Each vacation rental home may be different, but all owners want to have a wonderful renting experience that will result in a 5-star rating from the guest. Sometimes there are small details that can make a big impact on a guest’s experience. These simple examples might be enough to take an enjoyable stay to a “wow” vacation.
Stuff for the Kids
Families with young children flock to vacation rental properties that can accommodate everyone with ease and comfort. The more convenient the setup of the home is, the more they can focus on planning and enjoying activities. Some houses provide a bunk room able to cater to adults, but primarily decorated and furnished for the youngsters. A long room with 3 bunk beds in one row is a creative way to utilize an otherwise awkward space, maximizing the sleeping beds and allowing for some play space in front.
Adding kid-sized chairs to a room will make a toddler feel extra special, along with a few playful pillows and games.
Have a beach house or swimming pool? How about a few basic water toys, like foam noodles, handy for the family to grab. Afterall, it’s common for parents to forget to bring toys and local beach shops can be expensive.
An arm chair for kids sold at Overstock.com
Gift Baskets with Local Samples
Some home owners leave a nice gift basket out for each arriving guest. This may be easier for the high-end luxury properties to accommodate if they are able to charge significantly high rent rates. However, the gift basket doesn’t necessarily have to include expensive items or wine. You can partner with local businesses in the area and put in samples of their products in the basket, along with literature or coupons from each store. Nearby restaurants and spas will likely jump at the opportunity to showcase their business to a vacationer, and may be able to supply you with ample coupons for several months of baskets. Your basket also doesn’t have to be large. Even a quaint container with a couple jars of your favorite jam and honey is a nice addition to leave on the dining table. What makes a gift basket special and unique for vacation home owners is a personal note. By hand writing a personal “welcome” card inside the basket, guests not only feel like you put in extra effort, they are reminded that this is someone’s own home and not “just another hotel”.
Local Produce
Not everyone can leave food out in their vacation homes. For example, some beachfront or woodland homes attract too many insects to accommodate leaving food items out, and some homes do not provide enough secure climate controlled storage. But when housekeeping help is plentiful and conditions are right, leaving out a little fruit on the kitchen table is a great idea. Fresh fruit and vegetables gives an impression of overall freshness in a home. Produce is a healthy gift that can be quite convenient for the guest, who will have one less item on their grocery list. If guests arrive for a late check in and didn’t have time to go shopping before bed, they can still awake to eat some delicious apples for breakfast. It will be even more special if the items are from the local farm or farmers market, or a fruit that is unique to the area.
Wine or Gift for Celebrations
If you ever celebrated your anniversary or birthday on a cruise ship or at a resort hotel, you may have received a bottle of wine with a celebratory note on your arrival to the room. Vacation rental owners can replicate this same gesture. When interviewing potential renters, you can ask them if they plan to celebrate anything special during their stay. If you prefer not to attract any parties to your home, you might use this as an opportunity to filter the inquiries. But if a guest mentions they will be celebrating a birthday and they still seem like a good fit for your property, you can use this information to your advantage. A bottle of wine is customary, however it can also be just as impactful to leave out a different type of gift – which will be appreciated by guests who do not drink alcohol. The item with a simple bow is great, but I again emphasize the power of a personal note. If you leave a nice little card signed “Happy Birthday!” it will surely be noticed.
A Holiday Tree and Holiday Decor
When families choose to rent your home for the winter holidays, they probably imagine a special time of sharing with their loved ones. While not all guests share the same religious traditions, you may find that a simply decorated holiday tree is appreciated by many.
In one lake side home in Horseshoe Bay, Texas, the owner leaves out a simple artificial table top tree with a few white lights and a bright red stand cover. When the guest arrives in December, they are greeted with the extra winter-time decor that matches the lighting and decor in the surrounding neighborhood. The tree is simple and not easily broken, it does not pose the fire risk that a natural tree does, and it was a small expense of about $30 that will last for several years. When guests checkout, they always thank the owner for providing the tree and comment that it made their vacation “feel like home”.
Besides a tree, seasonal decor for the dining table, napkin rings, or holiday dishes are also a memorable touch.
A Guest Book
This is one of the easiest and most rewarding suggestions. At a home in Port Aransas, a long-time home owner once shared their guest book with me. It was more than just a signed guest book – it was a “guest story book”. Some of the entries in the journal-sized book were letters of several pages. Shortly after seeing this and reading a very lovely story from a group of graduate students who had relaxed in her property, I added a simple guest book to my house. Guests did not hesitate to leave us a little note – complete with the names of all the kids and the fun things they did during their vacation. When my family visited our home together, the first thing we did was read the recent comments in the book. We reconnected with all of our past guests on a personal level and it allowed us to see the great memories our home created. More so, when new guests come to stay, they too get to enjoy reading the previous stories and add to the collection.
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