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Whether you operate a quaint bed-and-breakfast or a portfolio of short-term rentals, you want your guest experience to be absolutely stellar. If you’re looking to keep your customers coming back time and time again, there are plenty of quick and powerful ways to improve.
From making a great first impression to creating a seamless experience, we’ve curated a few key tips to take your rental from modest to marvelous. So kick back and stay a while as we walk you through these winning guest experience strategies.
Before you start bringing in guests, you’ve got to hook some leads. And the first thing your potential customers will see is your listing. Even if you have a truly incredible guest experience ready for them, that means nothing if your post doesn’t show it for all its glory.
To that end, let’s take a look at a few ways to improve your short-term rental listings.
Obviously, a couple looking for the perfect honeymoon spot is going to be searching for something a little different than a company on a business retreat. So what kind of guest experience does your short-term rental offer? Who would most enjoy a stay in your place? And how do they benefit from their time there?
Your first instinct might be to say, “Anyone would like staying here!” However, it’s usually better to cater your listing to a certain demographic. That way, they’ll know what they’re getting—and you can make other changes and upgrades to define and refine your guest experience.
Here are a few examples:
Whatever your target audience is, by catering to your core demographic, you’ll catch more leads—and improve customer satisfaction by meeting your guests where they are.
Although smartphone cameras have come a long way, there’s still no comparison to what a professional photographer—or interior designer—can do. Hiring an expert to take care of your listing photos can make even ordinary short-term rentals look extraordinary. Furthermore, a little help to get just the right staging can make the space you have more functional and fashionable, even if it’s small.
If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, there are a few other tips you can follow to make your listing look lovely:
Although you might be very familiar with what your short-term rental provides, your guests can’t assume anything. Make sure to give them as much information as you can, while highlighting the most important—or most attractive—items. Based on your understanding of your target demographic, what might your guests be looking for? What amenities would make their guest experience better?
Some of the items you brainstorm might be worth investing in, like a towel warmer or high-quality sheets. Others won’t take much effort, like free secure wi-fi. Whatever you decide to incorporate, put that perk on your listing… even if it’s a Keurig machine.
After you’ve made your listing as attractive for your target audience as possible, it’s time to support it on the back end. If possible, list your rental on multiple sites. However, if you do this manually, be careful not to overbook. Boost your content’s search engine optimization (SEO) with your area in mind so that your audience finds you when they’re looking for places to stay.
Depending on how thorough you are with your online presence, you could also run your own website with a blog, upload regularly to social media, and even stay trending with your community. Once you get into digital marketing, the world is your oyster.
The next way to improve your short-term rental’s success is to streamline your guest experience. From booking to checkout and everything in between, there are always ways to make their stay more enjoyable.
Don’t make your customers work to stay at your short-term rental. Make booking, confirmation, arrival, and departure processes as smooth as possible. Plus, keep a line open for communication in case they’re having issues. Even when your booking process isn’t perfect, if you can support them with good customer service, they can still leave satisfied.
If you want to go a step further, use smart home technology where you can. For example, try a digital lock on the door so they don’t have to have a physical key. Or put a smart speaker in the house for them to use. There are lots of ways to dial in the digital guest experience.
Again, streamlining communication between you and your customers is a huge support for your guest experience. Be readily available over emails, text messages, phone calls, and in person—if that’s an option. When they know help is just an ask away, they’ll feel more comfortable.
Plus, set accurate expectations in advance about your house rules, charges, services, and procedures. Put them on the listing, and consider creating a physical guidebook or pamphlet as well. Then, leave it in your short-term rental property so guests can review and reference their agreement terms during their stay.
If you’re already feeling overwhelmed—and you have the resources—you can always hire a property manager to improve your guest experience. Having a trained professional take on the bulk of the work for you can be a weight off your shoulders.
But even if you do it all yourself, there are best practices you can follow. Here are a few examples:
These practices can give your guests a great first impression. While they do take a bit of work, it almost never goes unnoticed.
Of course, nothing else is necessary. Your guests should have a great experience if this is all you do. But now that we’ve covered what most people would consider the basics of short-term renting, it’s time to consider going the extra mile. After all, human creativity is limitless—so don’t be afraid to get a little crazy!
To that end, here are some unique tips for improving guest experience in your short-term rental.
Most guests will be perfectly satisfied to have a few extra toilet paper rolls or towels. But if you really want to take it up a notch, throw in a bonus here and there. These don’t have to cost much, but they can really take the guest experience over the top.
Here are a few simple ideas to surprise and delight your guests:
Any little thing that can make your guests feel more catered to will elevate their stay—and make your short-term rental more memorable.
This tip is especially for those looking to curate an authentically local short-term rental experience. If your guests need help getting where they’re going, are looking for a great nearby restaurant, or find themselves with an extra night to do something fun—this is where you can come to the rescue.
Be their at-home tour guide. Know what’s going on in your community. Stay abreast of upcoming popular events and activities so you can clue your guests in on what’s happening. That way, they’ll feel like they have the inside scoop on your city. It’s a great perk that can be the cherry on top of their guest experience.
Out of ideas? Ask your guests! Chances are, if they’re renting from you, they’ve probably had some experience at other short-term rentals. By prompting them with a customer survey before or after they leave, you’ll get a chance to see how they feel about their stay. They might even suggest other ways to improve the guest experience.
You can leave a simple paper-and-pencil customer survey for them in the room and collect it when they’re gone. Or you can get digital and create an online survey with a few quick questions. With some strategic email marketing, you can make this happen automatically. Bonus points if you give them a small incentive for filling it out, like $5 off their next stay with you.
When you receive positive feedback, another way to get an even better return on your investment (ROI) is to recycle that response into a testimonial. Your guests can do that themselves on Google or another platform. After all, that social proof can be worth its weight in gold.
If you need help designing a guest experience survey, or want to get even deeper insight, try a CX evaluation or customer survey from a trusted source like CustomerOptix. You’ll receive valuable information about what you’re doing well, what might need work, and how you can improve.
In conclusion, enhancing the guest experience at your short-term rental doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. By focusing on making your listing attractive, streamlining the guest experience, and adding creative, thoughtful touches, you can significantly improve satisfaction and encourage repeat bookings. Remember, it’s the details that make a difference—clear communication, cleanliness, and those little extras that surprise and delight your guests.
Implementing these tips will help ensure your guests have an unforgettable stay… and keep coming back for more.
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