There’s something undeniably magical about the holiday season: twinkling lights, freshly fallen snow, and the comforting scent of cinnamon and pine in the air.  Families bundle up, couples wander hand in hand, and friends gather to sip hot cocoa beneath shimmering Christmas trees.  These moments happen naturally at Christmas markets, where communities come together to …

Continue reading “Best Christmas Markets in the USA for 2025”

Christmas towns create something big cities can’t replicate: entire communities participating in holiday traditions where every storefront glows with lights, local shop owners greet you by name, and the whole town turns out for tree lighting ceremonies.  These places make Christmas feel like those old movies where everyone knows each other and celebrates together instead …

Continue reading “17 Best Christmas Towns in USA You Need to Visit This Winter”

Christmas magic happens when you trade ordinary celebrations for extraordinary destinations. It is where holiday lights sparkle against mountain peaks or historic streets decorated for the season.  From snow-covered mountain towns where skiing and hot cocoa become daily traditions to mild coastal cities where you stroll historic districts without freezing: America’s best Christmas destinations offer …

Continue reading “Best Christmas Destinations in USA for a Magical Holiday”

We love festival season because nothing gets us more excited than music, friends, and a magical trip. From luxury estates to mid-century modern hotels across Coachella Valley, AvantStay offers accommodations for any group size and vibe you’re going for. A few of our own team members attended the 2022 festivals. Here’s what they had to …

Continue reading “The Best of the Fest: An Insider’s Guide to the Coachella and Stagecoach Festivals”

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”

Escape the Ordinary, Elevate Your Retreat Game Tired of the same old routine for your corporate retreats? Ready to shake things up and take your team to new levels of productivity and relaxation? Look no further than AvantStay’s Polo Villas. Nestled in a serene neighborhood, our villas offer the perfect blend of luxury and functionality, …

Continue reading “Unlock Success: Your Ultimate Guide to Corporate Retreats at AvantStay’s Polo Villas”

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 …

Continue reading “The 12 Best Corporate Retreat Ideas”

You love to travel but you also finally got your routine down at home to stay active (we love a daily hot girl walk, too). We all want to keep our health in tip-top condition while we’re out adventuring, so here are a few tips we’ve pulled together from our experts to be active on …

Continue reading “7 Best Ways To Stay Active While Traveling”

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”

In today’s world of remote and distributed work, corporate retreats have been redefined as a powerful way to support employees and company culture. Retreats can be a fantastic opportunity for your employees to escape work for a bit while strengthening relationships, boosting productivity, and refreshing workplace morale. These excursions can break up the monotony of …

Continue reading “How To Plan a Corporate Retreat In 8 Steps”

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”

Step into the world of snowbird rentals for a cozy winter escape. Our guide reveals the best seasonal vacation homes and offers handy snowbird travel tips. Get ready for affordable snowbird getaways and a stress-free winter retreat. Key West, FL Key West’s unique charm and mild winter climate make it an ideal destination for snowbird …

Continue reading “Snowbird Monthly Vacation Rentals: Top Destinations for Your Winter Escape”

Get ready for next year’s most spectacular event—even more awe-inspiring than Taylor and Travis as a couple—the 2024 Solar Eclipse! In just a few short months (April 8th to be exact), the skies will host a VIP cosmic show, and we’re here to guide you to the top North American spots for witnessing this amazing …

Continue reading “The Best Places to View the 2024 Solar Eclipse”

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! …

Continue reading “2023: That’s a Wrap!”

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”

Coachella & Stagecoach – you were on fire this year. A handful of our favorite brands set up activations at our vacation homes and invited some of the hottest celebs and influencers currently gracing our FYPs. Take a look inside our star-studded homes and you’ll see proof of why your fave brands know to have …

Continue reading “Best of the Fest – Our Fave Guests from Coachella & Stagecoach 2023”

Where are you based? Boston, MA Job Title: Senior CRM Manager Ok now… what does that stand for? CRM stands for “Customer Relationship Management,” but not in the way you may think. I don’t actually have any direct conversations with our customers. I’m more of a behind-the-scenes relationship builder. Some may also refer to my …

Continue reading “AvantStay Spotlight: Jesse Miano, Senior CRM 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 …

Continue reading “AvantStay’s 2022 HERO’s of the Year”

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 …

Continue reading “AvantStay’s 2022 Year in Review”

Model, business-owner, and former Victoria’s Secret Angel, Jasmine Tookes, took her friends on a weekend getaway to our vacation home Canopy in Park City, Utah. We sat down with Jasmine to hear her more about her stay and her new business, JOJA. Tell us some of your favorite things about the home you chose for …

Continue reading “Words from the Wise: An Interview with JOJA founder, Jasmine Tookes”