Rules for the "Short Notice" List

   Rather than send out a long email about the way the "short-notice" list works, I thought it would be more useful to just post an off-site page on the web about it. Since you can't get to this page from our website directly, feel free to ask me for the link again if it gets lost.

   Let me take a moment to explain the way this booking and reservation system will need to work as it's noticeably different from the normal route. One of the toughest decisions for me is whether or not to book a weekend stay during a slower time of the year. Normally we like to rent all our properties from Saturday to Saturday so we can rent things back to back. Just one Saturday to Saturday week is usually worth four times as much as a weekend booking. Even worse, about 80% of our weekly inquiries ask for a Saturday to Saturday stay, so renting across a weekend can jeopardize two weeks worth of income. But at the same time, weekend stays are the most likely request from people on the short-notice list and, since many weeks go unrented in the off-season anyway, we need good renters!

   Ah, the dilemmas of the vacation rental manager . . . This list, then, is an attempt to try and work around this problem. Basically, we try and shamelessly bribe you (and who doesn't love being shamelessly bribed). We extend to you the standard discount of the short-notice list-- a whopping 50% off!! In exchange for this pretty significant perk, we take your reservation but keep your dates open on the online calendars (meaning it would appear to everyone on the outside that those nights were still free). That way we can book a property by the week (or the month) if such a call came in.

   Now at this point you might be thinking that this deal stinks because you can make plans and just get bumped out of your slot. But before you start fantasizing about where I can stick this webpage, keep in mind that we have every incentive in avoiding this "bumping" situation--if you get bumped out of a vacation, you're that much less likely to make another short-notice rental with us in the future! The last thing we want to do is to tick you off. So when you email me for a quick stay, I'll be very frank with you how likely it is that we'll wind up renting that slot to a weekly visitor.

   For example, take this upcoming weekend of August 27-29, which until a few hours ago was free in five of our eight properties. Not one hour after I sent out the invitation to the list to everyone, I had my first "short-notice" booking (dang it--I'm demanding a raise. Double my salary of zero would be . . . aw rats!). This family now has a great stay at an amazing home (normally $300 a night, they'll get it at $150 per night). I told them that with only four weeks to go until that weekend, it is virtually impossible that all five properties will book up solid. So they can bank on having themselves a super vacation at unbeatable prices. The next person to request that weekend will still have just about a sure thing for that weekend. The third person would be carrying some risk that they'd be bumped, but my gut feeling is that they'd still be okay. The fourth party is definitely iffy unless they booked at the very last minute. We'll always keep the last weekend in reserve unless it's the night before to try and keep from ever denying someone a vacation.

   But what if someone calls me tomorrow and asks for the week of August 21-28 at Pelican Roost, which would conflict with the August 27-29 stay above? In that case, we'll notify the "short-notice" renter immediately and offer to move them to another home. If they decide to back out altogether we'll refund their deposit and, of course, we won't charge our normal $25 processing fee. If they do want to come, we'll move them to the still-open property and give them a discount for any change in rent. Say the Pelican Roost group above were moved to Calypso Breeze for the weekend instead. That apartment normally rents for $150 a night in the summer, or $75 with their "short-notice" discount--we'd give them back the difference. But . . . what if you're "forced" to upgrade? What if the only property that was left was the three story Luxury Beach House with the private pool (normally $400 a night--or $200 at half price)? In this case, you won't pay a penny extra. We collect the balance and the deposit at the same time, two weeks before your first night. And you needn't worry about being cancelled or moved at the very last minute--your stay is cemented in the books three days in advance! We do take short-notice stays for high value times of the year like holiday weekends, June/July weeks, and Thanksgiving/Christmas, but we firm up these stays only 24 hours in advance (gotta give the properties every chance to book as those times supply badly needed revenue!).

   Since we really don't want to move people to another home any more than we absolutely have to, we'll frown on taking these short-notice bookings more than four weeks in advance. If it's for a really slow month like October or November, then we'll probably do it, but not for the summer because things are usually pretty busy. Lastly, we'll only offer these savings on a minimum of a $200 purchase (excluding taxes and cleaning, since that just goes right back out of the bank). Please excuse me for putting it so bluntly, but it's just not worth taking a reservation for less because of the risk we assume each time we rent a property (sorry to sound like I don't trust you, but if you read our Security FAQs page about our horrible Spring Breakers this year you'll understand!).

   Let me give you some rules of thumb for our busiest and slowest periods so you'll know the best times to try and snatch up a last minute deal. Usually holidays (and special events like Bike Week or the Daytona 500), June, and July are practically impossible for me to work something out--they almost always book solid. March and April (especially early March and late April) are a so-so time for bargain-hunting--we were probably half empty this year. May is a GREAT month to come to the beach during the summer and is very slow for us (last month of school for families) so that's always a good time to look for deals. I can just about always find you something at the last minute from September to February!

   **The Mountain Home is too far away for us to make this work effectively, so it's out of bounds for the short-notice list. Sorry!

   And there you go! Just send me an email at staugvacations@comcast.net if you feel like a nice relaxing weekend at the beach (be sure to mention that you're a member of the short-notice list)!