In the last few weeks I’ve had several partners, property managers, colleagues, and friends ask me for recommendations for (internet) tools that I use to make life easier. Here are some of my answers:

Resources to check out:

“How do you find time to twitter? and how do you get it on facebook?”
For the twitters out there that have mobile phones it’s time to download TwitterBerry (http://www.orangatame.com/products/twitterberry/). It’s also worth downloading twirl for your desktop. It saves time, energy, and organizes your twitter life quite nicely. Regarding getting your tweets on Facebook, just download the Twitter App (on facebook) and enter your ID and PW. Pretty simple http://apps.facebook.com/twitter/. Of course, if you don’t tweet then you probably don’t care. If you’re wondering what Twitter is then check out my profile on the site http://twitter.com/McFads.

“Any secrets in writing blogs?”
In terms of content, that’s up to you. As far as writing/posting blogs, download ScribeFire (for firefox) and I quote ‘post to your blog without ever leaving Firefox.’ Warning: you might start blogging too much because it’s that easy! Please note I’m writing this blog from the ScribeFire tool.

“How do I know about my SEO?”
There are many tools out there to check out your SEO. I’m a big fan of SEO Quake (also for Firefox). It embeds a toolbar in your browser that displays critical information about every site you view. It was developed for webmasters but I think everyone that has a business presence online should have it. SEO Quake “allows user to obtain and investigate many important parameters of the internet project.”

A few days ago we posted about our promotion for Colorado residents looking to escape during the Democratic National Convention.  We sent out a news release and even polled a few locals to get their thoughts on the effects the convention would have on their commutes, leisure time and lives in general.

The folks over at 9News in Denver sent their always entertaining, mountain reporter Matt Renoux to Vail to meet with Mike McFadden of The Society and Mike Connolly at Peak Properties Inc to get some details.  The piece aired on the 5 o’clock broadcast.

Additionally, the very cordiall Scott Miller of the Vail Daily wrote a great article for us including some nice quotes from another of our local property manager partners Prudential Colorado Vail.  Jon Eskin provided some excellent support comments.

Finally, we had a write-up in Denver’s Rocky Mountain News that features the detilas of the promo.  Thanks to all the editors and reporters for the press coverage!

The Special Anniversary Issue of the duPont Registry has been released for August, 2008.

Inside, The Society and a few of our premier property manager partners were featured in a full, two page spread, as well as a feature story entitled, “Paradise Redefined.”

Excerpt:

One company that has been leading the way in the luxury vacation-home rental arena is the Society of Leisure Enthusiasts.  “Vacation rentals are a great alternative to luxury hotel or owning your own vacation home,” says Michael McFadden, CEO and co-founder of the Denver, Colorado-based company.  “You enjoy the ambience of high-end accommodations and save money, versus staying in a luxury hotel or woning property.”

Another bonus is homeowners in desirable vacation destinations can list their properties for rent on The Society’s website and use the money to offset the cost of renting vacation properties for their own travels.

With more than 2,000 qualified luxury properties available in forty-five different destinations around the world and new inventory being added all of the time, The Society of Leisure Enthusiasts offers ample exotic locales and unique properties to choose from.

To receive a free online subscription to this esteemed publication, click here.

With the Democratic National Convention coming to Denver August 25-28, metro-area residents will see an estimated 50,000 visitors descend upon the city overnight. This is the largest event in Denver’s history and will play host to about 1,500 special events in the four-day span. Regardless of your political affiliation, the sheer volume of people can be overwhelming and an inconvenience.

www.TheSociety.com is making it easy to escape the crowds with free gas and discounted vacation rental home rates for Colorado residents. All the details can be found on the DNC Promotion Page.

A new luxury poll taken from 278 American Express Centurion card holders brings to light some emerging trends of affluent travelers.

* “Two thirds (66%) seek destinations that are entirely private and secluded to take them away from the crowds.”
* “72% are demanding bespoke, personalised experiences, catering exclusively for their needs.”
* “76% want to gain new talents and a sense of individual achievement during trips.”
* “A big driver in the growth of tailored travel is the need for security and privacy.”
* “If you want to see things off the beaten track and experience views few get to see, doing this without the crowds is what really makes it a truly luxury experience.”
* “The continued growth of luxury vacation rentals, yachting, and private plane businesses is a testament to this overarching desire for exclusive and private experiences.”

As so many of us have realized, this is the beauty of enjoying a vacation in a luxury rental rather than a high-end hotel.  Luxury rental homes combine the concierge/services typical of 5-star hotels with the seclusion and comforts of a private estate.

You can read the entire article here, and to begin a search for your perfect rental home, start here.

For luxury travelers now is the time to plan that yearly winter ski vacation.  Sure, it may be warm now, but in a few months, when the temperatures drop and the golf clubs are retired back to the garage, it will be time to dust off the ski equipment, gather the troops and escape to altitude.

The Society’s newest property manager partner, Aspen Luxury Rentals, has provided over 130 luxury vacation rentals in Aspen and Snowmass that are almost too good to be true.  Plan a family reunion, corporate event, or just bring a group of friends to one of these masterpieces and enjoy a true luxury ski vacation.  Aspen has long been considered a haven for the rich and famous, and it is no wonder that Aspen Luxury Rentals is also prepared to arrange private jets, chefs, catering, nannies, snow equipment rentals, childcare services, etc…

Some of these exquisite homes are even right on the slopes for direct ski-in/ski-out access.  Take “Little Nell Home” for example.  6 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, gourmet kitchen, right by the gondola, family friendly, pet friendly…perfect for your next family getaway.  Check out the rest of these beautiful rentals here.

With an increasing number of homes entering the rental pool, competition for guests is becoming more and more challenging. An added service here or a luxury touch there could very well be the difference between a booking or a vacancy.

“As unsold vacation homes swell the supply of houses on the rental market, growing competition for tenants is driving out the chipped dishes, tacky bedspreads and sagging couches,” says June Fletcher of the Wall Street Journal. She continues on to outline many of the amenities now being offered in her article titled, “The ‘Five-Star’ Beach Rental”.

Luxury rental properties continue to close the gap with five-star hotels and in many cases have surpassed them in terms of service, amenities and destinations. Conversely, luxury hotels have a difficult time matching the privacy and expansive group or family spaces found at a luxury rental home or villa.

Villa Antigua was inspired by the 300-year old Spanish Colonial homes of Antigua Guatemala. This new, 5600 square foot, 5 bedroom, 6 bathroom compound is just steps from Jaco Beach and beautifully decorated by Banagas Design. It is available as a vacation rental with a three night minimum–fully furnished and equipped. To view all of the great properties offered by Mead Brown, check out their profile.

Its summer time, and many of us have dug the sticks out of the garage, dusted them off, and stocked the bag full of ProV1’s, but now what? “The Caribbean has not traditionally been viewed as a standout destination for exceptional course design, but in the last 10 years, advances have made golf more viable on the islands. If a golf vacation is in your future, imagine playing in the jungle with ocean and mountain view and playing along the coast with palm trees swaying.” With over 800 luxury villa rentals available on TheSociety.com, there are no more excuses. So, if you’re home course is starting to get a little too familiar, begin planning a golf trip for the ages, and look to the Caribbean to deliver a memorable experience.

Forbes Traveler published an article listing the top 10 Caribbean golf courses. Check out the list below, and read the full article here.

• Green Monkey at the Sandy Lane Resort in Barbados
• Punta Espada at the Cap Cana Resort in the Dominican Republic
• El Camaleon at the Fairmont Mayakoba Resort in Playa del Carmen
• Teeth of the Dog at Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic
• Temenos Golf Club in Anguilla
• Westin Rio Mar in Puerto Rico
• Ocean Club at One&Only Resorts in New Providence Island, Bahamas
• Caye Chapel in Belize
• Four Seasons in Nevis
• Cimmamon Hill Ocean Course at Rose Hall Resort in Jamaica

In life and in business receiving negative feedback is never a crowning achievement. For many, the first instinct is to quickly sweep it under the rug and minimize the damage to your reputation as quietly as possible. The problem with that approach is often failure to acknowledge and resolve the issue at hand.

Many property managers have expressed some concern (and rightly so) over how negative feedback is handled at The Society. In brief, we feel it’s our privilege and obligation to provide our affluent travelers the most trusted information available regarding our luxury rental properties. If negative comments should arise, it’s the responsibility of the property manager to address the concerns quickly for two reasons:

1. The particular problem will be fixed. A negative comment suggesting your hot tub was cold could alert you to an ongoing issue sure to influence future guests.
2. Each time you publicly respond to a past guest, you are advertising your responsiveness and willingness to resolve problems to future guests.

Carrie Hill from Blizzard Internet Marketing Inc. had a few suggestions when responding to poor reviews in a recent article titled, “A Guide to Answering Negative Online Reviews”. Additionally, Andy Beal from MarketingPilgrim.com blogs on managing reviews, click here to read.