Windsor Palms Rentals

Just how far in advance do you have to book a Windsor Palms home? I have been thinking about this question a lot over the weekend as I have been trying to find a home for a guest of mine. My search started on Friday and I realized pretty quickly that the whole resort is booked for the dates that she needs. Speaking as a Windsor Palms home owner of course this is a great thing – but not so good for the guest. It is now Monday morning and I am still looking for a good quality home for her. The guest understandably thought that the economy would be having an impact and there would be homes available. Thankfully I am glad to report that certainly from my experience then this is not the case – 2009 is shaping up to be my best year ever with more bookings than ever.

So how far in advance do you have to book a Windsor Palms home? Do the best ones go first? Or will you get a bargain if you wait?

Sometimes you will get lucky and if you leave it until the last moment to book you will get a discounted rate. But this can be a bit of a lottery. Think of it just like a cruise ship. Obviously a ship has a limited amount of space with cabins of varying size and quality. Windsor Palms has a limited amount of space with homes of different sizes, locations and quality. If you leave it to the last moment to book on a cruise ship you may get a cheap rate, but the only cabin left may be the least desirable inside view. Hit lucky and you will get a balcony view at a great rate. Your choice will be limited. Or perhaps, as this lady found this weekend, there is no more room left at all and you just can’t get in.

Can you get a discount if you book early? I am going back to the cruise ship idea again – yes I like cruises almost as much as Disney vacations! The way the cruise industry is set up is that generally the earlier you book the better rate you get. They know they have a certain amount of cabins to fill and will let the discount ones go first and then the prices start to go up as they know what to expect in terms of occupancy. Some vacation home owners, including me, may also work this way. I am taking bookings for 2010 for all my homes and offering these at 2009 rates. But as soon as I get a certain number of bookings for 2010 then the rates will go up. So get in now if you are thinking of a stay at the resort.

So the best advice I can give? Book ahead. The best homes do tend to go first. Everyone wants the best locations in Windsor Palms particularly my most popular homes the conservation view 5 bed home, and the 4 bed home which is located on a really large, private lot. So if you want your pick of the best – and of course I hope you think mine are the best – then you do need to book early. Some dates such as July, August, Easter, Christmas and major Holidays book up to a year in advance. Other times such as May are slower times of the year so you may be able to get that last minute break. So as soon as you the dates you may need a Windsor Palms home – get booking!

Have I yet found a home for my guest? I spent hours at the weekend looking. First I used all my contacts. Nothing available. Then I started looking on the internet just as anyone looking for a home would. And I was amazed at how difficult it was. I know where to look and I found it almost impossible. Then if I found anything no one got back to me. I am waiting for a call this morning – someone promised to get back to me. It will be interesting to see if they do………