Hotels.com

Hotels.com, like Booking.com, offers a wide range of lodging choices, so tourists who know they want a vacation rental must utilize the "Accommodation Type" filter on the search results page to eliminate hotels, hostels, and other alternatives. "How much we are paid affects your sort order," said the note at the top of the page, which I appreciated. However, you may arrange your results by star rating, distance from a certain location, guest rating, and price, as well as use a variety of additional filters to narrow down your choices.

There is a map view available, but I didn't find it particularly useful; it defaults to showing properties that don't satisfy your criteria, and by the time you screen them out, you're typically left with properties that don't meet your requirements.

When you click into a specific listing, you'll discover amenities, policies, images, guest reviews, and a list of nearby activities. One disadvantage is that there is no direct method to contact the owner or property management. While a phone number for "additional information" about the property is provided, it does not connect you to the owner, but rather to a general Hotels.com corporate phone number. Taxes and fees are hidden until you click the "Let's book" button, and there's no thorough explanation of where your money goes.

Best feature: Many vacation rental bookings qualify for Hotels.com Rewards, which means you can use your stay to earn a free night at a hotel or a rental in the future.

Website: Hotels.com