There’s no getting away from it: the travel industry has taken a hammering during COVID.  Bookings are down.  International flights are flying at a tiny fraction of the rate they did this time last year.  And the quarantine measures being implemented by governments around the world are stifling demand still further.

As vacation homeowners, I know that you have experienced for yourselves just how different 2020 has been as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.  Homes that were booked back-to-back for months on end are suddenly experiencing booking rates that have dropped through the floor.  For the first time I can remember, we’ve got homes with availability over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays with less than two months to go.

However, there have been some success stories too.  We’ve managed to keep on going, supporting you right through the pandemic, checking on your homes, and keeping things ticking over.  The best results have been achieved by homeowners who’ve been willing to be flexible about how they market their homes and the rates they achieve. So I think its useful to spend some time considering how we can learn from these experiences and help every homeowner to be successful moving forwards.

The new travel trends

Earlier this month, luxury travel magazine Conde Nast Traveller published its list of the travel trends that will become the new normal. 

• The staycation surge: there’s been a huge rise in the number of people staying in country for their vacations this year.
• Sustainability paradoxes: less travel means better air quality and more space for wildlife, but how long will it last?
• Wilderness seeking: we’re all longing for the great outdoors after months of lockdown and this is being reflected in our holiday choices.
• Isolation holidays: the trend for quarantine hideouts has to count as one of the most surprising of the year, but parents seeking quiet places to work and locals desperate for a change of scenery are also driving up demand for short-stay isolation.
• Dream trip planning: Conde Nast are predicting a huge surge as a result of pent-up demand for travel after the drawn-out restrictions we’re all dealing with right now.

The great news is that in Central Florida, we’re really well placed to capitalise on all these types of traveller demand.

Adapting to the new types of traveller

In terms of staycations, this is our biggest market right now.  Many people inside Florida are looking for a change of scenery.  The idea of lounging by the pool while observing social distancing restrictions is a real win for our homes.  We’re also getting bookings for people travelling from outside state who are attracted to Florida for the same reasons and the warmer weather.

In terms of sustainability, we will have to wait and see how this affects demand.  Governments around the world are keen to get the airline sector operating fully again because of its contribution to their national economies.  Conde Nast suggests that when things do start to reopen fully, carbon offsetting is going to be the solution.

Florida is amazingly well placed to capitalise on the wilderness-seeking trend.  Many of our homes look out onto conservation areas and there is plenty of wonderful wildlife spotting opportunities to be enjoyed right on their doorstep. Florida has the fifth largest number of state parks of all states in the country, with 191 parks statewide.

Isolation holidays are on the up.  Tales abound of hotels replacing their revenues by accommodating worn-out parents during working hours who need a quiet place where they can practice social isolation and get through their workday.  There are opportunities for vacation homeowners here too.  Investing in a home printer, upgrading the WiFi and adding a desk into one of the bedrooms can all make a big difference to your home’s marketability to this growing segment of customers.

Then there’s the dream-trip planning… the Disney dream family vacation is right up there for dream trips.  We need to continue to market to our customer base so they keep pushing their dream Disney holiday to the top of their wish list.  We have some bookings for 2021 already and, with the Master Cancel guarantee we are now offering on all holidays booked through our booking partner Ellis Exclusive Villas, we can offer considerable peace of mind for guests.

What can vacation homeowners do on a local level?

While it’s interesting to note these changing trends – and Conde Nast’s list certainly aligns with our own experience – what does it mean in practice?  How can Orlando vacation homeowners adapt to meet the demands of these new markets?

Number one: be flexible.  Things are in flux right now.  And even though news of a vaccine is really positive, things are still very fluid.  Homeowners need to be prepared to adapt.  This might mean relaxing rules about the types of bookings you’re prepared to accept.  Or it might mean being flexible about the rates you offer.  It’s a buyer’s market out there right now and you don’t want to lose out on a four-night booking for the sake of $30 a night.

The local market is different.  People travelling locally may want to stay for shorter periods.  The two-week or three-week vacations of European travellers just isn’t going to happen at the moment.  While Europeans, on average, enjoy 25 days paid vacation leave per year, their American counterparts are lucky if they have 10 days – and many aren’t expected to take advantage of it, either.  Understand that local travellers who are desperate for a change of scenery or just want to laze poolside for a couple of days are only going to book up for two or three nights.  At the moment, these bookings don’t raise the same red flags about house parties they used to and this does require a rethink.

Parents might want to book a home with a pool for a special weekend for their child’s birthday.  If parties are out, a day in the pool looks like a great option.  Or couples might want a night away together – with restaurants closed, the prospect of a poolside barbeque a deux sounds staggeringly romantic.  There a plenty of good reasons to accept single-night bookings, so let’s celebrate them!

The ultimate endpoint of this rethink is to be open to letting homes for just a day.  We’ve successfully let a couple of our homes on day rates for businesspeople who wanted to use them during the day.  These guests pay the same cleaning fees, so homeowners haven’t lost out and the homes were immaculate when we went in to clean.  This is so contrary to the usual market in Florida, it’s a little hard to get used to at first.  But in this market, we all have think a bit more creatively.

Attracting business guests is a great idea.  Plus, if you can add printers and office equipment, it makes it a lot easier for isolating families to decamp to your home.  Parents can continue to work, while the kids have a pool and games room to enjoy.

Another way to increase bookings is to widen out your market to include pet owners. Local travellers are more likely to bring their pet with them, so marketing your home as pet friendly gives you a big advantage in the local market.

If you’d like to speak with our team about different approaches to take when marketing your home, please give us a call.  We’re always happy to talk through the experiences of other homeowners and how we can learn from them in the way we market or let your home.

Alternatively, if you have any thoughts or advice you’d like to share with fellow homeowners, please share them here.  It’s always great to hear about what’s worked – or hasn’t worked – for you. 

We’re so pleased to bring you a new blog post from one of our homeowners. They have written a fantastic guide to cycling in Central Florida for us. Over to them…

On the trail in Florida: a cyclist’s paradise

One of the joys of spending time in Florida is going outside at pretty much any time of year without having to put on layers of clothing.

For those among you who love nothing more than feeling the wind in your helmet, there are now so many places to get out on your bike in safety. And they offer some pretty good scenery to enjoy as well. 

Cycling local

I started off local while just getting used to a new bike bought from Epic Cycles in Clermont.  I started getting back to more regular cycling after a few long, cold and dark months in the UK.

Initially, I just pedalled round our sub-division, Orange Tree, where the roads are quiet. It’s possible to do a circuit of 7.2km/4.5miles – route here.

I then went further afield, following the route of the SR27 cycle lane.  Insider tip: cycle on the sidewalk not the SR27 cycle lane itself, as that looked pretty dirty – a puncture waiting to happen, as well as being very close to a lot of fast-moving traffic.

If you would like to check out this route, you can find it here.

Branching out

These local routes are great, but for the best scenery, you need to stow your bike in/on your car and drive to the truly quiet, safe and beautiful Trails. You’ll find there are plenty of places to park at the trailheads, which are about every 10 miles along the trail. 

There are over 100 trails in Florida,  and you can find them all on this website grouped into 9 Regions, all with Regional overview maps.  They’ve recently added reports on (fat-tyre) “eco-biking” and hiking trails.

South Lake Trail and the West Orange Trail

Some of the best trails in the Central Florida region include the South Lake Trail and the West Orange Trail. These intersect to create a route of 36 miles of continuous Central Florida biking through Lake and Orange Counties.

This was the route I took.

Portions of the 13-mile-long South Lake Trail near Clermont are particularly scenic, with views along Lake Minneola and other lakes.

West Orange Trail is a world-class rail trail through urban and suburban sections of Orange County. It is popular for all types of biking, in-line skating, running and walking. “Outposts” and “Stations” along the trail provide parking and facilities. There are toilets along the way.

A spur at Killarney Station connects to the South Lake Trail. Both of these trails are part of the Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail.  You can see the route I took here.

One of the glorious towns on the route is Oakland. Here, venerable old trees around the town are draped in Spanish moss. There are several historic buildings to admire and you can cycle down side streets to view Lake Apopka.

The next stop is the little town of Winter Garden. This gets busy at weekends. Nevertheless, the trail goes right through its centre. The bike trail has completely revitalized downtown, which now features at least two bike shops and numerous restaurants. The trail runs through the Clock Tower and past the Pavilion.

The Hancock Trail

Another of my favourite routes is the Hancock Trail.

This starts near the National Training Center at South Lake Hospital. It hosts Olympic athletes and provides Triathlon Training for athletes from around the country.

The Hancock Trail even boasts a hilly area (well, hilly by Floridian standards!). People come from a long way away to ride this trail.  Sugarloaf Mountain Rd is the highest point in the area. One possible start/finish point for the route is Killarney Station, Clermont. 

More information about the routes can be found here. Alternatively, this can be a continuation from the north end of Hancock Trail.

I cycled pretty much every day when we were in Florida during January and February and I can’t wait until we are able to come back and discover more.

If you don’t have your own bicycle…

If you don’t have a bike, there’s no reason to miss out!

Our home is about 14 miles south of the beautiful town of Clermont, which is situated on Lake Minneola and has lovely places to shop, walk and yes, cycle.  I recommend the Epic Cycles bike shop, right on the waterfront, with a very pleasant café and bike sales aplenty, (as we discovered!) and extremely helpful staff.

If you need to rent a bike, try Clermont Bicycles.  They have high-quality road bike and comfort bike rentals by the half day, day and week.

Thank you!

We’d like to thank our home owner for this fantastic cycling guest blog post.

Halloween might be a little scaled back this year in Orlando’s theme parks, but you can still scream yourself silly in these haunted houses and ghost tours around Orlando this Halloween! 

Here’s the White Rose Villas team’s pick of some of the scariest tours you can take in or around Orlando this Halloween season.

Walking ghost tour of downtown Orlando

Walking around the city is usually a lot of fun, but on this tour you need to be prepared to feel a little uneasy!  You’ll hear tales of the criminal underworld, the leylines on which the city was built and all kinds of tales about Orlando’s supernatural history!

The walking tour takes in a range of spooky and scary stories at eight locations around the city.  You can expect to cover approximately a mile’s walk over a 60-minute tour.

There is also a slightly longer option that takes in a further four locations… if you can stand four more spooky stories!  If so, the tour is 90-minutes and covers 1.3 miles.

Find out more

Drive-through scare-fest

This year, social distancing has upended everyone’s social plans – but not always for the worse.  This drive-through Halloween theatrical event is one of the better innovations to emerge from the pandemic situation.

You can safely get your spooks and scares following a completely contactless journey in your own vehicle. The theme is Rapunzel’s journey… so expect things to get a little hair-raising!

The drive-through runs from September 25 through to November 7, 2020.  Please note: like most outdoor theatrical events, the drive-through event is weather dependent – so be prepared for a last minute cancellation if conditions get too inclement.

Find out more

All-year round haunted house

You probably know that, although Universal Orlando’s traditional Halloween celebrations aren’t running this year, you can tour two of the haunted house attractions from Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights within the normal park admission.  But did you know that Orlando has a haunted house attraction that runs all year round?

Mortem Manor is located on West Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway in Old Town Kissimmee.  The spooky attraction tells the tale of mysterious disappearance of a family and includes more than a few scares along the way! 

Tickets start at just $15 so it is a really affordable way to get your Halloween haunted house fix!

Find out more

Book your Orlando vacation!

If you fancy visiting any of these haunting Halloween attractions, or any of the other special Halloween and fall events in Orlando this year, there is still availability for you to book a short stay at one of our vacation homes. 

Book with our booking partner Ellis Exclusive Villas and you’ll be protected by their cancellation guarantee.  Cancel for any reason between 60 days and 2 days before your departure and you will receive a full refund on all monies paid.

If you can’t get away this year, why not book for 2021? 

We’re going to all be wearing a different type of mask this Halloween. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of seasonal fun to enjoy!

Here’s our round up of things to enjoy this fall in and around Orlando and Central Florida.

Remember that, given the current need for COVID-secure procedures, most events require you to book online in advance. You’ll also need to adhere to social distancing rules and wear a mask.

If you have any queries or concerns ahead of your visit, please contact the venue or organiser directly.

Halloween Fun in Orlando’s theme parks

In the parks, many events have been scaled back or cancelled (notably Mickey’s not-so-scary-Halloween Party and Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights).

Nevertheless, Universal has plenty of Halloween themed décor, merchandise and trick or treating to enjoy.  Plus, there are two Haunted House attractions to get your fear fix!

Disney is also ratcheting up the Halloween-themed goodies, sweet treats and décor around the Magic Kingdom.  Your little ones can still enjoy plenty of themed character meet and greets and scaled-back parades.

SeaWorld’s Spooktacular is continuing this year, with changes to the trick or treating to enable better safety and social distancing, as well as other special themed activities around the park.

Halloween Fun in Orlando and Central Florida

Away from the parks, we’re delighted that some of our favourite low-key fall events are running this year.  Lakeridge Winery is known for its family-friendly events as much as its delicious wines and tasting tours, and from October 3^rd and 4^th, it’s bringing back its Weekends at the Winery events. This year, its featuring some of the area’s best food trucks along with the outdoor wine bar.

Enjoy some great food and wine under the trees, then try your luck at the cornhole games set up for some outdoor fun. The winery’s beautiful grounds offer plenty of outdoor space so you can enjoy a safe, social distance as you sip! See more information here.

Gatorland’s Gators, Ghosts, and Goblins is a daytime Halloween event taking place weekends from October 10^th through November 1^st.

Costumes are encourage for this family-friendly event with spooky train rides, costume contests, and a trick-or-treat trail from 11am to 2pm. There’s also Frank & Stein’s Octoberfest, featuring an undead polka band and German Beer and food. Note that face masks are required per Orange County Executive Order # 2020-23 regarding COVID 19, and must be visible at all times (you can find out more about Gatorland’s safe reopening policy on its website).

Book tickets in advance – there’s a half-price deal for Florida residents through October 31^st. Halloween activities are included in the normal admission.

For a really rural take on the fall festival, Our Fall events at Southern Hill Farms in Clermont began on Saturday, September 26^th and continue until November 8^th (Thursday to Sunday).

Events feature live music, local food trucks, Farm Wagon rides, and Southern Hill Farms seasonal favourites including fresh apple cider donuts, blueberry lemonade and pumpkin muffins. While adults tuck in or cut a bouquet of beautiful sunflowers and zinnias, kids will adore the petting zoo and playground. Then pick out your perfect Jumbo Jack pumpkin for carving.

To help ensure safe social distancing, this year’s events are going ahead with 40 percent of normal capacity.  You’ll need to book in advance here.

At Orlando’s CityArts, 39 S Magnolia Avenue, you can take part in a wonderful outdoor art event on Thursday, October 15, 2020.  The 11th Annual Dia de los Muertos and Monster Event is a themed exhibition at CityArts Orlando and an outdoor experience with live performances, vendors, and more! Now in its 11^th year, the Día de los Muertos & Monster Art Exhibitions will showcase Day of the Dead and Halloween-inspired art created by regional, national, and international artists. This unique art exhibition will be paired with an outdoor experience on opening night that will feature food, drinks, entertainment and spooky art vendors.

Cost to enter CityArts only: $5

Cost of the Outdoor Dining Experience $35-$40 per person/seat

It is essential to book in advance and you can do this online.

Note that all guests will be required to wear a face covering, but guests may remove their face coverings if they are clearly eating or drinking outside CityArts.  All guests are required to register for a time-of-entry; only 20 people are permitted at a time.  For more details about CityArts’ COVID-19 Reopening Protocol, visit https://downtownartsdistrict.com/covid-19/.

There’s plenty more happening besides, these are simply our pick.  We’d love to hear your suggestions for fun fall or Halloween events – add your comments and suggestions below!

Or, if you’d like to write a review for our blog, please get in touch with our team.

We’re delighted to bring you a new post from our very own Sue Mooney.

Cassadaga is well known here in Florida as “the Psychic capital of the world”. In fact, there are  more than 100 mediums, psychics, and healers in Cassadaga.

The sleepy little town is home to the Southern Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp, the oldest active religious community in the southeastern United States. It celebrated its 200th anniversary last year, in 2019.

A day out in Cassadaga by Sue Mooney

Cassadaga was founded in 1894 by the spiritualist George P. Colby, a native New Yorker who travelled the country delivering readings and hosting seances. 

It’s about half an hour’s drive from the Kissimmee area and Orlando’s theme parks in Volusia county. As you drive east on the I4 towards the Atlantic coast, you’ll pass an unassuming blink-and-you’ll-miss-it turnoff to this magical little town.

The name of the town comes from a Seneca Indian word meaning “water beneath the rocks”. The story is that Colby was guided to this site by a native American guide.

For a complete break from the frantic rides of Florida’s theme parks, I recommend you go and visit this gem of a small town. As soon as you arrive, you are transported to a much older version of the State than you will find elsewhere.

Peace really does wrap around you as soon as you step out of your car. You can explore the small roads, admire the old-fashioned but pretty little wooden houses, sit in the meditation gardens and absorb the stillness.

The Psychic capital of the world

Cassadaga is renowned for its spirituality and there are many healers and psychics here, all of whom have gone through a four year certification process. If this is something you wish to explore further you can book in advance or choose a walk-in on the day you go.

The readings we received were accurate and moving.

There’s a well stocked welcome centre, with a huge variety of books, cards, crystals, jewellery, etc. Everyone is helpful and welcoming. Finding the crystals we were looking for was a joy and prices are very reasonable.

Lunch at the Cassadaga Hotel

For lunch we ate in the Cassadaga Hotel. Lovely, fresh food, prepared while you wait. Our burgers and fries were delicious. Cooked just as we asked them and reasonably priced.

There’s quite an extensive menu, though we couldn’t quite bring ourselves to try Arthur’s Burger (see the menu for details!)

We came away from our trip to Cassadaga feeling peaceful and re-energised and would thoroughly recommend a visit to anyone looking for a different side to Florida.

About Sue’s home

If you’d like to book your stay in Florida to enjoy a visit to Cassadaga and its spiritualist camp or any of central Florida’s other wonderful attractions, please check out our homes here.

Sue’s home is the very wonderful Sapphire Sky Villa at Orange Tree.  See more – and book – here.

Would you like to share your tips for great days out in Florida?

We’d love to share contributions from our guests and homeowners about great days out in Florida.  If you have tips or ideas you’d like to share on our blog, please reach out to our team. 

September is always a quiet month in Orlando, but this year has been quieter than most.  However, the parks are doing everything they can to tempt guests back whilst ensuring the safety of staff and guests.

There is plenty of Halloween fun to be enjoyed in Orlando’s theme parks this year, so what can you do to tempt guests back and maximise your vacation home’s autumn revenues?

1// Remove risk

Uncertainty prevails right now. Remove the risk for potential guests by offering flexible cancellation terms.

If you can, funnel your bookings through our booking agent partner, Ellis Exclusive Villas. This way they benefit from the Master Cancel guarantee. They can cancel anytime between 60 and 2 days before departure and receive a full refund. The owner still receives payment for the rental.

This gives people confidence to book in these uncertain times. Read more about the scheme here.

Share details of the scheme with your guests using this link: www.ellisexclusivevillas.com/additional-confidence-booking-vacation/

2// Be flexible on budget

It might sound too simplistic, but often the neatest solutions are the most simple.

If your home isn’t booking out, but you know others nearby are, check the rates.  If your neighbour has slashed their prices for fall, then you’re going to struggle to book at full price – no matter how nice your home is.

Be prepared to be flexible on price. If a guest enquires about a discount, remember you can always counter offer.  And make any deal time-limited to encourage your guest to book with you quickly so you can secure their booking before they start widening their search.

3// Remind people what they’re missing

The parks are open.

And who doesn’t feel like they need a holiday right now? 

The stress of the pandemic and the lockdowns have been tough on everyone. Staying in a vacation home – especially those implementing enhanced cleaning regimes and time breaks between bookings – is a really safe way to get away from it all.

Whether your guests simply want to laze by the pool, explore the theme parks, or simply need a change of scenery, use your marketing efforts to show them all the fun they could be having.

4// Target the local market

Air passenger traffic remains a long way short of normal. Consumer confidence remains low for flying and changing travel bans are further damaging the international travel market.

By focusing on in-State travellers and other vacationers from the USA, you will be speaking to a much more receptive market.

Local travel comes with much less risk since the likelihood of facing quarantine measures is very low, but guests continue to value an opportunity to get away from it all. By focusing your marketing efforts on the local market, you can help to boost conversion rates.

5// Use social media

Social media requires little investment, but quite some commitment.

Making time to post regularly and keep your mailing list updated will pay dividends.

It may seem like an extra unnecessary effort when the likelihood of booking is small, but this is exactly the time to ramp up your efforts.

Be positive, post plenty of enticing photography, and focus on the local market.

We’ll be adopting all these techniques and more on your behalf through the fall season.  If you have any questions about marketing or occupancy rates, please reach out to our team.

Similarly, if you’d like to talk to us about optimising rates to maximise bookings, our team can assist – just give us a call.

This autumn season, the Orlando theme parks are determined to keep guests safe without spoiling the fall fun! You can continue to enjoy the fantastic Halloween events and seasonal surprises. First up is SeaWorld, where the annual Spooktacular opens today.

SeaWorld Spooktacular

There have been some changes this year, with new socially distancing measures in place. COVID secure safety measures have been implemented across the parks, with staff checks, hand sanitising stations, and mask wearing all designed to keep you safe.

Please remember: we all need to follow the guidelines and keep ourselves and others safe.

Meanwhile, there is still plenty of ghostly trick-or-treat fun and a feast of candy this Halloween!

SeaWorld’s Spooktacular is running on Saturdays and Sundays, from September 19th through November 1st.

It’s included in park admission and this year your little ones can look forward to:

• A trick-or-treat trail bursting with candy and adventure
• A special Halloween breakfast with Sesame Street friends
• Cookie Decorating with Cookie Monster
• Halloween Maze
• Meet a Mermaid

All park attractions have the necessary measures, enhanced cleaning procedures and physical distancing in place, to ensure everyone can still have a fun-filled experience with peace of mind.

Because of this, there have been some changes to the Trick-or-Treat Trail this year:

• Costumed youngsters go through in a single direction, with limited capacity, so they can have loads of fun whilst staying safe.
• At the entrance to the Trick-or-Treat trail guests must purchase a new reusable bag, from an assortment available, in order to prevent contact between individuals.

For the Grown-ups: Flicks & Frights

This year, you can enjoy a spooky film night under the stars at SeaWorld.

This is a brilliant drive-in experience! With a nostalgic twist, you can enjoy a classic Halloween movie from the comfort and safety of your car. There’s also local food trucks to visit before the feature. It’s $40 to park your vehicle and for all seated passengers to view the movie.

Saturdays, Sept. 19 – Oct. 31 and Friday, Oct. 23 & 30

Family-friendly Halloween film: 7:45 p.m.
Fright-filled Halloween film: 10:30 p.m.

Book your Halloween fun now!

While we now prepare to enjoy our much-loved theme parks in this different environment, we can still experience and enjoy the magic.

You can find out more about SeaWorld Halloween Spooktacular here.

If you’d like to book your stay in Florida to enjoy a visit to SeaWorld Orlando or any of the fun-packed fall events that are happening in central Florida and its wonderful attractions this year, please check out our homes here.

White Rose Villas property management is continually reviewing ways to help us improve occupancy rates for you, our homeowners.

The pandemic has been tough on us all.  The added economic pressures of not being able to rent out your vacation home due to COVID’s impact on the global travel industry has made the crisis all the tougher.

Helping you by helping guests

We know one of the reasons that bookings have been down is because of the uncertainty that characterises so much international travel at the moment.  The switch to local lockdowns is now impacting national travel patterns as well.

For this reason, White Rose Villas has been reviewing options on your behalf to give your guests increased confidence when booking.

After considerable research, we’ve decided to partner up with a company called Master Cancel through our sister vacation marketing company Ellis Exclusive Villas.  This agreement with Master Cancel will give your guests flexible cancellation protection when they book through Ellis Exclusive Villas.

It’s an important step forward to help you protect your rental income.

What does the cover include?

The Master Cancel agreement reimburses property managers for cancellations made for any reason (barring war or terrorism), provided the cancellation is requested between 60 and 2 days before the check-in date.

A deduction is made for 10% of the value of the booking – unless the property rebooks, in which case, there is no deductible.

This means we are able to pass on to you, our homeowners, either 90 percent or 100 percent of the full value of the booking – so you aren’t out of pocket when a guest cancels.

Essentially, the scheme is designed to reassure guests that there is no reason to delay or put off their booking, as they won’t lose out financially – whatever happens.  In this way, we hope that – with this added guest reassurance – we can boost occupancy rates as well as help by protecting your rental income.

How does it work?

There is a five percent surcharge for all bookings covered by the Master Cancel agreement.

To qualify, the booking must meet certain criteria:

• The booking must be made through Ellis Exclusive Villas
• The booking must be agreed in dollar payments
• A 25 percent deposit must be taken upon booking.

We appreciate that you may be taking direct bookings from friends and family but, in order to qualify for the scheme, each booking does need to be made through Ellis Exclusive Villas.

Deciding whether to put family bookings through the scheme

Ellis Exclusive Villas charges merchant account fees of between three to eight percent of the cost of the payment (depending on the payment card used) and this will need to be added to the cost of your family or friends’ holiday in addition to the five percent Master Cancel charge.

This means, in total, your friends and family will be paying a premium of between eight and thirteen percent on the cost of the booking.  This is something you will need to discuss together to decide whether the additional peace of mind is worth this extra fee.

It’s totally up to you, of course.

What about other bookings?

It’s important to note that bookings made through tour operators will not be covered by this scheme.  So if your home is booked out by James Villas, or any of the other tour operators we work with, and then that booking is cancelled, the compensation won’t be paid.

Only those bookings taken via Ellis Exclusive Villas with a 25 percent dollar deposit paid at the time of booking will be covered.  The main idea is that, together, we’ll be able to drive more bookings for your home through the Ellis Exclusive Villas site.  Ultimately, this should help to boost your occupancy rates through these difficult times.

For more information about the scheme, or to talk about extending the cover to bookings you are taking directly, please reach out to our team.

As always, we value your thoughts and feedback.

Are you looking for a property management partner in Central Florida?

Please complete the form below if you would like the White Rose Villas team to contact you about the options for our team to manage your vacation property in the Orlando area.

We’re delighted to bring you another post by our homeowner, Ruth Moriarty.

Ruth loves sharing her insider tips for places to visit in Central Florida beyond the theme parks. In this post, she shares her passion for local vineyard, Lakeridge Winery.

Lakeridge Winery, Florida

Lakeridge Winery and Vineyard is on Highway 27, just north of Clermont.

It is a wonderful place to visit for many reasons.  Yes, wine and wine tasting are definitely up there but it is such a peaceful spot. 

Located on a 127-acre estate in gently rolling countryside some 25 miles west of downtown Orlando, it’s lovely to just go and sit and enjoy the peace and quiet. The winery opened in 1989 and has gracefully developed over the 20 years I have been visiting.  They now produce over 1 million bottles a year and win lots of awards.

Initially, I had no idea that Florida produced wines and so it was a very pleasant surprise to find this not far from my home.

Touring the winery and finding out how they make their wine is really interesting and then, especially on a hot day, it’s lovely to enter the cool, dark tasting room and the good sized gift shop, which features all the Lakeridge Wines, gourmet foods and many other gift items and wine accessories.

You can update your cork screw, bottle cooler, wine glasses but also laugh at the customized, fun T-shirts (I now have two!) and hats/caps, as well looking through a variety of cookery books and wine reference guides.

This is one of my Tees – it always brings a smile when I wear it!

Complimentary Winery tours and wine tasting are offered 7 days a week; Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday, 11:00 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Please note, there are some ID Requirements for Tastings: US citizens: will need to bring with them their state-issued driver’s licence, military ID, or state ID card. International guests will need to bring their original passport (this is preferred) or valid government-issued photo ID which includes your date of birth.

Lakeridge Winery is also famous for its food and music events. Throughout the year there are regular events, usually at weekends, often for free or for a very modest entrance fee.

Every Saturday afternoon in January, they hold a Music Series, with live music on the outdoor stage and inside at the Wine & Cheese Bar upstairs. The musicians selected are all fantastic local performers. February sees the return of the Winefest, an opportunity to enjoy a range of the wines they produce. March is the annual Wine and Seafood festival – great food and music and…OK… some wine too.

In February 2020 I went to a Blues gig at the Winefest, out in the open, with the incredible backdrop of the vines and the beautiful building, people singing and dancing to a top musician who once played with BB King.

People had taken their own chairs and some had small picnics, though there were plenty of food stalls and bars. There was also a local arts and craft fair to wander around if you needed to stretch your legs and spend a little money on some very interesting and beautiful items – definitely not your everyday purchases or souvenirs.  It was also good to be contributing to the local economy.

Sadly some of their Festivals and events for 2020 had to be cancelled due to the Covid-19 restrictions implemented by the State of Florida but I am sure they will be reinstated as soon as it is allowed and people can attend safely. The winery has a projected programme available, with artists and prices to be decided.

It’s a great day out, especially if there is an event going on.  Parking is free and there are free shuttle carts to get you from your car to the main building when events are on. I’ve been there when it’s very quiet as well as when there are crowds who’ve come to enjoy the music. I’ve always enjoyed it and am hoping I will be back there in 2021.

For more information, visit the Lakeridge Winery website.

Cheers and Good Health!

About Ruth’s home

If you’d like to book your stay in Florida to enjoy a visit to Lakeridge Winery or any of central Florida’s other wonderful attractions, please check out our homes here.

Ruth’s home is the very wonderful Sapphire Sky Villa at Orange Tree.  See more – and book – here.

Would you like to share your tips for great days out in Florida?

We’d love to share contributions from our guests and homeowners about great days out in Florida.  If you have tips or ideas you’d like to share on our blog, please reach out to our team. 

We’re pleased to say that we’ve got another fab contribution from one of our homeowners for you.  This blog was written by Ian Burgess who is sharing his tips for a day out at Silver Springs.

Silver Springs by Ian Burgess

Silver Springs is situated about two hours north of Kissimmee on the edge of Ocala National Forest.

After reading the last blog which included Crystal River, I thought homeowners and guests may appreciate my tip for a really chilled-out, laid-back day away from the parks and shopping malls.

We first visited Silver Springs one sunny day when my family and I were on our way to Crystal River for the day. During a “discussion” about map reading (this was in the days before Sat Navs existed), we lost track of where we were going.

En route we saw signs for Silver Springs. “That’s it!” we thought… so we headed there. It wasn’t until we got back to Kissimmee later that night that we realised we had been at the wrong place!

To us, it didn’t matter that we’d fallen short of our original destination because we had had a fantastic day out.

Silver Springs Park

Silver Springs is over 10,000 years old and, like Crystal River, it has some of the clearest waters anywhere in Florida.

Silver Springs river is over five miles long and the park covers 4,000 acres.  Once there, you will see alligators, fish, birds and other examples of Florida’s wildlife. 

There is a bird show which visitors can attend to see more of the Florida wildlife.

The main attraction is the river. The best way to experience it is on one of the glass-bottom boats which take you around the park.  On our first visit we were treated to a wonderful commentary by Captain Dave who had a unique one-line response to visitors’ questions!  It was a little strange but very amusing.

You can also hire kayaks, canoes and paddleboards.

Silver Springs history

We really recommend a visit to the historic village in the park.  Here you can see what life was like for Floridians a few hundred years ago.

It’s part of the Silver River museum and environmental centre and the little museum is worth a visit too.

Silver Springs has some interesting Hollywood history too: The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Rebel without a Cause, Moonraker and six Tarzan films were made here.

The whole place is run by retirees who absolutely love the special place.  We really loved our trip there and definitely recommend you add it to your Florida vacation itinerary!

About Ian’s home

Ian is the owner of the fabulous family-friendly Tropical Breeze on Indian Point in Kissimmee. With three bedrooms, two bathrooms, spacious living areas and a south-west-facing pool, it’s a fab choice for a family Disney vacation.

If you’d like to book your stay to enjoy Silver Springs or other Central Florida attractions, please check out our homes here.

Would you like to share your tips for great days out in Florida?

We’d love to share contributions from our guests and homeowners about great days out in Florida.  If you have tips or ideas you’d like to share on our blog, please reach out to our team.