When planning a Smoky Mountains getaway, most travelers do the same thing: They start on Airbnb, Vrbo, or Booking.com. That’s completely understandable - those sites are great search tools. But what many guests don’t realize is that the price you see there is often not the best price available. That’s where price comparison tools like HiChee come in.

Keep Reading

When planning a Smoky Mountains getaway, most travelers start on Airbnb or Vrbo - and that’s perfectly fine. These platforms are great discovery tools.
But here’s something many guests don’t realize: booking direct often means lower prices, fewer fees, and more flexible payment options than Airbnb or Vrbo, often by hundreds of dollars. At Blue Mountain Cabins, we see this play out regularly. Here’s a real example.

Keep Reading

If you’re searching for a vacation rental in the Smoky Mountains, you’ve probably seen this message on Vrbo: “Our prices include all fees. No hidden fees.” It sounds appealing — but in practice, this is largely a marketing message, not a cost savings for travelers. 
Here’s why booking directly with companies like Blue Mountain Cabins in the Smoky Mountains is almost always less expensive.

Keep Reading

If you’re searching for Smoky Mountains cabin rentals, you may have noticed something new on Airbnb:
“No guest service fees.” It sounds like a great deal - but in reality, the total cost of a stay often hasn’t gone down. In many cases, it’s actually higher. Here’s why booking direct with Blue Mountain Cabins often saves travelers money.

Keep Reading

Airbnb and Vrbo trained travelers to think they’re the only game in town. They’re not. They’re just the most expensive middlemen in travel history. 

Next time you fall in love with a vacation rental, take five extra minutes to search the property name or run the photo through Google Lens. You’ll almost certainly find the owner’s direct site - and pocket hundreds of dollars that were never necessary to pay in the first place.

 

Keep Reading