. I have found though that the agencies charge more than going through the owner direct. Good luck!

Lots of great advice on here about VRBO - I've used them 6 times in different parts of the world with no problems. I always research & google where I'm going to also.

Especially good advice on here regarding how many people are in your party. If you're more than 3, or 4 a home rental is

definitely an affordable option vs 2 hotel

rooms, etc.

Do consider what kind of an experience you want on your holiday & book accordingly! For example, my family & I love the space, having your own private pool, and just privacy in general that homes/villas give you. My Mom loves resorts & gladly gives up her room space to receive resort treatment & shared amenities. So it really depends on what you personally would like out of your holiday.

VRBO is great though if you're going that route :))

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