Discerning travelers are opting out of boring, cookie-cutter hotel rooms and into privately-owned vacation rentals, offering a far more unique and memorable stay. Homes, condos or apartments offer space and equipped kitchens and grills to prepare meals. Owners are flexible with check-in and check-out times and some even allow pets!
Now, as social networking blurs the lines of commerce, a new genre of social B&B networks (or peer-to-peer hotels) has emerged offering access to vacation rentals and the advantage of more security and better accommodations thanks to references from friends.
Our fav social B&B networks to help plan your next trip:
With listings in all 50 states plus Canada and Mexico, Mimbeo.com is an easy-to-use vacation rental portal that guides users to find the best deals and pads by location at no cost. Renting your own place to travelers? Mimbeo.com also provides rental owner/manager members a free marketing tool, broadcasting its member listings to 25 social networks and websites.
Favored by New Yorkers, MetroFlats.com is a vacation rental marketplace that enables hosts and renters to connect with each other through a secure network. Similar to Mimbeo.com, where you can search for vacation rentals by location, the site enables users to gain a solid understanding of the marketplace as they travel.
Social media junkies will love SecondPorch.com, a 'vacation home' Facebook application. It's the first socially enabled vacation home site available on Facebook that allows users to trade and rent vacation homes among their friends and networks. Thanks to this app, travelers can skip the hassle of researching for a trustworthy pad to crash, as they can take suggestions directly from their friends.
For more ideas like this, visit GreatStartUps.com, featuring new startup companies for consumers to keep their eye on.
