When it comes to vacation rentals, the guest experience is everything. In TravelPro Services we know that keeping up with vacation rental management is already time-consuming so for us it’s not that hard to become a good host. It just takes some extra steps and a bit of preparation. Afterward, we can truly give our guests a memorable experience.
Here are some hosting tips that we use:
- Keep Our Promises
In other words, never lie or confuse our potential guests. For example, if we promise them wifi, then we better make sure that the router is up and running by the time they arrive. There’s really nothing worse than arriving at a vacation place and seeing that all you were promised was a lie. Being honest with people about what we can offer them is important for us.
- Stay Within Reach
As the host, our guests should know how to get in touch with us in case they need it. People might have some question during their stay, from “how does the shower work?”, to information about the sights, or even some emergencies. We strongly believe that it’s good to let people feel like we are always there to help them if they needed it. And it can show up nicely in the reviews too.
- Information (lots of it)
When a potential guest contacts us, we should give them as much information up-front as possible. It’s important to communicate openly about rates, amenities, the area where the vacation rental is, and other things we know to interest the guest, but maybe doesn’t ask about at first. Being open lets people know we are honest, and they can trust us. Plus, it avoids any unpleasant surprises.
- Act like an Hotelier
Though it’s an alternative accommodation to hotels, guests still expect some hotel-like perks from their vacation rental. For starters, they expect the place to be clean before they check in, with fresh sheets on the bed, and towels in the bathroom. Plus, other things like toilet paper or hand soap are also expected, so we always provide them. The vacation rental decoration also speaks volume about the property, so we try to keep those standards.
- Think like a VR Owner
Hotels cannot personalize every single guest’s experience, but we certainly can. The whole point of a vacation rental is to get a homey vibe even when on holiday. We can do something extra to put a smile on our guest’s faces and uphold these standards. For example, if they are repeat guest we use to leave them a small token to show your appreciation. Even something as small as a welcome back card can be very appreciated by people. We always think of some elements that can help our guests feel like we’ve done something just for them; it’s really worth all the effort.
- Talk to our Guests about Their Preferences
Sometimes, people don’t know they expect something until they arrive at the vacation rental and see it’s not there. And then they get frustrated. There’s nothing wrong with asking the guests if they want or need something during their stay. That way, people can see we are going out of our way to accommodate them and can feel like they’re treated specially.
So, here there are: some ways to improve our hosting skills, among all the other services that our company provides. By applying these tips we are essentially improving a good part of the customer experience. Each our vacation rental could be one of the most beautiful places in the world, but if people have a bad experience communicating with us or booking it, that really won’t matter. Sometimes, these very small gestures can matter greatly to people. And since they’re so easy to apply, why take the risk of letting our guests down with bad hosting skills?
