Every dollar of the family budget counts, and those planning a vacation are keen to realize excellent value for the money spent. As one of the most economical options for families, groups and couples traveling together, vacation rentals afford travelers the opportunity to enjoy the spaciousness and amenities of a multi-bedroom accommodation, allowing everyone to stay under one roof for a fraction of the cost of multiple hotel rooms, without jeopardizing privacy or quality.

Additionally, while staying in a condominium, house or villa rental, guests will not only save on their overall cost of accommodations, but they can choose to cook meals in the fully-equipped kitchen, bring home leftovers from restaurants or store snacks, leaving more money in their pocket to spend on excursions, outings, adventures and shopping!

With airline fees for checked baggage, another advantage of a Mead Brown vacation rental is the washer and dryer. All of our rentals include a washer and dryer. They even include laundry detergent! Even for a week-long (or longer!) stay, you can pack just a carryon. With your own private laundry, you can toss a load in the washer whenever you’d like, at your convenience and at no additional cost to you!

All Mead Brown rentals also include daily housekeeping (except Sundays) and full concierge services. Again, these hotel-like amenities are at no additional cost to our guests. Click here to start your planning for the perfect Costa Rica vacation.  Don’t settle for a room when you can enjoy a luxurious condo or even a private villa for less!

Traveling to Costa Rica and trying to decide on the best accommodations for you?  What are the differences between a Costa Rica vacation rental and a hotel room, and which is better?

Length of stay:  If you are just passing through and need a place for a night, get a hotel room – (one night with us is not even an option; we have a three night minimum). However, if you are planning to stay for a few days or more, wouldn’t it be nice to settle in to a “home away from home”?  Vacation rentals are fully equipped with all the conveniences of home, including a full kitchen equipped with a coffeemaker, blender, toaster and everything required to prepare a great meal (or we can arrange for a chef to cook it for you; he can even serve it and then do the dishes), washer and dryer (we even supply your laundry detergent), beach towels plus all bed and bath linens.  In short, a house or condo vacation rental will give you anything and everything you would ever need to “live” while not at home. The purpose of a vacation home is just that, it is to act as your very own private vacation home, a getaway that you could eventually return to year after year.

Save Money:  Stay in a vacation rental to save a lot of money. Because you are paying for a home, and not on a per room or per person basis, the accommodations are very likely a lot less than an equivalent four or five star hotel. A basic hotel room at the Marriott Los Suenos is about $350 per night in high season.  For the same amount, you can rent a 3-bedroom condominium in Los Suenos Ocean & Golf Resort from Mead Brown.

Also, think of the money you save on the cost of eating out; when staying in a hotel you are forced to eat out for every meal. Stay in a vacation home, and you have a fully equipped kitchen at your fingertips.  Even if you eat dinners out, the amount saved on breakfast, snacks, lunch, drinks, etc. can add up to a lot of money.  Wouldn’t you rather spend your money on a Costa Rica tour or adventure, such as a zipline canopy tour, an ATV adventure, surfing lessons, fishing for marlin, day trip to Manuel Antonio National Park, rounds of championship golf, spa treatments and massages, or handmade souvenirs?

Number of People in group:  This is what vacation rentals are best for:  families and groups! Are you going on vacation with your immediate or extended family, or another family, or a group of friends? Rather than pay for several hotel rooms all separate from each other, rent a home, where everyone can still have their individual bedrooms and bathrooms.  At the same time, everyone is in the same location and can be together in the common areas.  If you need even more space, rent two or more homes or condos next to each other.

Comfort and Amenities – You will not find vacation rentals ‘sterile’ like many hotel rooms; each one is professionally decorated to give you that feeling of comfort and luxury.  Also, the amenities that come standard provided a higher level of luxury than a comparable hotel room. As mentioned, every kitchen is fully equipped to prepare anything from a snack to a Thanksgiving feast.  Every rental has its own laundry; this saves on packing and saves on work to be done when you return from vacation!  Since you can do laundry daily if you wish, you won’t need to bring that second suitcase and pay the airline for excess baggage!

All of our house rentals have their own private swimming pool.  Many have a private Jacuzzi.  Our condominium vacation rentals have swimming pools and Jacuzzis, too.  Wifi and VOIP (such as Vonage) are included as well.  Unless you are going to Las Vegas or some world class resort, a hotel is typically not the “destination,” rather it is just an accommodation.

Vacation rentals are a “destination” in themselves. You really never have to leave if you prefer not to—the ocean is your living room, you have a fully equipped kitchen, and if you want to eat out, there are plenty of restaurants you can walk to. You can even opt for grocery delivery or a private chef.  Hire a massage therapist to come in, or perhaps a photographer to take family photos. If you do decide you want to see more of Costa Rica than its beaches (which you should), access to attractions is convenient and easy.

Service – Find the same customer service you would at a hotel.  All Mead Brown vacation rentals include daily housekeeping (except Sundays).  All include paper towels, toilet paper, facial tissue, bath soap, shampoo, hair conditioner, shower gel, dish soap, dishwasher detergent and even laundry detergent.  Full concierge services are included, too. Would you like to arrange for a surprise flower delivery?  How about a bartender?  Personalized birthday cake?  We are always willing to help you make your vacation the vacation of your dreams!

Space – Vacation rentals offer considerably more space than you will find in most hotel rooms. Now the whole family can breathe and have space to themselves.  People can nap or read in one room, or gather together in another to play a game or watch a movie.

Flexibility – If you want to stay in and cook, great; if you feel like going out, great. If you want to be lazy and just soak in the rain forest or ocean views, perfect; if you want to get out and see attractions or experience one of the many nearby adventures, go ahead. When staying at an ceanfront vacation villa or condo rental, there is no pressure to get out of the hotel room and “do something.”

Vacation rentals offer a “relaxing” vacation, an idea that doesn’t seem to exist anymore.  What happened to going on vacation to re-energize and relax? An oceanfront rental offers a more relaxing vacation experience.  Relax.  Leave the rest to us.

Escape to luxury and live like the rich and famous (at least for a few days).  Come stay in one of our gorgeous beachfront vacation homes! You may never go back to a hotel again.  Play hard.  Sleep well.

Not all vacation rentals are created equal — Some are professionally managed.  Some are not.  Of course, all Mead Brown homes, condos and villas are professionally managed and our properties are maintained to North American standards.  This is not a minor detail!  For example, who do you call if a pipe bursts in the middle of the night?  If you lock yourself out?  If your child becomes ill?  These and other matters can be particularly challenging in a foreign country.  At Mead Brown, we answer the phones 24/7/365.  We’ll help our guests with anything and everything.  You may save a few dollars renting direct from an owner, but who will help you when life happens?

The bottom line: Vacation rentals offer more space, more amenities, and more flexibility than a hotel room.  And vacation rentals are cheaper than hotel rooms, and are therefore a better value.

Condé Nast Traveler names Mark Mead “Villa Rental Specialist”

Mark Mead, CEO of Mead Brown Costa Rica, was named the villa rental specialist by Conde Nast Traveler magazine for his expertise in Costa Rica. Mead is one of 44 in the world to earn the distinction and the only expert recognized for Costa Rica.

Each year Condé Nast Traveler conducts a rigorous, months-long screening and vetting process that includes a 46-question application and interviews to select villa rental professionals. Criteria include regional knowledge as well as an intimate knowledge of the properties the villa rental specialist represents. Each expert is required to have developed superb service delivery systems, with an emphasis on communications, expertise, and dependability.

Mark Mead said, “Recognition by Condé Nast Traveler—known for delivering ‘truth in travel’—affirms that Mead Brown delivers what we promise: An exceptional experience for guests vacationing in Costa Rica. From our professionally-managed villas and condominiums, to our complimentary daily housekeeping, private chef services, tours and transfers, we deliver dependable and friendly service. I am proud of my team’s commitment to excellence.”

See Wendy Perrin’s List of Top Villa Specialists: Perrin’s People.

Unlike many other travel publications, Condé Nast Traveler does not accept free travel and accommodations. Its correspondents, as far as possible, travel anonymously. The result is travel the way consumers experience it – good and bad, with reporting that is fair and honest. Condé Nast Traveler has a circulation of over 800,000 and is published by Condé Nast Publications, Inc. Condé Nast Traveler’s website is cntraveler.com.

Here is the link to the segment about Casa Mono Loco and Mead Brown on the Today show! Check it out:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Vacation Rentals Pile on Luxuries

By MICHELLE HIGGINS

Note from Mead Brown:  We have provided daily housekeeping, on-site concierge services, fine bed and bath linens, premium bath amenities (shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, French-milled bath soap), laundry detergent, dish soap, facial tissue, organic coffe, South American wines and other “luxuries” for more than three years.  All of these items and services are provided at no additional cost to the guest or to the owner.  It’s how we have always done business!

“Costa Rica has long been a beacon of stability in the region, with a democracy that’s over 100 years old, a literacy rate of 95 percent, and the highest standard of living in Central America. There are a lot of natural superlatives in this country as well. Arenal Volcano is Central America’s most active volcano. Some five percent of the world’s species are found on this small plot of land, including more species of birds than the U.S. and Canada combined. A quarter of the country is devoted to protected lands and parks and the government here has been far more enlightened about environmentally friendly tourism than most other countries anywhere.

“Don’t plan on having the whole place to yourself though. The secret has been out for ages and this is one of the most popular destinations for North Americans, drawing over 1.5 million total visitors per year. A fair number of those visitors never made it back home: this is a popular place to retire to and buy or build a dream home.

“The good side of all this traffic is that upscale facilities are quite good, the better guides speak English well, and staffers aren’t just figuring all this out as they go along. Some of the eco-tourism pioneers are based here, so eco-friendly lodges and hotels that “think green” are more prevalent than those that are not–a welcome change in the luxury market.

“Don’t plan a Costa Rica trip around colonial history and sightseeing. Instead come here to find jungle adventures, white-water rafting, hiking, mountain biking, and then a bit of beach living” in a luxurious vacation rental villa, private home or condominium on Jaco Beach, at Los Suenos Golf Resort and Marina on Playa Herradura, or Manuel Antonio.

Costa Rican Luxury Adventure of a Lifetime

By Erika Thomas

Mead Brown has answered the call for a vacation experience that truly delivers in this gem of a country bridging North and South America.

Villa Firenze at Los Suenos Golf Resort and Marina

Created by vacation connoisseurs Mark Mead and Michael Brown, Mead Brown strives to create unforgettable, luxurious ravel experiences. The cofounders, who once enjoyed successful careers in the U.S. working with princes and presidents, diplomats and debutantes, are quite the duo that, as Brown explains, “perfectly balance one another. We are completely different in personality, but we have wholly complementary skill sets.” Those impressive skill sets are what have made them the go-to guys for Costa Rican travel.

Their inventory of properties in the land of la pura vida includes everything from condo units in the über-posh Vista Las Palmas, villas at Manuel Antonio National Park or in Los Sueños Golf Resort & Marina, and remarkable grand estates. The crown jewels of the property portfolio includes Punto de Vista, a 10-bedroom, all-inclusive event manor situated on an acre of tropical rainforest.  As Brown divulges, “The owner conceived it as a yacht on land. It’s perfect for a wedding, special birthday, corporate group function, or large family gathering.”

But what really catapults Mead Brown into a category all their own is their commitment to over-the-top concierge services. “We are so much more than just a vacation rental firm,” Brown says, explaining that if a client can imagine it, they can make it happen.  From personal chefs and Dominican cigar rollers to scheduling spa appointments and arranging yachting excursions, Mead Brown attends to virtually any desire with over-zealous attention to detail. “Once a guest called and requested a case of Cristal.  There was none in the whole country, so we had it helicoptered in from Panama,” says Brown.

Their ability and commitment to over-deliver on their promises to guests and owners is what has allowed the company to grow leaps and bounds, despite the global economy in 2009. “Our success is driven by our ability to fulfill the needs and expectations of the sophisticated North American traveler that had previously been unmet in this market.”  He explains that when traveling to Costa Rica, the American luxury connoisseur wants to be enveloped in the natural beauty of the country, but still wants the creature comforts of the modern lifestyle to which they are accustomed.

According to Brown, the draw to set up shop in Costa Rica was “the awe-inspiring landscape, stable democratic government, and the high literacyrate, which at 96 percent is higher even than in the U.S. People here are educated and genuinely friendly,” Brown points out.

“Americans are attracted to Costa Rica specifically for the adventure,” he says, “the monkeys the flora, the fauna.  Think of the migration patterns of animals such as birds and whales between North and South America; because they all pass through or by this very narrow bridge of a country we have an incredible abundance of nature all around.” Brown is dead on; Costa Rica boasts more than 1,000 species of butterflies, 1,300 types of orchids, and is a world-class sport-fishing destination for sailfish and marlin.

Mead Brown clients can fly private into San Jose, where they are then transported to a tropical vacation oasis by helicopter or Mercedes shuttle.

1) Costa Rica: Your Own Private Rainforest for Half the Price
Summer is shoulder-season for Costa Rica, meaning brief afternoon showers most days. But the bulk of the deals stem from a resort boom that has outstripped tourism demand, says Michael Brown of Mead Brown Costa Rica Vacation Rentals, which manages luxury rental properties. Deals on airfare are good, too — roughly $350 instead of last year’s $600, he says — thanks to new routes from budget airlines such as Spirit and JetBlue.

Sample deal: Through November, Mead Brown is offering one-bedroom rentals at the Los Sueños Resort and Marina for $175 a night, down from $350 last year. There’s also a deal to pay for six nights and get the seventh free. A family booking a weeklong vacation at the resort, which has its own private rainforest preserve and views of the Pacific Ocean, would pay $1,050 — a savings of 57%.

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Mead Brown Costa Rica Vacation Rentals has villas, houses, condos and condominiums available for rent during the 2009 International Surfing Association World Surfing Games, sponsored by Billabong, which will take place July 31 through August 9, 2009 in Playa Hermosa, 10 minutes from Jacó in Costa Rica.   Athletes from 40 countries are expected to compete; tens of thousands of spectators are anticipated as well.  In addition to surfing, attendees can experience the natural beauty for which Costa Rica is known, including rain forests, dolphins, sea turtles, scarlet macaws, toucans and stunning beaches.  The lively beach town of Jaco is home to many unique shops, restaurants and nightlife.  Live bands will be featured at many venues and sponsors will host parties throughout the competition. 

Mead Brown has many vacation rental properties that are ideally suited for sponsors, competitors and observers; these include Villa Antigua, the luxury oceanfront condominium residences of Vista Las Palmas, and Casa Ponte.  All three properties are in Jacó.  Additionally we have a house right on Playa Hermosa!  Call us now a 1.888.744.6599 or from Costa Rica at 2637.8561.

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Expats turn your Costa Rican siesta from lame to lavish.

Casa Mono Loco in Los Suenos Resort & Marina, Costa Rica

If you’re planning an escape to Costa Rica this year, be sure to check in with Mark Mead and Michael Brown of the eponymous Mead Brown, a full-service, vacation rental marketing and property management company specializing in the country’s Central Pacific Coast. The company is widely regarded as one of—if not the—best for travel to Costa Rica, a hard-earned distinction for its two founders. After all, Mead and Brown gave up fast-paced careers in the United States to set up shop in Costa Rica, where they drew on their own experience as tourists to create one-of-a-kind vacations for a market that had, in their eyes, gone uncatered to, or at least insufficiently so.

“After rewarding careers in the US, we knew we wanted adventure and to live abroad,” says Brown. “Several visits as tourists to Costa Rica illustrated the need—and business opportunity—for a professionally managed vacation rental company that could deliver to the expectations of North Americans. After a year of research and planning and the investment of hundreds of thousands of dollars into the best systems, we opened for business.”

The result was Mead Brown, which now boasts a diverse collection of privately owned beachfront villas, houses, condos, and fincas in the Jaco, Playa Hermosa, Herradura, and Los Sueños areas. Mead Brown has also become the preferred vacation rental provider for the Los Sueños Resort & Marina, where clients enjoy lavish condominium accommodations and leisure, sporting, and spa privileges.

Mead Brown also offers complete concierge services, meaning clients can craft the ultimate vacation package. Spa services, championship golf, world-class sport fishing, horseback riding, sea kayaking, and flora-and fauna tours are among the wishes and whims the outfit’s dedicated guest services staff can fulfill. There’s also the placement of private chefs, as well as air- and watercraft charters, housekeeping, and transportation.

“Service is what sets us apart from most of the vacation rental companies in Central America,” Brown says. Even when the most hedonistic at heart come calling, Brown, like a seasoned hotelier, has the answer: “We will do virtually anything to meet our guests’ needs, expectations, and wishes,” he says. “This is a promise not easily fulfilled in a developing country, but we give it our very best and we typically deliver.”

So how are these American expats adjusting to life in this business? “It’s been really gratifying and rewarding for us,” Brown says. “When [guests] leave, they tell us that they’ve never been so well taken care of. It seems a bit odd to us . . . it’s not as though we are peeling their grapes.” Maybe so, but we have a feeling that this hospitable pair would be happily willing to do just that.—Lindsay Lambert

Mead Brown’s accommodations range from fully equipped three-bedroom condos from $300 per night to seven-bedroom villas at $7,500 per night; all properties include daily housekeeping. For more information or to make a reservation, visit www.meadbrown.com or call 866-567-1516.
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