Fancy hotel rooms don’t necessarily equate with luxury.
A new Vrbo/Harris poll of some 1,700 travellers from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe and Australia finds that travellers place greater value on the consistent delivery of the fundamentals. In an increasingly competitive market, mastering the basics can be more important to travellers than offering additional amenities or elaborate in-home experiences.
The poll asked for travel opinions for people who have stayed in a vacation rental and found that 86% would pay more for a place to stay that had a higher-quality listing.
Respondents made it overwhelmingly clear that quality is not synonymous with luxury. The strongest quality signals for the property itself are exceptional cleanliness (78%), reliable core amenities including appliances, WiFi, and air-conditioning (78%), and comfortable beds and quality linens (77%), while a host who responds quickly when something goes wrong (79%) and clear, detailed check-in instructions (75%) top the operational list.
The biggest deal breakers are a total price not shown clearly upfront (66%), high or unclear cleaning fees (59%), additional fees for using amenities (49%), and a lack of clear photos of important rooms (48%).
“With more supply on the market than ever before, differentiation is critical,” said Tim Rosolio, Vice President of Vacation Rental Partnerships at Expedia Group. “This research gives partners specific actions on how to deliver quality, drive confidence, and build a better stay.”
My wife and I stayed in a terrific Vrbo apartment in Rome a couple years ago.
FORBES: TOP HOTELS IN THE WORLD, INCLUDING CANADA, USA AND MORE
Forbes has come out with its hotel ratings for 2026, including top places to stay around the world. It’s an exhaustive list that includes five-star, four-star and recommended hotels, as well as top spas and restaurants.
Here’s a look at some of the notable five-star properties I’ve stayed out or been to, and also four-star hotels.
FIVE STAR FORBES RATINGS
The Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa on Grand Cayman. Jim Byers Photo
Among the five-star hotels from Forbes this year are:
Four Seasons Toronto (elegant place to stay with sensational food offerings)
Hazelton Hotel, Toronto (magnificent hotel; here’s a review of mine)
St. Regis Hotel, Toronto (refined elegance in downtown Toronto)
Shangri-la Hotel, Toronto (Asian-influenced luxury and a fabulous lobby bar)
Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver (bright, modern hotel with fabulous food)
Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, California (haven’t stayed, but love the golf course)
Beverly Hills Hotel, California (splendid place with cool history)
Rancho Valencia Resort and Spa, San Diego, California (here’s a review of mine)
Four Seasons Wailea, Maui, Hawaii (great hotel on a fantastic island)
Four Seasons Resort, Lanai, Hawaii (stunning property)
Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Hawaii Island, Hawaii (ditto)
The regal Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Four Seasons Downtown New York City (super luxury in lower Manhattan)
Kimpton Seafire, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (excellent spot on the beach with great food)
The Balmoral, a Rocco Forte Hotel, Edinburgh, Scotland (glamour to spare in a great city)
Hotel Hassler, Rome (splendid views and sensational food)
Ashford Castle, Ireland (luxurious and historic)
Capella Lodge, Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, Australia (amazing place in a fabulous, remote destination)
FOUR STAR FORBES RATINGS
Regent Santa Monica Beach Hotel. Tanveer Badal Photo.
Park Hyatt, Toronto
Ritz-Carlton, Toronto
Fairmont Gold, Banff Springs, Alberta
Four Seasons, Montreal
Ritz-Carlton, Montreal
Muir Hotel, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Wickaninnish Inn, Tofino, British Columbia
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
Rosewood Hotel Georgia, Vancouver
Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco (here’s a review I wrote)
Casa Del Mar, Santa Monica, California
Regent Santa Monica Beach, California
Shutters on the Beach, Santa Monica, California
Four Seasons Ko Olina, Oahu, Hawaii
Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii (here’s a review)
The Four Seasons Hotel Oahu at Ko Olina. Jim Byers Photo
Hotel Bel Air, Los Angeles, California
Fairmont Century Plaza, Los Angeles, California
Halekulani, Oahu, Hawaii
Four Seasons Ko Olina, Oahu, Hawaii
Four Seasons, Chicago
Edition Hotel, Tampa, Florida
Jade Mountain, Saint Lucia
Half Moon, Montego Bay, Jamaica
Park Hyatt, Sydney, Australia
JAMAICA WINTER AIRLIFT ON THE RISE
Jamaica’s second largest source market, is poised for further growth with approximately 400,000 seats that will be available from Canada to Jamaica for the 2026/2027 winter season. This marks a significant expansion of airlift from the Canadian market.
The increase is driven by expanded service from long-standing airline partners Air Canada and Sunwing, together with new non-stop service from Porter Airlines, underscoring sustained confidence in Jamaica as a leading warm-weather destination for Canadian travellers.
Half Moon is a lovely property near Montego Bay, Jamaica. Jim Byers Photo
The added capacity comes as Jamaica continues to strengthen its position as Canada’s preferred Caribbean destination, offering more choice, more frequency and more direct routings from key Canadian gateways into the island’s two major airports.
Canada remains one of Jamaica’s top-performing source markets, and the additional seat capacity is expected to play a critical role in helping the destination reach its ambitious 2030 goals of 600,000 annual visitor arrivals from Canada and US$750 million in tourism earnings from the market.
I’ve been four or five times now and find it an amazing place to visit. Here’s a story from my visit to Sunset at the Palms in Negril a year and-a-half ago.
MONTREAL TOURISM SOARS
The zip line in old Montreal. Jim Byers Photo
Montréal is off to an exceptional start to the tourism season, with all major indicators showing growth. From May through July, hotel occupancy reached 82%, up seven percentage points from the same period in 2025.
I’ll be in Montreal at the Sofitel hotel next month. Stay tuned for a review later in September!
