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Ruth, I am writing a book :)

When we started living in our vacation house in Mexico for six months a year, I never suspected our dog would open the door to our becoming a part of our village. This is one of many of his stories. Brando’s dense, fluffy blond coat and “I love you!” brown eyes made him look like a 75-pound...

For several years I worked with a printer for big jobs as well as small jobs. He was easy to work with, reliable, and his pricing was competitive. As digital communications began to reduce his clients' print jobs, he'd bemoan the loss of revenue. "Peter," I said. "Look broader. You're in the...

Since we're here for 11 weeks, we brought 14,782 poop bags and stationed them near the pooping area. Perhaps dog-friendly properties could supply bags and store them near where they want dogs to go, and provide instructions on where to dispose them.

My husband and I, and our two golden retrievers, just returned to the same house we rented for 11 weeks last winter (see Why I Love Our Host). Since our departure, our host and I have stayed in touch via texts and emails, exchanging news and silly photos of her goldens and ours. Last year she...

Bo and I are waiting for our Sunday lunch to be served at a cliffside restaurant in Todi, Umbria in Italy. The outdoor terrace is filled with families dressed in church clothes, all talking and dining. We’re the only foreigners. I heft my camera bag over my shoulder and slip between the tables...

@DMartinez, congratulations on getting your engaging newsletter written and sent—and on Wendy's positive response! I like the mix of captioned photos with the personal stories. I feel like I'm part of your family visit, and can imagine spending time at your gorgeous home with people I enjoy...

Rick, sometimes good enough is good enough. Please don't pressure yourself to do more. We know you strive for excellence, and would never coast. Give yourself permission to devote time to enjoying your life. The first year I worked as a divemaster at a laid-back resort in the Bahamas--where I...

For our Mexico property website, I created a shot list to tell a story about what it would feel like to live in this property. What would guests see, touch, use and experience that said "You're in Mexico!" Professional photos showed made-in-Mexico textiles (bedspreads, bed scarves, decorative...

When I worked at a small, family owned/run dive resort on an Out Island in the Bahamas, guests would occasionally say, "There's a land crab in our shower." To which the owner would smile and say, "We don't charge anything extra for that."

#3 from the Guest point of view. We wanted to rent a dog-friendly house in a specific beach community for three months during winter 2023. We're two adults and two golden retrievers. I first looked for local rental agencies and found nothing. Then I resorted to Vrbo. I found the ideal house...

Hola Susanne, we owned two casas in San Pancho for seven years. We lived in one for six months a year and rented the other. We sold it in July.

Donna, I was fortunate that our property was in a fly-to destination in a warm climate, so many of our guests arrived with only carry-on bags—no room for pilfered pillows, coat hangers, robes—or a way to pass through security with a collection of Swiss knives. I was most fortunate that our...

I've used this exact approach for a small Caribbean island, saying something like "If you need gleaming marble, white tablecloth restaurants and booming nightclubs, you'll be much happier elsewhere. But if you're seeking ... "

Right now I'm sitting at a compact desk in a corner of the living room in a townhouse we've rented for a month. The location is ideal for this stay (we're scouting a college town for relocation), parking is easy, and we could bring our two golden retrievers. The property is clean and furnished...

No matter how much we plan, prepare, maintain, improve, innovate or do, we can’t control everything. Construction noise, power outages, severe weather, medical emergencies, road closures, and land crab migrations through the shower can spoil our guests’ vacations—yet are beyond our control. As...

My best hiring lesson I'll always remember the general manager of the storied Round Hill in Jamaica telling the assemblage at a Caribbean Tourism Organization annual conference, "You hire the right people, then make the people right." Our team in Mexico Our now-sold vacation property is in a...

On guests' first wake-up morning, we'd knock on their door after 9 a.m. and present fresh croissants from the bakery in our Mexican village. This did not start as a deliberate strategy. One morning we stopped by the bakery after our morning walk to buy our own croissants. Since repeat guests...

Pass the tissues, please. This ad is all about triggering joy, an emotion too many haven't felt for over 400 days. Nowhere do we see a chef's kitchen, bubbling hot tub, or king bed with a scattering of red rose petals. Vrbo is smartly selling the experience of being with people you love, and...

I get bouts of seething jealously of a couple I know who rent two of their three homes without breaking a sweat or losing any sleep. One house is in coastal California, the other in the south of France—both desirable locations. They gave up their websites for each property and just list with...