SW Florida Vacation Rental Home

Convert Inquiries into Bookings

One of the most exciting aspects of vacation rental homeownership is checking your mailbox for inquiries. Once you've received an inquiry from a potential renter the ball is in your court to convince them that your vacation home is the perfect base for their stay. The absolute most important tip from all the experts in the vacation rental field is to respond quickly and accurately to your inquiries. Timeliness matters. The more responsive you are to your potential guests sends them the message that you are a professional who is attentive to the needs of your guests.

You should also be sure to highlight some of the key features and amenities of your home based on the information they have given you, for instance, they list their group as 4 adults and 4 children. This sounds like 2 families in which case try to mention the kid friendly aspects of your home as well as the benefits for the parents to enjoy some adult time. This sound be done in a well thought out concise form, one or two paragraphs at most.

Your e-mail reply should include confirmation of the dates they requested and the number in their party and price for rental period inclusive of all taxes, cleaning fees and other potential charges. It should also discuss your rental agreement,deposit requirements and your payment methods.

Lastly, try to convey to your potential guests how much you appreciate their consideration and time. Today, renters have many choices for their accommodations and your success in great part depends upon the how well you are at selling your place in this intial correspondence.

Vacation Rental Properties that Set the Bar Higher

Vacation rental homeowners from Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas to Colorado, Pennsylvania and Texas are facing more intense competition these days. Regardless of whether your own a beachfront or ski resort home, attracting and keeping loyal renters to a vacation property is becoming increasingly more challenging.

The stakes are high. Few can afford a decrease in annual bookings for their vacation properties -- not with expenses soaring for services such as painters, plumbers, property taxes, property management, and landscaping for investment properties. The point is, vacation rental homeowners must work smarter, but not necessarily harder, to maintain and hopefully increase their property bookings.

Your vacation home renters travel a long way to stay at your rental property. So the moment they walk through your door, they’re making decisions about the value of what they’re getting – and whether they’d come again.

Those first impressions also factor into whether they’d recommend your vacation property to friends and family. Shouldn’t you make your guests feel as special as you’d want to feel away from home? We help make your first impression great!

Let hospitality be your hallmark. Welcome Gifts are an excellent way to show your guests that you care and want them to enjoy their stay. Guests greeted with warmth and hospitality are more likely to return and refer new guests to your holiday home. Imagine how many additional bookings making this simple connection can help generate!

That's where we come in Welcome Your Guests Gifts offers marketing-savvy, service-oriented vacation rental homeowners a unique hospitality solution. We’ve created a tasteful set of welcome gift bags for your guests, featuring two distinct product lines that are among the most buzzed-about in their category.

"User-Friendly" Vacation Rentals

The phrase user-friendly can and should be a consideration for vacation rental homes. When your guests arrive at your rental, many for the first time, they are unfamiliar with something as basic as light switch controls. A label on light switches and fan controls is a much appreciated convenience and one other little extra that shows that you, the owner, truly are working to make their stay carefree and pleasant.

Other ways to make your home user-friendly are to provide an Owners Guidebook to your home which includes manuals for electronic devices and appliances. Posting the house address and telephone numbers along with emergency numbers near the telephone are essential. A clear step by step list for operating spas and pool equipment is also very important.

Take a walk room by room through your house and look critically at anything that may be confusing for a renter to operate or locate. It may seem like a small thing but in the end its all the small things that add up to making your home the first choice for their next vacation.

In the end, your guests will remember how easy your home was to settle into without fussing with searching for switches, finding the TV Channel lineup, and looking for directions operate the washing machine.

Prepare Your Vacation Rental for the Gen-Xers

As a vacation rental owner one very important aspect of setting your home apart from the crowd is providing amenities travelers expect. This year (2007) the Baby Boomers have been replaced by the Gen Xers as the largest group of both business and leisure travelers. Gen Xers are fond of leisure travel and spend more per trip than their Boomer counterparts and have higher expectations for the level of service, amenities and quality in their accommodations.

Gen Xers although individuals, have a number of common characteristics they look for when choosing their accommodations. Here is a list of preferences as they relate to travel decisions:

1. They love electronics and gadgets and they expect freebies such as internet access. Is your rental set up for wireless access? Most Gen Xers travel with laptops.

2. Gen Xers respond to promotional offers as they make vacation plans. They are always looking for discounts. Do you offer specials to fill you calendar? They often make plans last minute taking advantage of airline specials.


3. Gen Xers are more oriented toward family life and more leisure trips. Expect 3-4 day getaways to become more prevelant. Do you have a minimum stay of 7 nights? If so, reducing the required number of nights can help to increase your bookings.

4. They consistantly value three things: service, security, and a comfortable bed. Are you receiving good feedback from previous guests in this area?

6. Common with other groups, the Gen Xers appreciate the "personal touch" what better way to show your guests you appreciate them than by greeting them with a welcome gift upon their arrival from Welcome Your Guests Gifts.

In summary, like most vacationers the Gen Xers are looking for luxury, value, and relaxation. Take a look at your vacation rental from the Gen Xers point of view and see if you can improve in any areas. The benefits to you in the end will be a full calendar of happy travelers.

How to Pamper Your Guests

The vacation rental industry, in general, caters to more sophisticated travelers seeking luxurious accommodations with the comforts of home. It's important that your home stand out from the competition by giving them an accommodation they'll never forget.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Start pampering with your first impressions- these are your website, e-mails, phone manners and brochures. They should reflect warmth and the quality of your home.

2. Be sure to list all your amenities even the small stuff! Guests have many choices for their lodging and you never know what is important to each individual.

3. A simple "Thank You" goes a long way.

4. Provide extra pillows, blankets, towels for your guests.

5. Make sure guests have information with whom they should contact should they require assistance during their stay.

6. Provide information about the local area such as things to do, shopping, restaurants, brochures of local attractions, etc.

7. Offer to help plan a local itinerary.

8. Greet your guests with a "Welcome" gift with a personal message. Such as one of the themed gift bags from our gift service Welcome Your Guests Gifts

Getting Some Perspective: Visit other Vacation Home Rental Sites

Have you ever taken a step back from your home, and looked at it through a guest’s eyes? Did you know that an easy way to do this is by surfing the net? That’s right, many frequent travelers will report their vacation, solely from their perspective, online.

Popular review sites get thousands of hits per day. Users simply login, create a profile, and post away about their experiences. Good impressions are shared with thousands…and so are bad ones.

In this technological day and age, it’s important to treat your guests well. Sometimes this is as simple as creating the very best atmosphere from the beginning. Make sure all communications pre-trip are warm and professional. Make sure their accommodations are exactly as expected upon their arrival, and go that extra mile for them.

It may just pay off in the end…to the tune of thousands!