Commentary

Elliott Advocacy is a nonprofit organization that mediates cases between consumers and businesses. These are commentary articles that detail our efforts and provide educational information for consumers.

There have always been extended-stay hotels. But now extended-stay hotels are the fastest growing industry segment in the United States.

Is an extended-stay hotel better than a vacation rental?

by

When Kathryn Valdes travels somewhere for more than a week, she skips a hotel and rents an apartment or vacation rental instead.”An apartment has a kitchen and a sitting area to gather,” says Valdes, a retired program manager from Mahomet, Illinois. “A hotel has no private area to relax with others.”Another must-have amenity: a kitchen. Valdes loves to visit farmers markets while she’s on vacation and prepare her own meals. Most hotel rooms don’t have kitchens.With the summer travel season just ahead, there’s good news for travelers like Valdes. Hotels, in an effort to keep long-term guests who want a more home-like experience, are adding amenities that may make Valdes and others rethink their plans to stay in an apartment.

What should you do if you think you've just checked into a dangerous vacation rental? That's the problem Shui-man Tong faced recently. Can she get a refund?

This is a dangerous vacation rental, Tripadvisor. I want a refund!

by

What should you do if you check into a dangerous vacation rental? That’s the problem Shui-man Tong faced when she arrived in Lisbon and found her TripAdvisor rental in a deep freeze.It was early December, and the temperature inside the rental had plunged below 40 degrees. What happened next forced Tong to find alternate accommodations and ask TripAdvisor for a refund.

If you want to fix a travel problem, hang up the phone.The phone puts travelers at a significant disadvantage when it comes to problem-solving.

Do you need to fix a travel problem? Get off the phone!

by

If you want to fix a travel problem, hang up the phone.The phone — by which I mean voice communication — puts travelers at a significant disadvantage when it comes to problem-solving. But there’s a notable exception, a time when you should pick up the phone and then maybe hang up. If you understand the difference, you’re well on your way to resolving almost any travel problem.

If you need to save money on car insurance, I can help.

Need to save money on car insurance? I can help

by

Remember the unbelievable story of Nicole Scheufler, who saved hundreds of dollars on her insurance policy through an insuretech startup called Gabi? Well, it turns out that when you need to save money on car insurance, you can’t believe everything you read.