vacation plans

One Texas property makes the cut on Vrbo's best vacation rentals of 2024

Vrbo, the online marketplace for vacation rentals, has unveiled its top 10 list for 2024, and one home in Texas made the cut: The list, called 2024 U.S. Vacation Rentals of the Year, showcases the 10 best vacation rentals in North America, based on factors such as guest reviews and amenities.

The list includes properties in famous getaway locales ranging from Sedona to Big Sky to Cabo San Lucas.

The Texas entry is Toro Canyon in Austin, a tranquil retreat tucked away in the hilly Westlake neighborhood, six miles west of downtown. Designed by renowned Austin architect Michael Hsu, the home offers "timeless modernity" and "high quality craftsmanship," according to its listing. Stays begin at $2,015 per night.

The two-story home features five bedrooms and five bathrooms that overlook a luscious green backyard, temperature-controlled pool, and hot tub. The home sits on a one-acre lot, surrounded by mature trees for the ultimate privacy for guests.

Toro Canyon, Vrbo Vacation Rentals of the Year, Austin vacation home Toro Canyon is your own private retreat.Photo courtesy of Vrbo

There is ample space for relaxation and lounging outside, with a stone landing, two covered pavilions (one with an outdoor kitchen), and a second-floor balcony. Guests who want to stay active while on vacation can make use of the partial basketball court or in-ground trampoline, or they can set up a net over the pool and play volleyball.

An outdoor shower at one of the pavilions is available for guests to rinse off before heading back inside to enjoy the rest of the home.

The home accommodates up to 15 guests, with three out of five bedrooms boasting two queen- or king-sized beds each. The remaining rooms each contain a single king-sized bed.

Natural light floods every room to provide the perfect ambiance on a nice sunny day, and each bedroom blends modern features with elegant details through its wall art, decor, and bed linens.

Toro Canyon, Vrbo Vacation Rentals of the Year, Austin vacation home Only two of the five total bedrooms at Toro Canyon contain a single king-sized bed.Photo courtesy of Vrbo

For guests who want to take advantage of the home's location in the city, it's a five minute drive to Lake Austin, or a 10-15 minute drive to downtown. Popular hiking and nature destinations like Mount Bonnell, Mayfield Park and Nature Preserve, and the Barton Creek Greenbelt are all 15 minutes away.

Other vacation rentals highlighted in Vrbo's 2024 U.S. Vacation Rentals of the Year list include:

"Palatial Paradise Estate" in Sedona Arizona
"Fire Lookout Towers" in Big Sky, Montana
"Pardise Found" in Inlet Beach, Florida
"Villa Montebella" in Glen Ellen, California
"Sandy Lakehouse" in Sand Lake, Michigan
"Miracle Creek Retreat" in Epworth, Georgia
"Copley's Lakefront Cottage" in Winchendon, Massachusetts
"Villa Cin Cin" in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
"Casa Acantilado" in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

The most expensive rental on the list is Villa Montebella, an exclusive wine-country villa in Sonoma Valley that costs $4,750 per night. On the low end, the lodge home in Big Sky, Montana is a relative bargain at $770 per night.

This is the third year vrbo has published such a ranking. A Hill Country home made the list in 2023.

The full list of winners can be found on vrbo.com.

Toro Canyon, Vrbo Vacation Rentals of the Year, Austin vacation home

Photo courtesy of Vrbo

The pool is climate-controlled for guests' convenience.

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'Hidden gem' Texas city soars onto 2026 top travel destinations list

Photo by Grace Estrada on Unsplash

El Paso was named one of the "Rising Star Destinations" to book for a vacation in 2026.

A new 2026 Travel Trends Forecast from vacation rental marketplace HomeToGo has unveiled the top U.S. cities that are on travelers' minds for the next year, and one unsuspecting far West Texas city was included on the list: El Paso.

El Paso was named one of six most sought-after "Rising Star Destinations" in the Southwest and Mountain West regions. Search trends revealed traveler interest in El Paso skyrocketed 191 percent year-over-year, with vacationers pining after "desert landscapes" and "frontier-style towns with modern Western flair."

To determine where travelers are planning on booking their 2026 vacations, HomeToGo surveyed 1,000 American adults from November 26-28, 2025 to discover which locales offer "both affordability and under-the-radar appeal." Search interest and price insights were based on observed searches executed via HomeToGo's website from August 1-November 15, 2025, with a check-in date during 2026.

The reports findings show the vacation accommodations in El Paso cost a median $62.21 per night, earning the city a reputation for being more affordable than Texas' major cities like Dallas or Houston. HomeToGo also said travelers are "increasingly turning to smaller [Southwestern] towns" to find accommodations rather than booking a stay at a large resort.

Additionally, younger travelers like Gen Zers and Millennials are driving the shift toward these hidden gem destinations after collecting inspiration from social media sites like Instagram and TikTok.

"Western destinations are seeing a rise in interest, fueled by a broader cultural moment that has placed such locations firmly in the spotlight," the report's author wrote. "In 2025, artists such as Beyoncé and Sabrina Carpenter brought fresh takes on the visual language of country music firmly into the mainstream, with this movement further amplified across social media platforms."

There's plenty to do in the self-proclaimed "Sun City," such as hiking in Franklin Mountains State Park or Guadalupe Mountains National Park, visiting local museums, and much more.

Other top "Neo-Western Revival" destinations to visit in 2026 include:

Marana, Arizona
Cañon City, Colorado
Yucca Valley, California
Queen Creek, Arizona
Bisbee, Arizona

"According to the survey findings, 76 percent of U.S. travelers plan to go on vacation in 2026, with over a quarter (26 percent) actively booking longer and more extravagant breaks," the report said. "Fifty-seven percent plan to spend more on vacations in comparison to 2025, indicating that the appetite for travel is clearly growing."

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