In this guide to vacation rental features, we will be going from room to room to help you determine the best features to include in your rental. From bedrooms to bathrooms, kitchens, living rooms, entertainment areas, and outdoor areas, we help you equip your rental with everything it needs to succeed.

Our next room that we are focusing on is the kitchen. For any self-catering accommodation – be it villa, apartment, cottage or holiday home – the kitchen is one of the most important rooms of all. Vacation rental horror stories will often include hopelessly under-equipped kitchens, or worse, kitchens that are grimy and outdated.

In order for guests to self-cater effectively, they need to be able to cook and prepare food much as they would back home. This means that your rental kitchen needs to be fitted with all the basics, along with anything else that would come in handy during a typical stay.

Vacation Rental Features for Kitchens

The kitchen should be somewhere that guests can prepare a quick meal, or cook up a storm. As such, it should be inviting, easy to navigate and equipped with everything needed for guests to cater for themselves. Even if the property has a small kitchenette, it needs to have all the items that guests may need. Some of the most important vacation rental features to add to your kitchen include the following:

• Fridge with freezer. Obviously, a smaller fridge will suffice for a smaller rental. But if your rental caters to more than one or two guests, you will need a decent sized fridge. You can go one step further by stocking the fridge with basics such as fresh fruit and vegetables, milk, butter, cheese and fruit juices if you really want to make a good impression. You can stock the freezer with a few filled ice trays as well. It’s also a good idea to defrost the fridge regularly between guests so that it doesn’t start to defrost itself during a stay.
• Stove and oven with extractor. A stove with gas burners is always the simplest and most efficient route, but an electric hob will also work. Include a few pots and pans of varying sizes, along with baking sheets and casserole dishes, too. Ovens should be kept clean between stays. Don’t forget to include an extractor fan as well. Smoke detectors are also highly recommended to ensure that your rental is safe for guests.
• Small appliances. Useful small appliances include a kettle (preferably cordless), toaster, coffee machine, such as a Nespresso machine, microwave oven and optional extras such as blenders, juicers, electric frying pans or woks and ice block makers.
• Dishwasher. While a kitchen sink is also useful, guests will be able to save plenty of time and effort with a dishwasher. This in turn will keep your rental in better condition throughout each guest’s stay. Don’t forget to supply dishwasher soap as well as a few manual dish washing supplies and products.
• Crockery, cutlery, glassware and other basics. Ideally, it is best to include a few cups, mugs, side plates, large plates, bowls, glasses of various sizes, serving dishes and salad bowls, platters and cutlery. You will also need to include all the other items, such as bottle openers, tin openers, serving spoons, egg lifters, wooden spoons and any other item that would typically be used on vacation.
• Added extras. What sort of vacation rental features would you appreciate on your travels? Think back to your last trip… what was lacking, or what was present that really made your stay that much more enjoyable? Whether is a selection of wines, a toasted sandwich press, a milk frother, a snacks cupboard, a variety of carving knives or anything else that would help make guests feel at home, even the smallest touches can help you get better reviews.

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A fully-equipped kitchen is not only something that guests will remember – it’s also a unique selling point that can help you bring in more bookings. Out of all the vacation rental features, the kitchen is one room you cannot afford to ignore.

Looking for more help once you have equipped your property with these features? Contact Totalstay today to learn more about how short term rental management can take your results to the next level. From day to day management to bookings, marketing and guest concierge, a fully managed property is sure to be the perfect choice of vacation rental features.