Latitude21 Resorts knows there is no doubt that the FRBO (for-rent-by-owner) concept has caused the entire travel industry to reconsider the value offering of a standard hotel room. Last year, FRBO heavy weights Airbnb and VRBO sold 3.6 billion and 2.8 billion respectively. This phenomenal success has forced other noted online travel agencies such as Booking.com and even Orbitz.com to offer FRBO style vacations themselves. However, with these brand names now entering the FRBO space, it makes one wonder if this style of vacation is really all that it is cracked up to be?
Latitude21’s Customer Experience
My wife and I just came back from a recent trip to Playa del Carmen where we stayed in an Airbnb condo. We decided that it would be really nice to have our own small kitchen and the privacy of a condo. With that in mind, we decided to give Airbnb a try. The condo we stayed in was lovely, just a few blocks from the beach, and reasonably priced. However, we found ourselves missing a few of the services that would have made our stay more enjoyable. For example, we found ourselves cleaning up every day while on vacation. Don’t get me wrong, we don’t mind a little housekeeping, but we certainly missed climbing into a freshly made bed, having folded towels daily, and other minimal services that are offered at resorts.
On more than one occasion, we wished that we had a concierge for restaurant recommendations and other tips for exploring everything Playa del Carmen has to offer. We also found that the condo lacked certain amenities that would have made our vacation a bit more enjoyable. It would have been nice if our condo building offered a spa, on-site restaurant, and a pool that offered more of an inviting atmosphere. With everything considered, we would give our Airbnb accommodations a rating of average at best. It wasn’t that great and it wasn’t that bad, it was somewhere in the middle. The question was asked, is “average” really what we were hoping for? Will we experience the same accommodations as before in our future bookings?
Enter Latitude21 Resorts
Latitude21 Resorts is a relatively new concept in the travel service industry. Similar to Airbnb, Latitude21Resorts.com is a For-Rent-By-Owner online service with a twist. It specializes in offering timeshare rentals. Yes, I said timeshare rentals. The accommodations are located along one of the most beautiful latitudes in the world and you guessed it, Latitude21.
Timeshare style vacations are not a new concept. The timeshare industry has been around for over 40 years in one form or another. What is new though is the idea of renting a timeshare from an individual owner. The benefits offered? It’s simple, with Latitude21Resorts.com vacationers get to enjoy a timeshare style vacation without the expense of buying one. You check in and start enjoying all the benefits and amenities that are offered to an owner. And during your vacation, you don’t have to worry about making your bed or cleaning your condo. All you have to do is enjoy your vacation!
What’s so great about timeshares you ask? Well in a nutshell, timeshares represent the best of both the Airbnb and Resort worlds. Timeshare units generally give the vacationer more space to spread out. They almost always come with well equipped kitchens, living rooms, and private bedrooms with on-suite bathrooms. All the features in which Airbnb travelers have grown accustom to. However, being very different from the Airbnb environment, timeshares offer the luxuries of a resort. This means that Latitude21 properties provide Airbnb style condos, with the services and amenities that vacationers want most, such as daily maid service, onsite concierge privileges, restaurants, resort style pools and spas. Considering the way that Airbnb has taken the travel industry by storm, it makes us wonder if perhaps this newcomer, Latitude21Resorts.com, is onto something.
