5 keys to being a good holiday rental host

To succeed as a holiday host, you need to offer services suited to your guests, give clear instructions, communicate quickly, take care over the welcome and recommend nearby experiences or businesses. These steps cut down on questions during the stay, improve the traveller's experience and can lead to more positive reviews.

Services, communication and details that help improve the guest experience.

Sometimes what a guest remembers about a place is not the room or the services but a small touch: a welcome gift, a note, a recommendation at the right moment. There are plenty of places to stay, and people tend to choose the one that made them feel most special. Do you want your guests to choose you too? Then these 5 keys to succeeding as a holiday host are for you.

1. Offer the best services at your property

The main thing is to offer the best services at your holiday rental. Bearing in mind the target audience you have decided to aim your property at (have a look at this article to get it right), make sure it offers everything they need. Remember that most properties cover the basic needs – a bed and a bathroom – but not all of them manage to offer the small details that make the difference, such as high-speed Wi-Fi, a work corner or basic cleaning products. The more needs your property covers, the more likely a potential guest is to choose it.

For example, one thing guests love is being able to get in the moment they arrive, without meeting any staff and without having to wait. The best way to do this is to fit an electronic lock that makes it easy, just as we do at beBalmy.

Be creative! Many other extra services do not need a big investment, so use your imagination.

2. Give clear, detailed instructions

Having clear, detailed instructions is just as important as having an attractive, pleasant property that offers what guests need. Have you ever tried to switch on the TV in a hotel and not managed it? Have you wanted to connect to the wifi but spent 20 minutes looking for the password? These setbacks are not serious problems, but they can annoy guests and they will end up calling or messaging you to sort out their questions.

The solution? Put together instructions that are as clear and detailed as possible from the start of the stay. For example, at beBalmy, where we love taking care of the details, we send the guest a message with all the access details, when they reach the flat they have a PDF document with lots of useful information for their stay, and we also put up signs around the property so it is very easy for them to connect to the Wi-Fi or remember to switch off the lights when they leave..

3. Be friendly and available

Many of the reviews we read on booking platforms mention how pleasant the host was and how welcome the guests felt. But it is also important to know how to handle negative reviews on Airbnb when something does not go as expected. Make sure you offer this! Nobody wants to stay somewhere they do not feel welcome, so give your guests warmth and hospitality. All of this helps you get more positive reviews.

On top of that, guests may need to contact you during their stay because something unexpected comes up or they need to ask you something. Make it easy for them! And these days, thanks to social media and instant messaging, you do not even need to be nearby. In fact, you can even hand this task over to companies like beBalmy to manage your bookings for you.

4. Leave a welcome gift

As we said at the start, welcome gifts can make a difference. Who does not enjoy getting a little present? It is also a good opportunity to show the personality of your property, or even of the area it is in. A typical local drink or local sweets can be an authentic gift that helps guests connect with their destination straight away.

5. Offer exclusive discounts at nearby businesses

This is perhaps one of the options that costs us least and that guests like most. It has probably happened to you on a trip: you arrive at your destination and want to go out to eat or have a drink, or even visit the museums, but you are wary of walking into just anywhere in case it is a tourist trap. Well, if you manage to team up with businesses near your property where your guests can, for example, get a discount on breakfast or lunch, you can help not only the businesses near your holiday rental, but also your guests, who will once again feel privileged to have stayed at your property.

Succeed as a holiday host!

As you have seen, it is not too complicated to make small changes to your property to give your guests a different experience and make them feel special. Bear in mind that in the end your guests will remember what made their stay special. That delicious breakfast they enjoyed with the discount they found at the property, the local sweet they tasted on arriving because it was waiting for them as a welcome gift, or how easy it was to get into the property and use all the services. All of this starts with good branding for your holiday rental that reflects that experience.

So, if your property does not have any of these services, get to work! If you do not know how to do it and would like us to help you succeed with your property, remember you can contact us through this form.