Positioning Your Holiday Rental Investment for the Luxury Travel Market

  • 2017-05-11

If you are aiming to position your holiday rental investment for the luxury travel market, the first step is creating an experience that guests will remember for all the right reasons. Many guesthouses, villas and apartments want to cater to luxury travellers, but fail to upgrade their rental with features that will appeal to this market. Simply calling your rental luxurious will not automatically attract the right guests. While you don’t have to literally roll out the red carpet, there are a number of ways that you can give your guests the celebrity treatment.

Positioning Your Holiday Rental Investment for the Luxury Travel Market

One of the simplest ways to position your rental is to look at luxury listings to see what they offer guests. What sets a 5-star rental apart from a 2 or 3-star rental is not only the number of tourism grading stars but also the overall level of quality provided. How can you go over and beyond your guests’ expectations to offer them a truly luxurious stay?

How to Create a Luxurious Holiday Rental Investment

Some of the ways that you can position your holiday rental investment for luxury travel include the following:

  • Invest in short term rental management. The simplest and most effective way to ensure that your rental investment is catered towards the luxury travel market is to invest in comprehensive management. This should include admin-based assistance such as bookings management, as well as day to day management, marketing and guest services. A good manager will keep your rental in optimal condition at all times. Guests will be able to look forward to 5-star service throughout their stay, which in turn helps you to build a holiday rental reputation as a full-service boutique accommodation provider.
  • Provide the best quality bedding possible. In our recent article that showed the features that guests look for in short term accommodation, comfort was one of the most important things that guests sought. A luxury rental would not ever offer guests poor quality linens. Invest in high thread count cotton sheets, pillow cases and duvet covers, with sumptuous throws, wool or feather duvet inners, soft bathrobes, large bath sheets, inviting rugs and other touches that will add to your guests’ comfort. It’s also a good idea to invest in queen or king sized beds to further add to your guests sense of comfort.
  • Stock the fridge with guests’ favourites. While a fully stocked fridge and pantry will always be appreciated, you can go one step further by finding out what sort of foods and drinks your guests prefer. If you are unsure, stick to basics that will appeal to every taste. Good quality coffee, a selection of cheeses, a variety of breakfast options, fresh fruit and a selection of snacks will go a long way in making your guests feel at home. Artisan cookies, chocolate and other unexpected touches further enhance their experience.
  • Keep clutter and artwork to a minimum. While you want your holiday rental investment to stand out, too much clutter can make the home seem messy or disorganised. A few well-chosen decor and art pieces will add style without taking up too much space. You may want to consult with an interior designer, or browse a few decor magazines to get an idea of how to style your rental. As a general guideline, most luxury holiday homes have a neutral, soothing colour palette, with subtle decor touches added for emphasis.
  • Turn the lounge into a welcoming retreat. The living room is where guests will spend a great deal of their time. This is often one of the first areas that a guest will look at when browsing listings. Add a comfortable, spacious couch, such as a corner unit or a big, squishy leather couch, which will help guests to image relaxing during their stay. Rugs, cushions, throws, large flat screen televisions with DVD as well as satellite, a few games, a selection of DVDs, a variety of books, and a few plants will all help to create a welcoming living space.
  • Transform your bathrooms into mini spas. All bathrooms should have large towels, plus a selection of pampering products. Adding disposable slippers, candles, spa tubs, rain showers, bidets, his and hers basins, soft lighting and other luxurious touches can turn an ordinary bathroom into something worthy of a top spa. The master bathroom should be the most sumptuous. But even if your rental only has one bathroom, make it as inviting as possible to entice luxury travellers.
  • Provide add-on services. Even if they have to pay more, additional services such as a private chef, personal butler, housekeeper and guest concierge can add plenty of luxury to guests. This is yet another reason to consider partnering with an experienced holiday rental manager, who can provide your guests with all of these additional services, and many others besides.

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Ready to learn more about working with a holiday rental manager? Contact the Totalstay team today to learn more about our comprehensive solution that is geared especially towards holiday rental investment.