Eat In…Make The Most of Your Airbnb or VRBO Vacation Rental

Let’s be honest, food is a BIG part of travel. When we are well fed, we are happier! Every city you travel to has a few great restaurants that definitely help you get a taste of the local culture and cuisine, however eating every meal out when you travel gets expensive and challenging. So what do you do? Here are a few great travel tips I have learned by helping guests at The Morrow House.

Pre-Order Your Groceries

In today’s modern world it is incredibly simple to go online and order your groceries.  I encourage our guests to go to our local grocer’s website (HEB) and pick out everything they would like for their stay at least three days prior to their trip.  They pre pay for their groceries and arrange to have them delivered at 12 noon the day of their arrival so that I can stock the fridge and cabinets with their items.  Our guests then arrive to a full fridge with everything they like. This allows for all special dietary needs to be met, it makes it more enjoyable when folks are enjoying time at the house and it also saves them time and money. Who doesn’t like that? 

Pre-Order Meals With A Caterer

Some of our most savvy guests have worked with our list of local caterers to pre order all of their meals before their travels to The Morrow House. The caterer will meet me at the house the day of the guest’s arrival and together we stack the fridge with their prepared meals and all of the trimmings complete with instructions for prep and heating. This allows guests to have delicious meals with a local flare that they don’t have to prepare, and provides more opportunity for luxurious dining with their friends and family. Breakfast, lunch and dinner can all be prepped and delivered by the caterer to remove all stress related to the never ending question of “what are going to eat” and it makes for a nice way to make use of the beautiful home you are renting.

Hire A Chef

On more than one occasion we have had guests choose one of our local chef’s to come prepare a beautiful meal for them using our fantastic kitchen. I have a list of chefs and our guests reach out to each of them to explain what they are looking for. This may not be inexpensive, but it is SUPER fun. One of my friends did this for her 50th birthday at our place, she celebrated with an intimate dinner party on a fun getaway weekend with her closest friends. A decadent evening, with memories made for a lifetime. 

Utilize Pre-Order Meal Services

If you are within driving distance of your vacation destination many guests order from their local favorites like Whole Foods, or even Honey Baked Hams (for holiday meals) and bring their favorite meals with them. This is a simple strategy that insures that your group has foods they enjoy with very little work for you on your vacation. 

Travel is life changing, a time of renewal, it’s adventure and making memories. Renting a home in your travel destination allows for special opportunities that hotel rooms don’t. Waking up to your favorite coffee and pastry cooking in the oven, or opening up a great bottle of wine with that decadent cheese you adore that was delivered before your arrived, is indeed special. 

Each of these suggestions requires that your vacation rental has a fully functional kitchen, and this information is easily available on your booking websites like Airbnb, HomeAway and VRBO. Before you book any vacation rental property be sure to get the details on what is included in the kitchen if you plan to utilize it.