I hope you don't mind if we brag a bit. But we just got the greatest guest review posted on HomeAway (one of our advertising sites) for All Decked Out.
Michael wrote: "All Decked Out" was an amazing place to spend our summer vacation! It was clean and had everything we could think of needing. There were plenty of dishes, cookware and small appliances in the kitchen and the large dinning table made for great family meals and game nights! The bedrooms are very large, comfortable and clean! Being so close to Gatlinburg and all the surrounding activities made it super convenient and easy to get around. The wildlife was amazing! I would highly recommend this vacation home. The price was unbeatable and the owner and property manager were very nice and helpful. We will definitely be back! Thanks!"
Thank YOU, Michael. And thanks to all our guests who write in our guest book and provide these great reviews. We hope a review from you will be posted in the near future.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
Check-out time
We just got back from a fantastic family reunion/celebration. No, we didn't go to Gatlinburg this time. We traded the mountains for the beach, and rented a beautiful 7-bedroom house just a block from the beach at Hilton Head Island, SC. We went deep-sea fishing, walked on the beach, and spent a lot of time just enjoying being together. One night, we enjoyed this sunset:
But I digress. In addition to all the fun we had as a family, I learned some things about what it's like to be a guest in a rental home. One of the biggest thing I experienced was checking out at 10:00 am on our departure day! Now, granted, we had 13 people in a house that was almost three times the size of either of our Gatlinburg cabins. But, I have to tell you, it was a rush to find everything, get all the stuff out of the house and into the cars, and make sure we had left everything like we found it. We made it - but it wasn't pretty!
I'm not saying we can change our check-out times in Gatlinburg. Ingrid, our wonderful cleaner, needs all the time she can get to make sure the cabins are clean and everything is working - especially when we have people leaving both cabins on the same day, and new people coming in that same day. But we'll talk about it.
Please - can we hear from you?. Is checking out at 10:00 am okay, or do you find it a strain? The best way to make your voice heard on this subject is to 'like' us on Facebook, then leave a comment. If leaving at 10:00 am is really a problem, we'll see what we can do to change it.
But I digress. In addition to all the fun we had as a family, I learned some things about what it's like to be a guest in a rental home. One of the biggest thing I experienced was checking out at 10:00 am on our departure day! Now, granted, we had 13 people in a house that was almost three times the size of either of our Gatlinburg cabins. But, I have to tell you, it was a rush to find everything, get all the stuff out of the house and into the cars, and make sure we had left everything like we found it. We made it - but it wasn't pretty!
I'm not saying we can change our check-out times in Gatlinburg. Ingrid, our wonderful cleaner, needs all the time she can get to make sure the cabins are clean and everything is working - especially when we have people leaving both cabins on the same day, and new people coming in that same day. But we'll talk about it.
Please - can we hear from you?. Is checking out at 10:00 am okay, or do you find it a strain? The best way to make your voice heard on this subject is to 'like' us on Facebook, then leave a comment. If leaving at 10:00 am is really a problem, we'll see what we can do to change it.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Sorry - the deal is gone
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the deal we posted a week ago today has been taken. We offer our deals in several ways, and guests who have already booked usually get to take advantage of open dates to either start their vacation early or extend their vacation by a day or two. That's what happened in this case. The guests who were scheduled to arrive on Tuesday, August 9, decided to come two days early!
Please keep watching our Web sites for last-minute deals. We still have great dates open for this fall. If nobody books, you may get a great last-minute deal. But if you want to be sure to get the dates you want, you should book now - before they're gone. We get literally hundreds of inquiries from people who want a certain date, but the dates are already booked. Remember, our online calendars are always up to date.
Please keep watching our Web sites for last-minute deals. We still have great dates open for this fall. If nobody books, you may get a great last-minute deal. But if you want to be sure to get the dates you want, you should book now - before they're gone. We get literally hundreds of inquiries from people who want a certain date, but the dates are already booked. Remember, our online calendars are always up to date.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Delightful or deadly?
I just got some pictures of new 'guests' at a friend's cabin, just around the corner from All Decked Out. Here's one of them:
It's been one of the busiest years for bears around our cabins that we can ever remember. One of my neighbors told me the berry crop is sparse this year, so the bears have to find other sources for food. We've had many guests tell us they have seen bears around both All Decked Out and Smoky Mountain Tower.
Most of our guests love to see the bears. But we must tell you - PLEASE be careful. Bears are wild animals and can instantly turn on you. One of the most dangerous places you can be in Gatlinburg is between a mother bear and her cub! So we urge you to use common sense and take precautions at all times. For more information on bears and bear safety, check out the National Park Web site. Remember, we care about you and want you to stay healthy and well!
It's been one of the busiest years for bears around our cabins that we can ever remember. One of my neighbors told me the berry crop is sparse this year, so the bears have to find other sources for food. We've had many guests tell us they have seen bears around both All Decked Out and Smoky Mountain Tower.
Most of our guests love to see the bears. But we must tell you - PLEASE be careful. Bears are wild animals and can instantly turn on you. One of the most dangerous places you can be in Gatlinburg is between a mother bear and her cub! So we urge you to use common sense and take precautions at all times. For more information on bears and bear safety, check out the National Park Web site. Remember, we care about you and want you to stay healthy and well!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
I've learned something...
My dad used to tell me, "You should learn something new every day."
Well, I learned something today. I learned that nobody seems to like my auction idea. Yeah, I got a Facebook 'like' from my friend Cheryl (thank you, Cheryl). But we didn't get a single bid!
At this point, I have two choices. I can just forget the whole thing and let All Decked Out stand empty for those nights I was trying to auction. But there must be SOMEBODY who would like a really good last-minute deal. We still have two weeks. So I'm just going to advertise a new deal everywhere I can - starting right here.
Okay, let's see what I'll learn THIS time! By the way (and I'm only saying this here), I'll still accept a reasonable offer for these three nights. Because when August 9 rolls around, nobody will ever be able to spend these nights at All Decked Out again! So I really don't want them to go to waste.
Well, I learned something today. I learned that nobody seems to like my auction idea. Yeah, I got a Facebook 'like' from my friend Cheryl (thank you, Cheryl). But we didn't get a single bid!
At this point, I have two choices. I can just forget the whole thing and let All Decked Out stand empty for those nights I was trying to auction. But there must be SOMEBODY who would like a really good last-minute deal. We still have two weeks. So I'm just going to advertise a new deal everywhere I can - starting right here.
Spend 3 nights at All Decked Out for only $349 (plus tax). That's a 27% discount! For all the details and instructions, visit our Specials page now!
(Valid only for Aug 6, 7 & 8 - must book all 3 nights)
(Valid only for Aug 6, 7 & 8 - must book all 3 nights)
Okay, let's see what I'll learn THIS time! By the way (and I'm only saying this here), I'll still accept a reasonable offer for these three nights. Because when August 9 rolls around, nobody will ever be able to spend these nights at All Decked Out again! So I really don't want them to go to waste.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
An AUCTION - we've never done this before
I'm going to try something we've never done before - an AUCTION.
All Decked Out is open for arrival on Saturday, August 6 and departure on Tuesday, August 9. That's 3 nights. The minimum bid for all 3 nights is $264.96 ($235 plus tax). That works out to a nightly rate of less than half price.
Bidding is open NOW. Bidding closes this Friday, July 22, at 6:00 pm. To place your bid, just email me (dave@smokiesrentdirect.com). I will post bids as comments on Facebook, so you can see the highest bid at any point.
Bids can only be accepted by email, so I know how to contact you if you're the winner. Your bid should be for the TOTAL amount, including tax. The highest bid received as of 6:00 pm on Friday gets the booking. I will send complete booking instructions to the winner on Friday night and your reservation must be made by Saturday night, July 23.
Email me with questions. Who will be the winner? If this works, we might do more last-minute deals like this. Keep watching...
All Decked Out is open for arrival on Saturday, August 6 and departure on Tuesday, August 9. That's 3 nights. The minimum bid for all 3 nights is $264.96 ($235 plus tax). That works out to a nightly rate of less than half price.
Bidding is open NOW. Bidding closes this Friday, July 22, at 6:00 pm. To place your bid, just email me (dave@smokiesrentdirect.com). I will post bids as comments on Facebook, so you can see the highest bid at any point.
Bids can only be accepted by email, so I know how to contact you if you're the winner. Your bid should be for the TOTAL amount, including tax. The highest bid received as of 6:00 pm on Friday gets the booking. I will send complete booking instructions to the winner on Friday night and your reservation must be made by Saturday night, July 23.
Email me with questions. Who will be the winner? If this works, we might do more last-minute deals like this. Keep watching...
Friday, July 15, 2011
We're BAAAACK - with a special offer!
Well, we tried the 'Facebook only' plan to communicate for about 2 months. But it's just too limiting (short posts, hard-to-add pictures, etc.). So we're going back to our blog posts. The good news is that each post will also show up on Facebook as well.
Can you believe it's the middle of July? God has been very good to us this year and both Smoky Mountain Tower and All Decked Out have been booked for 70% of all available nights through July. But we still have great dates open this year, starting about August 15.
We are going to give our Blog/Facebook friends a head start by offering you a 10% discount on all open dates for the rest of 2011 - including holiday dates! But you must act fast - this offer is only good through the end of this month.
To get your discount, follow these directions at either of our Web sites (click either cabin picture on the right to go to its Web site):
1. Start by checking your dates to see if they’re available. Click the ‘Availability‘ button on the left side.
Can you believe it's the middle of July? God has been very good to us this year and both Smoky Mountain Tower and All Decked Out have been booked for 70% of all available nights through July. But we still have great dates open this year, starting about August 15.
We are going to give our Blog/Facebook friends a head start by offering you a 10% discount on all open dates for the rest of 2011 - including holiday dates! But you must act fast - this offer is only good through the end of this month.
To get your discount, follow these directions at either of our Web sites (click either cabin picture on the right to go to its Web site):
1. Start by checking your dates to see if they’re available. Click the ‘Availability‘ button on the left side.
2. On the page that opens, scroll through the calendar. Dates in green are available. Put your mouse over the date to see the rate (it will show up in the box at the bottom of the page).
3. Either click on your arrival and departure dates, or enter them in the blue box under the calendar. Then click ‘Review & Book.’
4. A new page will open, showing your total cost at the top of the page. Scroll down to the section labeled 'Coupon Codes' and enter this code in the box: Blog10 (be sure to enter it exactly as shown, as coupon codes are case-sensitive). Click 'Redeem' and the amount will change to deduct 10%. Now just enter all the required information. Click the 3 ‘Terms and Conditions’ boxes (this is how you ‘sign’ the contract). Then click the blue ‘Book Online Here’ box.
5. This takes you to a new page where you enter your credit card information (see below for details). Then click ‘Send Payment Now.’
We hope you can stay with us this year - and save some money!
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