Rentmix – A Vacation Rental Aggregator

The goal of any vacation should be to spend as little time as possible planning and as much time as possible enjoying. Rentmix is a tool that cuts down on the time people spend searching for the perfect vacation rental properties. It does this by searching all the major rental sites – including HomeAway, AirBnB, and FlipKey – in one fell swoop.

Find the perfect house, condo, townhouse, or cottage for your upcoming trip by visiting the Rentmix site and typing in a destination. The more information you can include, such as your price requirements, size requirements, and arrival/departure dates, the better job Rentmix will do at finding a property that fits your needs. The results page you’ll end up at after clicking “Find Rentals” looks like a giant Google map. Click on the map icons to view individual properties in your desired locale. You can also browse rentals by using the up and down arrow keys. Dollar signs represent the price of the properties you’re looking at, ranging from $ ($100/night) all the way up to $$$$$ (beyond $800/night). When you find a property that fits what you’re looking for, click “Full Details and Contact Owner” and you’ll be directed to the original listing on HomeAway, AirBnB, or FlipKey.

If you want to book a property you found through Rentmix, you’ll need to go through the original listing. Although Rentmix can provide you with photos and rate information, it doesn’t have any actual contact with the owners of the properties you’re viewing. Nonetheless, Rentmix is an excellent tool that does for vacation rentals what Kayak.com did for plane tickets. For people who want a great vacation rental without the hassle of searching through listings on three different sites, Rentmix is a fantastic solution.

Practical Uses:

• Find a condo to rent for your beach vacation next month
• Save time when searching for the perfect rental for your trip to Greece
• Compare similar properties before booking a cabin in the mountains
• See what properties are available in your price range in the South of France

Insider Tips:

• Rentmix searches properties listed on HomeAway, AirBnB, and FlipKey
• Browse properties by clicking on the map or using the up/down arrows
• Rentmix uses dollar signs to give people an idea of the cost of a property
• Users must book the properties they select through the original listing sites

What we liked:

• Rentmix saves people time when looking for vacation rentals
• People can see the properties they’re viewing listed on a map
• Each listing shows the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as the nightly rate
• People can quickly click through photos without leaving the Rentmix page

What we didn’t like:

• Rentmix doesn’t accept bookings, so people will have to click through to the original listings to make reservations

Alternatives:

• iWannaVacation.com – http://www.iwannavacation.com

Company Info:

• Privately Held
• Headquarters: Palo Alto, California
• Founded by: Mark Crady
• Web site: http://www.rentmix.com

Costs:

• Free