The Best Vacation Rental Sites for a Unique Getaway in 2024
While resorts and hotels hold an enduring spot in our hearts for special occasion stays, a rental property is sometimes a cozier accommodation, especially for larger groups. Since Airbnb landed on the market in 2008, travelers have turned to someone else's home for everything from couples trips to destination bach parties. The best vacation rental sites, in fact, have become increasingly bespoke with all types of filtering options.
Many of these services, including established options like VRBO, have adapted to the digital era. They conveniently offer everything from mansions for bigger bach party groups to cozy beach properties for a couples getaway. Regardless of where and how you're booking, consider exploring our list of the best vacation rental sites. Perhaps you'll book something one-of-a-kind.
The Knot's Top 10 Vacation Rental Sites
Bach parties and even just-because vacations often call for unique accommodations. The best vacation rental sites provide access to homes designed with intention. Travelers can filter their preferences down by accommodation type, size, location and even budget to ensure their pick truly meets their idea of a "dream stay." Get ready to swipe, tap and favorite a rental that truly feels like a home via these top vacation rental sites.
- Best Overall Vacation Rental Site: Airbnb
- Best Vacation Rental for Homes: VRBO
- Best Vacation Rental for Customer Support: Vacasa
- Best Vacation Rental Site for Luxury: OneFineStay
- Best Vacation Rental Site for City Travelers: Sonder
- Best Vacation Rental Site for Paris Stays: Paris Perfect
- Best for Promotions and Deals: Hopper Homes
- Best for Hotel Experiences: Homes & Villas by Marriott
- Best for Vacation Planning Assistance: TripAdvisor Rentals
- Best for Rental Variety: FlipKey
Airbnb
Airbnb didn't invent rentals—VRBO arrived more than a decade prior in 1995, and other sites preceded the concept. However, the business launched a movement. Despite a more crowded field, it remains one of the best vacation rental sites there is. Airbnb's variety is beyond comprehensive and is known for proximity, an easy user experience, as well as its luxury-tier option. Users can find anything from expansive mansions with elevators to remote log cabins. Chic city lofts? Hotel rooms? Check and check. Airbnb's interface makes it especially easy: plug in the number of travelers, the dates of your trip, and the type of spot you'd like to book for your stay. You can even select amenities like a hot tub, washer-dryers and pet-friendly policies in list or map-view mode.
VRBO
While you'll find a variety of listings on VRBO, the service specializes in actual rental properties–notably homes. It allows users who have a distinct vision in mind to filter through cluttered listings, making VRBO the best of the best vacation home rental sites. VRBO lists properties mainly in popular spots on every continent (save Antarctica). The idea of "home" differs for everyone, especially on vacation. You'll find mansions that scream "bach party" or more intimate cabins and cottages for anniversary trips. Guests can easily plug in the number of travelers in their party (furry ones included), along with their chosen dates and the destination to get personalized results. The VRBO app simplifies the booking process and keeping in touch with hosts.
Vacasa
The host-to-guest concept can feel like a human touch. However, some travelers may feel a bit wary of having a non-professional handle reservations and snags. Vacasa does all that work, making bookings (and listings) smoother for guests and hosts alike. The service offers 24/7 guest support, so you need not feel bad about flagging an issue late at night (in the event of, say, a delayed flight). Vacasa also ensures homes meet the criteria for listing, including cleanliness and safety. The best part? Guests can explore the home in advance with 3D virtual tours for ultimate ease.
Paris Perfect
They say Paris is perfect in the springtime (true), but it's a stunning spot for an escape any time of year. If you know you're headed that way, peruse Paris Perfect. Unlike other sites specializing in global travel, Paris Perfect's focus is (as the name implies) The City of Lights (though you can also find listings in London, Provence and Italy now). The service's listings have vacation rentals, condos and apartments, many of which offer a view of the Eiffel Tower and are close to the Louvre, home to the Mona Lisa. The vacation rental site also links to tours and skip-the-line tickets for top attractions, helping travelers make the most of their stay.
Sonder
The off-the-beaten-path can feel like an intimate escape. But if you've got a cosmopolitan city to check off your bucket list, Sonder likely has a rental for you. Sonder has listings in more than 40 cities in 10 countries throughout the world, from Amsterdam to Dubai, New York to San Fransisco. Travelers need not be in cramped apartments — spacious accommodations like three bedrooms in high rises or two-bedroom flats in London complete with washer-dryers are available so travelers can spread out. Neighborhood guides, 24/7 support and late checkout request options can all be found within an easy-to-navigate app.
Hopper Homes
Hopper, which started as a planning tool, expanded into the short-term vacation rental space in 2022 with Hopper Homes. More than 100 million people have used the service since, all via the app. The app-only nature of Hopper Homes makes it unique from other services that also offer a website but appeal to Millennial and Gen-Z travelers who prefer to hold the keys to booking their next vacation in the palm of their hands. Speaking of which, guests can find so much more than a spot to stay while using Hopper. Flights, hotels and rental cars are also available, like they always have been, using the app, making Hopper a one-stop-shop for streamlined planning.
Homes & Villas by Marriott
The rental website marketplace has certainly opened the door for unique stays and the personalized feeling of peer-to-peer travel. But some travelers may be a bit skeptical about the whole thing. Homes & Villas by Marriott strikes a middle ground, offering the polish and luxury of a Marriott stay with the distinction of a rental. Ski chalets, Bordeaux chateaus with vineyard views as far as the eye can see, Napa homes with expansive pools and intimate rustic cabins are among the listings that combine comfort with style. You can search by precise destination and date or get travel inspiration through curated collections of accommodations, like wine country spots or mountainside escapes. Cleaning and 24/7 support are among the hotel-style perks for travelers, plus Marriott members can earn and redeem points using the service.
TripAdvisor Rentals
You may think of TripAdvisor as a spot to find the best deals on hotels, find flights and rental cars and read reviews of restaurants and tours. But the company also has a rental properties site that takes "a la carte" planning to new heights. Like other Trip Advisor verticals, travelers can read reviews to feel comfortable selecting their rental. The listings include popular destinations around the world, including the Caribbean, Rome, New York City and the Pacific Northwest. Once guests have booked their stay, they can move on to other Trip Advisor services by browsing things to do, tours and places to eat.
FlipKey
A subsidiary of TripAdvisor, FlipKey's breadth of listings is as eye-popping as a sunset over the Caribbean Sea and cherry blossoms in Paris in May. The service has 3 million active rental properties for the perusing. Guests can find a luxury penthouse in Barcelona and oceanfront villas with private beach access in Puerto Rico. Large and small rentals make the site worth checking out, whether you're planning a massive bach party or an intimate couples' getaway. It's easy to search and filter by date, budget, rental type and other must and nice-to-haves like pools and pet-friendly policies.
OneFineStay
The fun play on words is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to OneFineStay. While other top vacation rental services have something of an "anything goes" policy, OneFineStay specializes in luxurious properties. The company takes a hands-on approach to selecting which homes, chalets and villas that meet its standards for "exceptional." Think posh sofas that'll make it tempting to spend your entire stay inside, cleanliness and stunning interior design. The locations are those that you might expect from a company with such a description — chalets in Aspen, villas in St. Barts and homes in New York, Los Angeles and Rome. Support is offered 24/7.