Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Accommodations
 

We're two couples planning to combine 3 - 4 nights in Santa Fe with 3 nights in Albuquerque to attend the Balloon Fiesta in early October. Found a place on VRBO that's not far from the festival park, and the price is right (well, except for the $500 damage deposit), but the owner is asking that the entire rental fee, including damage deposit, be paid upon booking. We've rented through VRBO a number of times, always without a problem, but have never had to pay so far in advance, which is a red flag to me. Especially since there are no reviews on the property, and rate details don't mention anything about taxes (so is it a legal rental?), whereas some others I checked do. Not to mention that the damage deposit is twice what most other owners are asking. Is this typical, or should we keep on looking?

And if we should keep on looking, any suggestions as to location? We're inclined to look north of downtown, but how far we're not sure. And we'd prefer VRBO over cookie-cutter rooms in a Hilton Garden Inn or Marriott.

Thanks for any advice!

Don't do it.

You haven't mentioned method of payment but I wouldn't rent anything that can't be put on a credit card, with an arbitrator, in case of a dispute. Airbnb has an arbitration procedure and security deposits aren't charged to your card unless there's damage, not in advance. Rent only is charged in advance.

I understand the issue of having stricter rental parameters for a special weekend like the festival, but given lack of a track record and no reviews, I'd pass. See what Airbnb has on their site.

The laws here are very unclear on what is legal as far as short term vacation rentals.

That time period is THE most visited time of the year; and as a result, prices are higher.

If you are uncertain, look elsewhere for terms you can live with and that have reviews. I have done a couple of stays [in a variety of locations] with no reviews and luckily, I did ok. The scariest was in Paris where the rate was low and the owner didn't want any deposit! We paid in full upon arrival. I did correspond with the owner a lot and felt ok with it. Looking back, I must have been crazy, lol.

Wow. Sounds like a sticky situation. To my knowledge Air B&Bs have been popping up all over Albuquerque as well as Santa Fe. If that is more your style rather than the traditional hotel room. You may want to look into staying in Santa Fe for the Fiesta. The hotels in Santa Fe are far from your average cookie cutter type places such as the Hilton etc. However, a hotel in Santa Fe will be much more expensive than a hotel in Albuquerque. Therefore, an Air B&B may be the way to go. Whether you find a place in Santa Fe or Albuquerque, reliable transportation to and from the balloon fiesta park can be found here

http://wtmllc.com/
http://wtmllc.com/balloon-fiesta-transportation/
http://www.santafegroundtransportation.com/