What amenities increase bookings the most?
As a vacation rental owner, we know that you want to make sure your vacation rental home is booked solid for those times that you are not using it. This may sound simple because after all, you chose a fabulous location that seems to be popular amongst all age groups. However, if your vacation rental does not have the amenities that many people are looking for, then you are going to find that your vacancies may exceed your bookings.
Let’s take a look at the most popular vacation rental amenities to increase vacation rental bookings:
Bedrooms
It is true that you cannot change the number of bedrooms in your vacation rental, but you can increase the number of guests you can comfortably fit without sacrificing privacy. A two-bedroom vacation home could potentially sleep up to eight people if you plan and design the space accordingly. The one bedroom will need to be the master, and you will get bonus points if it has an en suite, because travelers love having a private bathroom.
Twin beds can be moved together to create a king sized bed, or you can use bunk beds in the second bedroom for added capacity. When it comes to squeezing extra people into your home for sleeping, try including a sofa sleeper in the living area or a Murphy bed in the home office space or down in the basement if you have one.
The goal is to be creative with the sleeping arrangements and let your guests know that they will be more than comfortable during their stay.
Pool
A public pool close to your vacation rental may be okay for some of your guests but may be a deal breaker for others. We recommend that if you have the space on your property, you install a pool for your guests to use. Yes, this is an expense – a large one – but you will quickly recoup the costs when your vacation rental is booked solid every month.
Sauna, Spas, and Hot Tubs
Vacations are all about relaxing and unwinding. So, think about how many people you’ll attract when you offer them access to a sauna, spa, or hot tub during their stay. These three things will make your property stand out from all the rest because very few properties offer them. In fact, most hotels don’t even provide them to their guests!
Outdoor Spaces
Many people seek the great outdoors on their vacation and the ability to chill with friends and family. Outdoor spaces and glamping have become increasingly popular vacation rentals. If you are looking to increase your rentals, then a fabulous outdoor space is a must.
A patio or deck is perfect for those early morning coffees, as well as those late nights under the stars with a drink in hand. Your guests will love a fenced in backyard, especially if they have young children. When it comes to cooking, many travelers love a good BBQ, so make sure your barbecue area is top notch! You might also want to consider building a fire pit for those cooler nights, as many guests will savor the opportunity to cuddle up next to the fire or make s’mores with the kids.
Gourmet Kitchens
One of the reasons why so many people choose vacation rentals over hotels is the kitchen. We recommend creating a gourmet kitchen in your vacation rental and making sure that it includes everything that your guests need. People want to document their vacations, and what better marketing than a selfie in your gorgeous vacation rental?
Here are a few items to include in your kitchen:
Pots and pans in many sizes
Cast Iron Skillet
Blender/Food Processor
Toaster Oven
Microwave
Keurig/Espresso Machine
Corkscrew and Bottle Opener
Crockpot
Air Fryer
Walkable Attractions
You cannot change where your vacation rental home is located, but hopefully, you chose a location where there are \attractions that can be reached via a short walk. These attractions could be golf courses, hiking and walking trails, parks and playgrounds, restaurants, and shopping. We recommend listing these walkable attractions when you are marketing your rental property. We also recommend that you create a binder of all those walkable attractions. If you’re using the PMBO app, your guests can easily refer to the app for more information. The concierge app even includes recommendations for nearby restaurants.
Laundry
We know so many people that will never choose accommodations that do not offer a laundry room when they are on vacation. Therefore, this might be the most popular amenity on this entire list! If you do not currently have a laundry area in your vacation rental, then now is the time to construct one, especially if you are located in a beach area. Everyone will appreciate the convenience of being able to tackle their laundry when it is dirty, especially if they have children who are going through more clothes than what they had packed.
Outdoor Showers
Another excellent amenity for beach areas is an outdoor shower, as it will allow your guests to shower and remove all the sand before it gets tracked inside. Of course, outdoor showers are also perfect in other areas with outdoor activities. An outdoor shower might not be at the top of the list for those looking for a vacation rental, but it should be at the top of yours because it will help keep the cleaning and maintenance costs down.
Pet-Friendly
People are choosing to travel with their pets more often nowadays, which is why we want to encourage you to choose to be pet-friendly. We understand that this can be a challenge, as you do not want pets destroying any part of your property. However, it is going to increase your bookings significantly since many hotels don’t allow pets. Make sure that your yard is pet friendly, and fenced in, and that you provide directions to the nearby dog parks, so the pets can get their energy out on a regular basis.
Cable TV and Big Screen TVs
When people choose to stay in a hotel, they are often stuck with one television – and a small one at that. Don’t allow that to happen in your vacation rental, because you will hear a lot of complaining and you’re less likely to have return guests. We recommend having a larger television in the living space of your rental home, as well as larger televisions in the bedrooms. You should also provide cable television or satellite. Throwing in a Playstation or Xbox is also a great idea for the kids.
Wi-Fi
In this technological world, everyone always wants to be connected. Therefore, it will be necessary to provide fast and secure Wi-Fi for all your guests. There are many people that have the ability to work remote, so their vacation might be as much business as it is pleasure. Also, those guests might be in the area solely for business and looking for a more private and local feel while in town. Wi-Fi is one of those amenities that’s better to have and not need, than need and not have.
Having no vacancy at your vacation rental is the ultimate goal of every property owner. We guarantee that if you have all eleven of these amenities included with your vacation rental, you will minimize or eliminate vacancies thereby increasing profits. You may also see the same people returning year after year because you now have one of the top vacation rentals in the area.
Another key to increasing bookings comes from exposure on multiple channels. Using the PMBO vacation rental software you can manage your property across over 40 channels in one place – eliminating double bookings, increasing your pool of potential guests, an retaining more profits with our low fees and loyalty programs.