Inhabit Vacations

Paris! And why it’s still cool even though you’ve heard of it.

rebecca@inhabitvacations.com

Part of the fun of Inhabit — what gets us up every morning and keeps us on the hunt for great properties — is showing our guests new places they might have never thought of, and bringing little-known awesomeness to their attention.

Then this week we added…PARIS! Hm. Paris isn’t exactly an out-of-the-way little burg. It’s not that popular cities are bad; Paris and Rome and San Francisco are popular for a reason! But chances are you already know about the Eiffel Tower, and you’ve heard of the Louvre (just in case, we’ve added it to the site, so don’t worry). But you might not know about the miraculous salt caramels at A l’Etoile d’Or, or that the best potato pancakes you’ll ever taste can be found at Boulevard Raspail Market. [read more]

Camping Gets a Makeover

rebecca@inhabitvacations.com

Usually I’m not a big fan of synthesized words. Dramedy, edutainment, rockumentary…but sometimes there’s just no other way to describe something. Take “glamping”, for instance. Wait, what? Glamping, you guys. Glamorous camping.

When you think about camping, you think nylon tents and waking up with gravel in the small of your back. There’s definitely a time and place for truly roughing it, but if you’re like us, you want a little swank with your s’mores. [read more]

Giving While Getting Away

rebecca@inhabitvacations.com

One of the central ideas at Inhabit is the concept of learning to travel in a way that reflects who you are. We are focused on aesthetics, but there’s more to us than that — and more to you. You love great design, and you’re also passionate about animal welfare; you name grape varietals like most people name television characters, and the urgent need for medical care in developing countries breaks your heart. You love staying in luxurious digs, but it means the most to you that everyone have a roof over their heads.

So what do vacation rentals have to do with the ASPCA, Doctors Without Borders, and Habitat for Humanity? [read more]

How Not to Throttle Your Travel Companions

rebecca@inhabitvacations.com

This guest post is brought to you by Matt Carroll and WePay.com who, as you may remember, is a site we love using to split the cost of group travel.

Vacations are supposed to be a time of fun, relaxation, and recovery. You travel to escape the stresses of work, home, and the incessant demands on your time and energy. Your vacation, your trip; it’s all about you, until you hear…

“MOM! I can’t find my underwear!”

“Dave…I think I lost the passports”

“Laura, you better call the embassy. Mike got caught feeding the lemurs again.”

Oh right, your travel companions. [read more]

5 Vacation Rental Trends for 2011

rebecca@inhabitvacations.com

The travel review site TripAdvisor released the results of its annual survey this month. After tallying results from over 1,400 travelers who responded, here are 5 key trends that can help us all better prepare for the year ahead....[read more]

Inhabit's own Kenwood Lodge is perfect for big groups.

Easy Trips with Friends, Plus an Innovative Hotel Idea

rebecca@inhabitvacations.com

One of my favorite things about my job is that I have to stay current on all the cool things other people are doing. Inhabit is constantly evolving, and getting inspiration from our peers is one of the ways we stay fresh.

In the course of my digging, I sometimes come across ideas so great that I just have to share them with the world. Here are two that have struck my fancy of late... [read more]

The Scoop on the New Sonoma Vacation Rental Permit

rebecca@inhabitvacations.com

As you may have heard, Sonoma County is the latest community tightening its regulation of vacation rental properties. The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance in early November requiring vacation rental owners to obtain a permit starting January 2011.

The ordinance requires existing vacation rentals with 6 or fewer rooms to obtain a $150 permit, and also to submit documentation that their septic system is at least class 3. Properties with more than 6 rooms (or new properties with more than 5 rooms) will need a use permit, which can cost as much as $3,800.

"Existing" and "new" designations are based on whether the property has paid the county lodging tax for the past 2 years.

The permit application is not yet available but should be online starting January 1, 2011. An announcement will appear on the county's website (sonoma-county.org/prmd) when the application is ready. In the meantime, vacation rentals that are not registered with the tax collector should do that. For more information about taxes, call 707-565-2869.

Sonoma is not the only region paying increasing attention to vacation rentals...[read more]

San Francisco From the Air!

rebecca@inhabitvacations.com

Flying into San Francisco--like flying into New York--is a great way to familiarize yourself with the area. The geography of the Bay Area can be confusing, so seeing it from the air is a huge help. Here are some shots we've taken flying into and out of SFO.

Here's a little help, if you're having trouble getting oriented:

Of course, we can't forget San Francisco's most famous bridge...[read more]

Something to Stand For: In Line

rebecca@inhabitvacations.com

Everything you need to know about coffee culture in San Francisco, you can learn from this video:

Seriously, watch it. It is the most hilarious Internet video I've seen in a long time (and I watch a LOT of Internet videos). If you'd like to check out the venues mentioned, where coffee "costs more than goddamn crack," here is a little guide: Blue Bottle

Where to find: Hayes Valley (kiosk) or the Ferry Building
What to try: Anything. The coffee and lattes are superb. Interestingly, they don't serve iced coffee black because it's so strong--you have to get it with milk.
What we think: Solid choice.

Ritual Roasters

Where to find: Valencia Street (the Mission)
What to try: The incomprehensible menu will throw you for a loop, so just ask for a latte or something.
What we think: Meh. It's good, but not great. The poorly organized menu annoys us, and the hipster quotient is off the charts. Plus, the coffee will make you feel like you're on crack.

Philz Coffee (Top Pick!)

Where to find: Deep in the Mission or the Castro
What to try: Ask for some mint in your coffee, and they'll garnish it with a mint leaf. It's somehow a delicious combo. If you can, try the iced mint mojito. It'll change your life.
What we think: Awesome x 1000. Totally unpretentious, super delicious coffee, and a laid-back atmosphere.

Four Barrel

Where to find: Valencia Street (the Mission)
What to try: Keeping your cool.
What we think: We've been to Four Barrel, but didn't actually try the coffee, as the epic hipness of the place distracted us from the task at hand. Every aspect of the coffee shop is like experiencing the future of everything so hip it doesn't even exist. Whatever that means. A visit to Four Barrel is total sensory overload. And I guess they serve coffee, too.

Visitors to San Francisco who want easy access to these ultra-hip coffee joints can get the hookup at Inhabit Vacations. We've got some awesome vacation rentals in the Mission. Our Haight Ashbury vacation rentals put you close to Hayes Valley, which is a lovely place to explore, coffee in hand or not. Whatever you end up doing, never forget the lessons learned during the legendary battle: "The Coffee Wars defined what we were: Egocentric style whores, more concerned with what's inside our cup than with the world around us." For shame!

Inhabit Launches!

rebecca@inhabitvacations.com

After a summer of building, scouting, fawning, refining, and obsessing, we are pleased to announce the launch of our official site, InhabitVacations.com.

The site was inspired by countless friends and family who ask for vacation rental recommendations, and the vacation rental owners who asked for help attracting travelers. It eventually dawned on us that we should spread the love and make it possible for anyone to find and book a hidden gem vacation rental. So, we set about to curate the most exceptional (yet affordable) properties, starting in San Francisco and Sonoma Wine Country.

What makes a home an Inhabit home? We like to say we know it when we see it...but to be more specific, here's what speaks to us:

Down-to-earth comfort. Amenities like soft linens, fluffy towels, and cooking utensils are a given. Special touches like organic olive oil, hand-made soap, and board game collections are common.
Personal touch. The owners of Inhabit properties put a touch of themselves into the place. This isn't the Holiday Inn; this is a true home away from home.
Pride of ownership. Inhabit properties have owners who cherish them.
Special location. Our properties place travelers in the heart of a place, where real people live. While we don't always reject touristy areas, we prefer the Left Bank to the Champs E'lysee; Noe Valley to Fisherman's Wharf; the West Village to Times Square.

Only properties that meet our high standards make the cut, so you can be assured that if it's on our site, the property has blown us away. We encourage you to head over to Inhabit Vacations and browse our collection. And one last thing--we are always looking for more amazing places, so if you own or know about a vacation rental that you think we'd love, please drop us a line! Thanks for reading - we are so excited to share our adventure (and our treasures!) with you all!

- The Inhabit Team