Using Airbnb as proof, travellers are looking for more affordable accommodations. On the flip-side, travellers are also craving a more unique and immersive experience while abroad. With a vacation rental, you can often get a much better price, especially if you're booking as a group or staying a week or longer.  Vacation rentals can put you right on a private beach or right in the heart of a bustling city, giving you a true local experience. Vacation rentals also offer the comforts, convenience and privacy of home. You can stop by the local market and cook in your kitchen, entertain guests in your living room or hop in your private hot tub. If you were to stay in a luxury suite at a hotel with these amenities, you would expect to pay substantially more.

To accommodate the needs of these travellers, the vacation rental market has sprouted a new trend of “boutique” vacation rentals, which combines the elements of a boutique hotel with a vacation rental. The result is companies that hand-pick vacation rentals for their collections, ensuring guests their properties always meet their standards and style. That means instead of renting a stranger's home, you'll arrive at a condo or villa where the emphasis is placed on interior design, local decor, designer furnishings and special touches. Neighbourhoods, locations and scenery are all considered for maximum effect and enjoyment. 

Many companies from this new breed of vacation rental offer services to make sure you don't feel as though you are missing out on things offered by your would be hotel. You'll be offered conveniences like a concierge to help with activities and reservations, an ensuite chef to cook local cuisine in your own kitchen or a private driver so you can relax in the back seat. This makes sure you're happy in the comfort of your temporary home and don't miss staying in a hotel. 

MySuites Boutique Suites NYC

My Suites

NYC-based MySuites is the original “Boutique Suites” concept, offering apartments held purely as vacation rentals with interior design by their in-house team of designers. Their apartments avoid the tourist traps and are spread throughout hip neighbourhoods such as Greenwich Village, Chelsea, NoMad District and more. Thanks to their sought-after locations, you’ll get to live like true a New Yorker, surrounded by both international and local secrets when it comes to shopping, dining and entertainment. And you’ll be living like a stylish New Yorker too, with each suite crafted with a heavy New York influence, decorated with local art and set with designer furnishings from names like Philippe Starck and Eames. They also offer services you’d expect in boutique hotels around NYC, with a concierge, private driver, grocery delivery and room service available to their guests.

Cream Hotel

Cream Hotel

Cream Hotel isn’t really a hotel, but a hospitality company and lifestyle brand. Their personally selected collection of vacation rentals range from condos to beach villas, spanning locations from London down to Buenos Aires and a laundry list of hotspots in between. Each property values their guests’ experience as much as their convenience when they visit. Depending on where you are in the world, expect your rental to blend in with the local culture and environment. Their love for beautiful homes and scenery joins their appreciation of art, music and events which they share on their website. They also offer an “in-house” concierge to pass along local and insider tips, help grab tickets, get into an exclusive party or pick the perfect restaurant. 

The City Apartment Book

The City Apartment Book

The City Apartment Book is filled with personally curated vacation rentals with class and luxury in mind. They specialize in villas and chalets in European destinations, especially along the Mediterranean countries, from the Algarve in the west all the way east to Mykonos and even down to Morocco.  You could head to one of their chalets in Switzerland for a ski vacation or head down to South Africa for a safari. They only offer mid to high luxury properties and all are hand-picked, letting you browse between city destinations, villa and chalet destinations or their most high-end properties. To attract and help out their guests, they keep them stay up to date on events happening in their area.