AvantStay®
For the 2026 AvantStay Awards, we invited our travel community to once again vote for their favorite homes across 20 standout categories. After tens of thousands of votes and weeks of anticipation, a new group of exceptional stays has risen to the top. From elevated desert estates to design-forward coastal escapes and unforgettable mountain retreats, …
Continue reading “20 Best Vacation Homes of 2026: Meet the AvantStay Awards Winners”
Update: The winners of the 2026 AvantStay Awards have been chosen! Click here to meet the 20 standout homes that are redefining luxury travel this year. For the second year in a row, the AvantStay Awards are back—and it’s time to cast your vote! After an incredible response to last year’s inaugural awards, we’re once …
Continue reading “Meet the Finalists of the 2026 AvantStay Awards!”
Heading south for winter means leaving your home behind for months at a time. This annual migration brings sunshine and warmth but also requires serious preparation to protect your property. From winterizing pipes to securing doors and windows, the tasks add up quickly when you’re planning an extended absence. Forgetting even small details can lead …
Continue reading “Snowbird Checklist for Leaving Home: 30 Things You Need to Do”
Via our first-class guest experience and premium vacation rental homes, we see more 5-star ratings than the competition. Check out our favorite guest reviews from the month.
Not all vacation homes are created equal, and at AvantStay, we know what makes a stay truly unforgettable. Whether it’s a jaw-dropping view, a pool that steals the show, or a game room that keeps the whole crew entertained, some homes just get it. That’s why we created the AvantStay Awards—to spotlight the best of …
Continue reading “AvantStay Awards Finalists: 2025’s Best Homes”
The holidays bring a special kind of magic when friends and family gather together. With Christmas activities, it helps create those wonderful moments that everyone will remember for years to come. Whether you enjoy quiet nights at home or outdoor winter adventures, the right Christmas activities make this season truly special. Find the activities in …
Continue reading “Must-Do Fun Christmas Activities This Holiday Season”
The smell of roasting turkey fills the air, while loved ones gather to share food and laughter. Christmas dinner brings everyone together around the table. Moreover, these special meals create memories that last for years, making the holiday season truly unforgettable. Planning your Christmas menu doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. If you prefer traditional roasts …
Continue reading “Best Christmas Dinner Ideas for Your Holiday Menu 2026”
The holidays bring everyone together, but keeping guests entertained can feel like a challenge. Between dinner prep, watching Christmas movies, and gift exchanges, you need Christmas activities that bring laughter without a complicated setup. Having Christmas games solves this problem by creating moments your family will remember long after decorations come down. Simple activities get …
Continue reading “The Best Christmas Games for All Ages to Play This Holiday”
The holiday season brings a special kind of magic. And Christmas movies have become a beloved tradition for families everywhere. From timeless classics that have been passed down through generations to fresh releases hitting screens this year, there’s something for everyone. Whether you’re looking for laugh-out-loud comedies, heartfelt family stories, or action-packed adventures, the right …
Continue reading “50 Best Christmas Movies to Watch This Holiday Season”
Travel scams cost Americans over $2.6 million between 2024 and 2025, with the average victim losing around $1,200 per incident. Scams in the travel industry rose 18% during summer and 28% during winter peak seasons in 2024, making it one of the most targeted industries worldwide. These numbers tell a tough truth that scammers are …
Continue reading “How to Avoid Travel Scams: Complete Safety Guide”
Choosing a location is the first step in planning the perfect vacation, and there are a few hoops you have to jump through and boxes that must be ticked to ensure that every member of your crew, no matter their age, has something to enjoy. We’ve got ten expert tips to help you find the …
Continue reading “10 Tips on Finding the Best Kid-Friendly Vacation Home”
Thanksgiving, and therefore, Friendsgiving is right around the corner. Time to spend time with your chosen family! But don’t settle for your run-of-the-mill potluck this year. You’ve got a great friend group and you all deserve a pre-holiday celebration just as special as you are. Listed below are our 9 favorite ways to elevate your …
Continue reading “The Best Friendsgiving Ideas for a Group Getaway”
Is it really a vacation if your favorites aren’t with you? Of course not, which is why we’re making it easier than ever to bring your pets along on your next trip. Only the best for your fur baby, so let us give you the rundown on how to find an AvantStay home that’s the …
Continue reading “What Makes AvantStay Homes Pet Friendly? Let’s explain.”
The AvantStay Awards: Celebrating Our First-Ever Winners For the first time ever, we asked our travel community to vote for their favorite AvantStay homes across 20 unique categories. After thousands of votes and weeks of anticipation, the results are in! With over 50,000 votes counted across all categories, these homes emerged as the ultimate fan …
Continue reading “The AvantStay Awards: Celebrating Our First-Ever Vacation Home Winners”
Few things get us more excited than a celebration, so we’ve designed our homes to accommodate yours. Group-friendly, fully-equipped, and downright fun, Avantstay properties are the perfect place to host your next occasion. Here’s why. 1. We have room for everyone, even the dog. From charming cabins in the mountains to equestrian estates in wine …
Continue reading “4 Reasons to Host Your Event With AvantStay”
You’re planning your next vacation to a destination you’ve been dreaming about all year, and you’re trying to decide whether you should stay in a hotel or in a vacation home with your group. It’s a classic dilemma, especially since short-term rental company Airbnb came onto the scene in 2008. The hotel-dominated industry was quickly …
Continue reading “Airbnb vs. Hotels: What’s best for your next trip?”
Corporate retreats and company “offsites” have never been as important as they are today in the post-COVID era of remote teams who frequently work from home. In-person corporate retreats promote better collaboration among team members, clearer communication, sharper brainstorming, and faster problem-solving, while also reinforcing company culture and positive morale. They also allow co-workers and …
Stay active while traveling with these 7 expert tips for February 2026. From outdoor activities to vacation rentals with gyms, keep fit on your next trip.
We all need a vacation, but sometimes it’s just not possible to fit one in your work schedule, which is why I’m a huge fan of working vacations, or, portmanteau-ed, “workcations.” Big amongst the remote work set, workcations are a way to stay in a new location, spend your work hours doing your job, and …
Continue reading “How To Master a Workcation: 4 Steps to Working Remotely in a Vacation Rental”
If there’s one thing we know how to do, it’s going bigger and better than the rest. Now we want to share our tips for traveling smarter and saving money in the process. Our vacation rental homes may be located in top destinations, designed by an award-winning team, and offer upgrades and experiences via the …
Continue reading “AvantStay’s 6 Budget-Friendly Travel Tips”
You deserve so much more than an ordinary short-term vacation rental experience whether you’re on vacation or hosting a team offsite or event.
If you’re looking for the best tequila cocktails, you’ve come to the right place. With travel in our blood (plus, a hint of lime and salt), we’ve rounded up our top tequila drinks inspired by our favorite destinations. Try making some of these easy tequila cocktails that you could whip up right at home—or your …
Continue reading “National Tequila Day: Easy Tequila Recipes for Travel Lovers”
Learn how to plan a corporate retreat in 8 steps. From venue selection to team activities, get your February 2026 guide to company offsite planning success.
Hurricanes are a part of life for those who live near the water, and if you’re planning a vacation in one of the many areas that are prone to hurricane weather, it is important to be prepared. Here are some helpful tips to know before you travel to Key West or any other major hurricane …
Continue reading “Hurricane Season Vacationing – Tips on How to Prepare Yourself”
If you can believe it, these items truly were left at our homes. We’re happy to report that most of them were claimed and returned to their owners – even the family dog that we absolutely got emotionally attached to. Here’s all the tea on these (un)forgettable items, straight from the source (our area managers). …
Continue reading “AvantAuction: All the Best of What’s Left Behind”
She felt lucky to travel with AvantStay but we’re the lucky ones for hosting the beautiful and well-traveled Helen Owen over the Thanksgiving holiday! There’s a reason she has over 1M Instagram followers, and we think it’s because she doesn’t just stay at nice places, she PLAYS at nice places. Here’s what she had to …
Continue reading “Words from the Wise: An Interview with Pro Traveler, Helen Owen”
You went places and did things—and we’re here to celebrate it. Grab your favorite bevvie and join us as we explore the best parts of our year spent together. New Additions It’s never been easier to find your dream stay. This year, we added multiple new destinations, including Port Aransas, Whidbey Island, and Chesapeake Bay! …
Name Nina Groebe Where are you based? Vail, Colorado Job Title Area Manager- Breckenridge & Vail How long have you worked at AvantStay? I have been with AvantStay for a little over a year now! How would you describe your job & responsibilities to someone who doesn’t work in your field? I am responsible for …
Continue reading “AvantStay Spotlight: Nina Groebe, Area Manager”
Here at AvantStay, we believe our employees deserve more recognition than just your traditional Employee of the Year – instead, we recognize our HERO’s. An AvantStay “HERO” is someone who is Hungry, Excellent, Resilient, and Open. Earlier this month, we awarded five talented individuals from our team whose star-power really shined through last year. Please …
We know you’re a trendsetter but figured you’d like to see your year in travel anyway. Below we’ve gathered facts you’ll love about our guests, where you traveled with us and some of our fave moments from you in your vacation era. Total Number of Guests You have a lot of friends. 300,000 of you …
