As we get closer to the end of the year, there are a few vacation rental trends worth noting for the year ahead. Over the last year, we have seen a slow but steady change in the way that people travel. Traditional hotels are giving way for managed rentals and self catering units, while guest experience is also evolving.

Vacation rental trends for 2018 are a good way to determine which factors you should be thinking about as part of your short term rental strategy. Keep reading to find out which trends are worth noting for the year ahead.

Vacation Rental Trends to Watch

In no particular order, some of the vacation rental trends to watch in the next few months include the following:

• Home automation. Smart homes are set to continue making life easier for owners as well as guests. Home automation features include smart fridges, smart blinds and lights that are set to adjust as the light fades into evening, fully synced kitchens that communicate between devices, smart alarms and many other features. We may even see tools such as Facebook’s demo home ‘robot’ that acts like a butler crossed with Siri.
• Guest experience. Experience is still important. For many travellers, whether visiting on business or holiday, it is all about the guest experience. Bleisure travel is also on the rise, as we mentioned in our business travel trends report earlier this year. Leisure travellers are starting to expect more, which makes it more important than ever to consider the experience rather than just the accommodation. Offering tours, travel tips and other features that enhance guest experience will always be a good idea.
• Aparthotels. Aparthotels are showing no sign of losing favour. Both business and leisure travellers are leaning towards this model. As more travellers make the shift from traditional hotels to self catering and managed rentals, there is a big demand for flexible accommodation that offers the luxury of hotel accommodation with the convenience of self catering.
• Instant Book. Instant Book is also going strong. What makes this feature worth thinking about is its ability to create a simpler experience for guests. When there are fewer barriers to booking, it becomes a lot easier to keep your property booked out. When guests have to wait or make an effort, they often end up going somewhere else where there is less hassle. Read our tips on how Instant Book helps your short term rental grow.
• Reviews. Thanks to constant advancement in mobile and social media, accountability is more important than ever before. Reviews have always been important, but in the current Mobile First era, search engines use reviews to help guests find information. Make sure that you consider our tips on how to get better reviews, and also think carefully about how you respond to reviews to ensure that you don’t end up losing out.
• Local experience. Micro Moments are another trend worth noting. Many travellers are in the now – they are looking for restaurants near their rental, and they want to explore local areas easily. You can use this trend by focusing on area guides and ensuring that your guests are able to explore your neighbourhood as easily as possible.

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Which trends are you noticing as we get closer towards the end of the year? Let us know below or get in touch if you’d like to know more about the role that short term rental management plays in these vacation rental trends for 2018.