Capistrano Beach, Calif. » The beach-house rental seemed cozy and quaint at first glance.
Though it wasn't fancy, the two-bedroom house on a private beach almost halfway between San Diego and Los Angeles offered a family everything it might need for a weeklong stay.
Each second-floor bedroom had a balcony, one looking out at a mountain, the other at the ocean. The main floor featured a kitchen complete with every utensil, pot, pan and plate. That opened up into a living room offering cable television, high-speed Internet and two sofas that pulled out into beds.
There was also a washer and dryer. A security guard checked identifications to let visitors in and out of the small road.
A patio complete with gas barbecue and outdoor shower opened up to a private beach. There, a cement fire pit offered an evening gathering place on a cool night where it was possible to roast marshmallows or hot dogs while watching the sun set over nearby Dana Point.
At just less than $3,000 for a week stay in September, the rental in the midst of a number of other private homes was not cheap unless a traveler considered what it might cost to rent three or four beachfront hotel rooms for a week.
"It's great when you have a full kitchen that is completely equipped so you don't have to go out for every meal," said Sue Hufnagle, who owns and rents adjacent beach houses on Capistrano Beach. "It is convenient to be right there. Restroom facilities are there. And it's the same if you want to put kids down for a nap and then sit out on the patio on the beach."
If there is a disadvantage to those used to staying in hotels, it is that at a beach house, there are no maids to come in and make up beds, provide fresh towels each night or clean up.
Yet, as many Internet companies doing rentals around the U.S. and the world realize, demand is increasing for such rentals.
One private-home rental Internet company, Zonder.com, is based in Salt Lake City.
According to Scott Hauswirth, the company's vice president of business development, Zonder's inventory of rental properties runs from luxury to budget. For example, one rental property in Florida on the company's Web site was renting for as little as $85 a night.
The site allows potential renters to search for amenities in their price range. For example, there is a check box if you would like a hot tub and a pool, which most properties in Florida provide.
"A big part of our business is in Florida and the Carolinas," Hauswirth said. "Mountain and lake destinations are also popular. We have properties spread throughout the country because Americans like to drive to their vacations and keep their eyes on their wallets."
For example, while the company has rentals in Hawaii, they are not as popular. Many travelers want to only be a few hours from home.
Hauswirth said the advantage of a rental is that for the same price or less than a nice hotel, families can enjoy more privacy and often a better destination with a home on a ski mountain or next to water.
"You have the opportunity to spend more time with people you are traveling with as opposed to retiring to your own rooms at the end of the night," he said.
Rentals are not to be confused with time shares, which require members to pay an upfront fee and annual fees and then can only be used in places where the time-share company has a property.
In many but not all cases, rental-property owners require a minimum stay. For example, Hufnagle's properties require a seven-night payment.
"That varies by destination," he said. "There is a seven-night minimum at some locations, but we are seeing property managers ease up on that with more flexibility built into the market. You will see over time that those requirements will be loosened. Ski destinations seem to be open to a weekend booking."
When a family does enjoy each other's company, a rental house, especially one on a beach, can be a bonding experience with each family member perhaps buying and cooking a meal, youngsters enjoying playing in the surf or building a sand castle and parents able to use the house as a base to explore other nearby attractions during the day.
When all is said in done, though, leaving a nice house on a private beach for another attraction will be difficult because, once you settle in, it's time to do a lot of relaxing.
