Vacation rentals are the lodging category that grew the most in St. Augustine over the past decade. The historic district has dozens of cottage rentals, the beach communities have entire neighborhoods of vacation homes, and the price point sits between a hotel room and what you’d pay for a multi-bedroom condo elsewhere in Florida.

First-time visitors usually book hotels. Repeat visitors usually switch to vacation rentals , more space, kitchens, washer/dryers, often pools, almost always cheaper per-person for groups of four or more. The tradeoff is no front desk and no daily housekeeping.

Locally-owned operators handle most of the inventory. The major booking platforms have everything, but many of the best-reviewed properties are also listable through First Choice Florida, a regional management company with a curated portfolio across St. Augustine, Vilano Beach, Crescent Beach, and Anastasia Island.

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