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Mason Condominium |
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Royal Palm Bay Villas, Orlando, Kissimee, Florida , USA. |
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Affiliates |
HOTELS, HOLIDAY RENTALS AND PACKAGES |
| Once the decision has been taken to visit Florida, or any other part of the USA, the first thing that has to be decided is where to stay. If you are taking a package then this has already been decided for you and is almost certainly in the form of hotel rooms. A package is attractive, especially if you have not been to the country before, because everything is organised for you and you do not have to worry about anything except enjoying yourself. However, it almost certainly does not represent the best value for money and severely limits your options once you are there. Making your own arrangements, especially if you are planning a touring holiday, is far more flexible and much more fun. Motel accommodation is reasonably priced in the US and rarely requires pre-booking unless you are going to a popular area, a tourist event or in the high season. Of course their holiday season may not be the same as ours so it pays to check beforehand. Bank and public holidays are different in America and can vary from state to state. For example February in Florida hosts the world-renowned Daytona stock car races, the Gasparilla Festival in Tampa, the Silver Spurs Rodeo in Kissimmee, and has even been known to feature the climax of the Super Bowl season. The department of Homeland Security, who since the events of 11 September 2001 oversee Customs and Immigration formalities, now require you to declare on arrival where you will be staying for your first night so it is necessary to make that booking if no other before leaving the UK. All the major hotel and motel chains have web sites that allow you to do this. A motel is little different to a hotel except that they are designed for the convenience of the motorist and are unlikely to offer any meals beyond a sometimes basic breakfast. Eating out in America is so varied and reasonably priced that this is hardly a problem. Rates are by the room, which will usually contain either a king sized bed or two queen sized beds (the equivalent of our double bed), an en-suite bathroom, drinks making facilities and maybe even a refrigerator or microwave. Prices are from as little as $29.99 (£20 approximately) a night, with the sky being the limit. Of course one gets what one pays for but the large chains guarantee a basic level of service although as franchises they can vary from one location to another. It can often be fun, though, to try smaller privately owned local motels which display more character. If you intend to move about a considerable amount then motels are the ideal solution. But if the intention is to remain in one are then in most tourist destinations, especially of Florida, there is a vast market in rental accommodation. This ranges from fully furnished apartments and condominiums with all facilities such as dishwasher, cooker, fridge-freezer, washing machine and drier with a shared pool etc. (such as our Mason Condominium), through detached villas and their own, albeit small, pools up to large family homes with verandas and extensive grounds at prices to fit. These are all like home from home and can represent excellent value for money, especially if there are a number of you travelling together. They can be booked through the vast array of management and rental companies but many owners have their own web sites like this one where prices are more reasonable because there is no third party involved in the process. The choice in the last resort is yours. |
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